This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated.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.
Hearing the news that Gov. Gary Herbert still supports Donald Trump reminds me of a moral dilemma faced by the U.S. during the 1970s Cold War. The U.S. supported a number of corrupt, abusive dictators in Central and South America with the rationale that if we didn't support these regimes, they would fall under Soviet influence. The rationale for this support was best summed up as, "The President/General/Leader of Wherever may be a lying, cheating S.O.B., but he's our lying, cheating S.O.B." Sadly, that is the same warped perspective employed by our state's leaders attempting to explain their support of Trump. (Additionally, the whole "lying, cheating S.O.B." thing would make for a great campaign slogan for the Utahns for Trump contingent.)
Scott Fenwick
Salt Lake City