which has invited each of the Presidential candidates to contribute a piece.
For those who didn’t know, besides being the major paper in Utah, Deseret News is own by the LDS Church.
This one is titled Exclusive: Hillary Clinton: What I have in common with Utah leaders — religious freedom and the Constitution.
What is interesting is that Clinton clearly frames this in terms of LDS (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is official name of Mormons) history and culture.
That makes in yet another example of the thoroughness of the Clinton campaign.
Clinton makes clear her commitment to religious freedom:
I’ve been fighting to defend religious freedom for years. As secretary of state, I made it a cornerstone of our foreign policy to protect the rights of religious minorities around the world — from Coptic Christians in Egypt to Buddhists in Tibet. And along with Jon Huntsman, our then-ambassador in Beijing, I stood in solidarity with Chinese Christians facing persecution from their government.
Reminder — Jon Huntsman is a Mormon, son of probably the richest man in Utah, and former popular governor of the state of Utah.
Clinton reminds people about Trump’s various comments about Muslims, then writes the following three paragraphs:
But you don’t have to take it from me. Listen to Mitt Romney, who said Trump “fired before aiming” when he decided a blanket religious ban was a solution to the threat of terrorism.
Listen to former Sen. Larry Pressler, who said Trump’s plan reminded him of when Missouri Gov. Lilburn Boggs singled out Mormons in his infamous extermination order of 1838.
Or listen to your governor, who saw Trump’s statement as a reminder of President Rutherford B. Hayes’ attempt to limit Mormon immigration to America in 1879.
She praises the current governor for his work to accept refugees.
She acknowledges differences but affirms something important in common:
Americans don’t have to agree on everything. We never have. But when it comes to religion, we strive to be accepting of everyone around us. That’s because we need each other. And we know that it so often takes a village — or a ward — working together to build the change we hope to see.
There is more in this piece.
Will it mean she carries Utah? Of course not.
But it shows a real effort at outreach.
She is in Utah for a fundraiser — in UTAH!!
And this is even more evidence of how broad this campaign has become.
Take a look.