Utah getting more liberal? Huh?

by phil on Thursday May 14, 2009 1:51 AM

I'm kind of fixated on Utah. It's like a canary-in-the-coal-mine state. What happens in Utah is a preview of the social future of America. But this is really interesting.

Slate is suggesting that Utah is developing a liberal streak:

What's the matter with Utah? The most Republican state in the nation is drifting to the left. In the last few months, Gov. Jon Huntsman, a Republican and a practicing Mormon, has come out in favor of civil unions for gays and repeated his support for government action on global warming. Meanwhile, the Republican-controlled state legislature has liberalized Utah's notoriously arcane alcohol laws. The punishment for this apostasy has been record-high approval ratings--for both governor and legislature.

Comments

Squidhelmet said on May 14, 2009 6:58 AM:

It sorta makes sense that Utah wants to start the wheels rolling toward 'non-traditional marriage' - that could only be good for their Mormon constituents. And freeing up alcohol is practically buying the youth vote :)