Salt Lake City — Rebel Base?

I’ve observed here previously that, for the first time in decades, an American presidential election will be interesting in Utah.

Here’s a fact that illustrates what I’m saying:

Both Evan McMullin and the Libertarian Party’s Gary Johnson have their headquarters in Salt Lake City!

I have reservations about Gary Johnson — and, for that matter, about libertarianism as a whole, though I’m sympathetic to it (especially on economics) — but I’ve long wished that Utah had a more robust two-party political scene.  By which I mean a strong Republican Party and a strong Libertarian Party, debating over how best to take care of important functions while limiting government and, to the extent advisable, privatizing services.

So I’m not unhappy about having Johnson-Weld HQ here.  Nor am I unhappy about having Evan McMullin base his campaign here.  He seems to have libertarian leanings.  And he emphasizes federalism, which is another of my guiding political principles.

If Utah can help to teach the national Republican Party a lesson for its willing infection by Trumpulism, I’ll be happy.  Or, at least, a bit less unhappy.