This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated.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.
"Between two evils, I generally like to pick the one I never tried before."
— Mae West
The conventions are over. The tickets are set. The presidential candidates of the two major political parties are well-known, not that well-liked and about to subject the people of the United States to what promises to be an excruciating three months of invective, attacks and promises.
And, for the first time in a long time, Utahns will not be allowed to sit this one out.
The Republican nominee, Donald Trump, finished a poor third in the state's caucuses back in March. His deep and continuing unpopularity here, the state that can usually be counted on to deliver the highest percentage of Republican votes, at least raises the possibility that Utah's six electoral votes may be up for grabs.
The Democratic candidate, Hillary Clinton, also cannot assume that Utah will fall into her camp. Not only will the Republican hold on the state be difficult to overcome, but a quarter-century in the public eye — as first lady, senator from New York and secretary of state — has left her with a considerable amount of personal and political baggage.
Both candidates have also thrown several kinks into the normal political flow.
Trump is despised by many in the Republican firmament for what are seen to be startlingly un-conservative views. His opposition to international trade deals, disdain for such national security touchstones as NATO and the threat of Russian aggression and his unwillingness to address entitlement reform have pushed many Republicans out of his camp.
In Utah, specifically, his hostility to immigrants and his threat to ban a whole religion from coming to America hits chords of disgust among many Mormons.
Clinton, on the other hand, represents the continuation of an Obama administration that many in Utah have never supported. Her promises to build on Obamacare, to put some level of controls on gun ownership and her open support for abortion and LGBT rights may all be hard sells in the Beehive state.
But Clinton also offers what many see as a welcome, serious alternative to Trump's braggadocio. And her status as the first female nominee of a major party allows her to play up the maternal, family qualities that may appeal to many in a family-friendly state.
Polls indicate that voters in Utah are pretty evenly divided between the two major candidates, with Libertarian Gary Johnson pulling well into the teens. With the rest of nation also sharply divided, and the all-important Electoral Vote particularly tight, Utah's decision could tip the balance.
That gives voters here an extra responsibility. We must take it seriously.