By the time this article is published, the US presidential elections will be over. The likelihood of a clear result is all but certain and the only reason for uncertainty rested in the state of Utah. Not because Utah is normally a battleground state but because Evan McMullin decided to be a fly in the ointment. He opted to gamble and play into the deep rooted religious core of the majority of Utahans. The chance that McMullin has changed the outcome of the elections is unlikely but so was the candidature of Donald Trump. Nonetheless, McMullin’s entry in the race stands as a reminder that core beliefs and one’s moral compass should trump populism. Utah has never been considered a battleground state, but as with much of the 2016 US presidential election season, very little has gone according to script. In a recent article on Aljazeera.com “Trump and the Mormon factor: Could McMullin win Utah?”, Freeman Stevenson notes, “After voting for the Republican presidential candidate for the past 52 years, Utah has been labelled a battleground state and could be the scene of an Election Day upset due to the campaign of local candidate Evan McMullin.” There is zero chance of anyone being president outside of Trump or Clinton but McMullin could have stopped either from reaching the magical number needed. This would have caused a tailspin; a big moment in the political history of the US. While a McMullin upset would have made many journalists happy with the unexpected adrenalin surges and numerous hours of reporting, the reality was always unlikely. According to a 2014 Gallup survey, 60% of Utahans identify themselves as Mormons (members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). This in itself helped McMullin but the November 3 Emerson College polls showed him behind Donald Trump who had a lead with 40%. McMullin was at 28% and Clinton 20%. Nevertheless, the former CIA undercover agent and member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints did something that some of us only dream of – he went against the tide. He exposed himself to sure failure at the polls but potentially has changed the course of future elections in the US. Third party candidates are often a joke, no one expects much but McMullin tapped into his religious base in Utah and used this to open doors for future third party candidates. Additionally, McMullin is showing that support for a particular idea or group does not require one to cast aside their sense of right and wrong . Moral principles should stand through tough and unpopular times. This has not always been visible through these elections. We have seen ultraconservatives and liberals try to explain away what would otherwise have offended them but McMullin has opted to challenge the status quo rather than be a part of something that goes against his principles. On his website there is quite a bit of information but one banner in particular caught my eye. It says, “It’s never too late to do the right thing.” I cannot begin to speak for McMullin or to assume I know his motivation. On the surface though, McMullin did what needed to be done. He swam against the tide while standing up for a principle. How many of us can make this claim? The writer is owner and operator of Forrest Jackson Relocation Services
