As a person who often finds himself aligned with progressive policy in a community of conservative ideologues, I find that I stir up people's idea of what their community should look like. I will give you two examples that happened to me this weekend and seem to illustrate the issues I deal with.
I was out at a bonfire complete with singing, fire, smores, guitar and darkness. One young man sang an original song with lyrics including the name of Mit Romney. The last verse of the song he replaced Governor Romney's name with Harry Reid's. I should probably clarify that it was a Mormon bonfire and Romney and Reid are both Mormons. The difference is that one is a republican and one a democrat. After Reid's name was spoken, a hiss leaked out in the crowd as if someone had brought up a dark family secret. I speak with many Mormons about politics and I respect Harry Reid as a politician and Mormon. My view is the exception to the rule. I have struggled with this predujice as I have often been on the "wrong side" of political discussions in Mormon groups. I decided to embark on a historical journey and figure out why mormons are so strongly Republican.
I had a Bishop mention Ezra Taft Benson, former President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and first mormon appointed to a cabinet position as Secretary of Agriculture under Dwight Eisenhower. He told me that I shouldn't worry about being a democrat and a Mormon since it does in fact work but left me wondering what Ezra Tat Benson had to do with his anything. So I searched and found this quote.
“In February 1974 Apostle Ezra Taft Benson was asked during an interview if a good Mormon could also be a liberal Democrat. Benson pessimistically replied: ‘I think it would be very hard if he was living the gospel and understood
it.'"
I have a theory and it assumes that the best indicator of political preference is parents political preference. Mormon's have voted in blocks whenever a church leader has come out in support of one candidate or another. David O. McKay, former president of the Church, met with both John F. Kennedy Junior and Richard M. Nixon in the 1960 Presidential campaign and wished them both luck but said he hoped Nixon would win. This was covered by the press and a state with strong Republican support misinterpreted the statement as an endorsement by church leadership of Nixon. Nixon then went on to win Utah in the 1960 campaign.
Kennedy did have receive support in Utah it was not enough to enable him to win the state but in 1964, Lyndon B. Johnson became the last democrat to secure Utah in a presidential campaign. Since then, Utah has voted Republican for president. The state legislature has also become less competitive and more republican controlled.
Joseph Smith Jr. said, of mormon voting,
"What a strange people these Mormons are. They are like a flock of sheep; if I should jump into hell, I believe they would follow me!”
- Prophet Joseph Smith, Jr., on the block-voting of Mormons, Macomb Journal, January 25, 1877, p. 2, “Politics and Mormons”
The strong block of mormon voters makes me sad. It is not because I personally feel ostracized, rather, I feel that instead of actually thinking and creating opinions about politics, people in the mormon church fall in line and vote how their neighbors vote. That is a dangerous practice and mormons have been counciled against blindly following leaders in and out of church.
Throughout its first century, Utah maintained a strong two-party commitment. It has since become dominated by conservative politics. I find it interesting that Utah is strongly in favor of public education and national park conservation, both progressive ideas. I guess we all have our dirty little secrets. If you find yours is being a democrat in conservative circles, just remember that at one point Utah voted for a democrat.
This is an overview history of Utah's voting outcomes
