“Why would anyone vote in a cultist?”
Because the voters belong to the same cult. Arizona, it second only to Utah in the percentage of Mormons who live there. Ditto for Nevada and Idaho. Las Vegas was originally a Mormon Settlement. The “story” on Las Vegas is “it’s owned by the Jews and run by the Mormons!” My wife grew up there and she says that that comment is spot on.
Thinking back, I guess I did vote for a cultist — Romney.
Re Mormon influence, my uncle lived in Utah for a long time, and his business couldn’t take off because he wasn’t a Mormon. They were ruthless, and hardly “Christian” in their dealings with people.