(no subject)

[theweaselking]

Mormon church endorses Clinton.

(Yes, both the Mormon church and the Deseret News *claim* they're independent, but they're not and never have been. The biggest subfaction of the LDS Church owns the newspaper, and the newspaper does not publish anything without church approval.)

Comments

[ashbet]

HOOOOLY CRAP. That whole editorial staff may be out of a job soon, because the LDS Church is going to be furious that they didn't stay in lockstep with the Church on this . . . but that is some powerful stuff. Good for them.

[drcuriosity]

The other option: establishing plausible deniability. This allows the editorial staff to be scapegoated for any political ire that it draws so that in the event of a Trump win, the Church leadership has a cut-out to use for protection against his vindictiveness.

[ashbet]

That is totally possible -- but I'd be really surprised if the LDS leadership was willing to implicitly endorse a Democratic candidate by denouncing the Republican one . . . no matter how awful he is.

(They've spent a TON of money lobbying against things like same-sex marriage and other "moral" issues that they take a disapproving stance on, so the Democrats tend to be treated as their mortal enemies, since we're socially liberal.)

OTOH, it's possible that they got enough pressure from their membership being appalled by Trump's vulgarity (not necessarily the fact that he's a racist, misogynist abuser, but the fact that he was *crass* about it), that the LDS leadership decided that he couldn't credibly be their family-values candidate.

There's a huge amount of pressure for Mormons to vote as a bloc, though, so I'd really be surprised if the LDS Church actually was okay with the Deseret News posting the editorial.

(I could be wrong, but I have a lot of ex-Mormon friends -- so many people leave the LDS Church and turn into Goths for some reason, LOL -- and that's the sentiment I've been getting from them.)

-- A <3

[drcuriosity]

Now that you mention it, I do know a few ex-Mormon goths (also pagan, poly, kinky...)

[ariaflame.livejournal.com]

I was listening to a discussion on the radio about it here, the Mormon's turning away from Donald, they thought that it pretty much was the family values thing had just gone too far. Though I don't remember them talking about going pro-Clinton, but definitely not supporting Trump.

[theweaselking.livejournal.com]

Americans only have two choices. "Not supporting Trump any more" is pro-Clinton. Saying you won't vote for Trump because he's an idiot is endorsing Clinton.

[pappy-legba.livejournal.com]

What Ariaflame said. The LDS, for all the issues you list and all the issues I have with it, was never very pro-Trump. Many credible sources say Trump could lose Utah. Some suggest a third party candidate** might take the state.

(**Which is taking votes away from Republicans so is basically an unwilling Clinton proxy, I know).