You seem to think Utah would be lost to conservativism without Mormonism. That is my point. That you think Mormonism is what makes Utah conservative....and not that the principals of conservatism make Utah conservatism.
Your view is troubling - - and it was that view that I was addressing specifically.
I don’t call what non LDS have done electing Rocky Anerson, bars, strip joints, tatoo parlars, taror card readers, etc. is part of Conservatism CC.
I’ve never met a Mormon I didn’t like - all very sweet people, good family people. There are many Mormons in my neighborhood. But I think the Mormon church, maintains more control over it’s members than other churches do. And that bothers me a bit.
Of course Mormons make Utah conservative! Just as Southern Baptists and other Evangelists make the South conservative!
If a predominantly conservative group of people makes up half an area’s population, then they are making that area more conservative. It’s math.
How is it that we are talking past each other on this?
The simple fact of the matter is that Mormonism embraces and nourishes the principles of Conservatism, just like any other Christian group does.