This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

" ... Clinton has been around a long time and acquired considerable baggage. Trump is astoundingly unfit. Thus are many good people casting around for some other choice. Many will be tempted to vote for a third party or an independent candidate, if only as a protest. Considering all options is always a good idea.

"But the fact is that the next president of the United States will be one of two people, one eminently qualified and painfully forged, the other a total disgrace. Serious voters will focus on that.

"And the best choice, without a doubt, is Hillary Clinton."

"Independent Evan McMullin is surging in Utah and Donald Trump is falling in the days after the release of a video showing the Republican presidential nominee bragging that because he is a star he can grope women without their consent.

"A new poll by the Utah firm Y2 Analytics found Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton tied at 26 percent, while McMullin came in at 22 percent, a statistical tie among the three candidates. Libertarian Gary Johnson received 14 percent, roughly on par with where he has been in past surveys. ...

" ... Utah has long been a guaranteed Republican win, but not in 2016. It appears those who have left Trump have largely have migrated to McMullin, a Provo-born former Republican congressional staffer and CIA agent who has headquartered his independent, anti-Trump bid in Utah. ..."

A new poll shows a tie in Utah. Be skeptical. Be amazed. — Philip Bump| The Washington Post

" ... There's not a lot of polling done in Utah, so it's worth remembering that this is one poll, in isolation. And that said: Dang. ..."

Donald Trump's Mormon problem, explained — Tara Golshan | Vox

" ... Mormon voters might lean Republican, but their conservatism has roots in modesty, family values, and a long history of religious persecution. Trump's bombast and his policies — particularly toward immigration — are at odds with Mormon political ideals. And high-profile Mormon politicians and leaders are publicly dumping on Trump. ...

" ... And the problem has been a long time in the making. 'Utah Republicans were perceptive enough to reject Trump in their March presidential caucus voting,' the Salt Lake City (sic) Tribune wrote in its endorsement of Clinton this week. (Trump only won 14 percent of the vote in the Utah caucuses.) Not to mention Trump has also been the subject of critique from highly regarded Mormon politicians, like Mitt Romney, who said Trump's comments on the tape 'corrupt America's face to the world.'..."

Utah's Salt Lake Tribune endorses Hillary Clinton — Kelsey Sutton | Politico

" ... The editorial also condemned Republican nominee Donald Trump for running a campaign 'based on divisive, bigoted and insulting rhetoric'. ..."

" ... Utah is rebelling against the deplorable Donald Trump. ...

" ... 'Utah Republicans were perceptive enough to reject Trump in their March presidential caucus voting. Were they to support Clinton now, even by the narrowest of pluralities, it would send a strong message to the Republican Party to turn their backs on Trumpism and to work with Clinton where they can, rather than devote themselves to blocking her every move.' ..."

Trump Faces Major Trouble In Deep Red Utah, New Poll Shows — Janie Velencia | The Huffington Post

" ... On Wednesday, The Salt Lake Tribune officially endorsed Clinton, calling her 'the only candidate who comes close to being qualified and fit for the post'. ..."

Why Utah's Mormons waffle on this year's GOP candidate — Sarah Tory | High Country News

"When Donald Trump was named the Republican presidential nominee, Calene Van Noy, a 42-year-old member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said she felt a sense of horror. In every other presidential race she'd been eligible to vote in, she'd supported the GOP, and for a second, she entertained the possibility of doing so again. But then she remembered what Trump had said about immigrants, Muslims and Syrian refugees, and Van Noy knew that this year would be different. ..."

" ... Specific to Utah, the Tribune is just the latest shoe to drop. Aside from the fact that Trump did not start out as the most popular Republican — based on his performance in the primary — in the past week, legislators and religious leaders have sought to distance themselves from Donald Trump. This is in addition to the strong opposition of Mitt Romney, who remains very popular in Utah, to Trump. ..."