Poll: Utahns split on third-party candidate

With thanks to our sponsor

Ririe-Woodbury Dance Comapny

Democratic President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, a Republican, are both underwater by 19 percentage points in their net favorability ratings, according to a Wall Street Journal poll conducted at the end of last month.

With widespread negative perceptions of the parties’ standard-bearers, maybe it’s no surprise that an NBC News survey conducted in April found 70% of respondents did not think Biden should run for president and 60% thought the same of Trump.

Enter renewed talk of third-party alternatives.

While the country’s history has not treated third-party bids kindly, one group, No Labels, claims public opinion is on their side when it comes to introducing a unity presidential ticket as an “insurance policy” to “reset” the country in the case of a Trump-Biden rematch.

And according to a new Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics poll, many Utahns seem open to the conversation.

A majority of respondents, 53%, said they would potentially cast their ballot for someone without an R or a D by their name in 2024, with 16% saying they would “definitely” consider voting for a third-party candidate in the next presidential election and 37% saying “maybe.”

But with nearly a quarter of respondents saying they would “definitely not” consider a third-party ticket, and a fifth saying “probably not,” for a total of 46%, the state is split down the middle on the issue.

More in Politics

My grandson called me: ‘Can I interview you about 9/11?’

At 8:46 a.m. on Sept. 11, 2001, in New York City, Flight 11 from Boston, originally bound for Los Angeles, slammed into the World Trade Center’s north tower.

Across America — from east to west — people awakened to the terrorist attack in every way possible.

"But this isn’t a column about my remembrances of 9/11, more than two decades after the event," writes Doug Wilks, executive editor of the Deseret News. "This is about a phone call with my 11-year-old grandson."

In a rare turn of events, Wilks was the one being questioned — "Where were you when the 9/11 attack happened?" "How did Sept. 11 affect your patriotism or your overall view of the United States?" "“Do you think this type of attack could happen again?”

Wilks realized that when asked by those too young to remember, we can refer to official records documenting the events of 9/11, "But there is perhaps a greater responsibility to pass on the stories of 9/11 to each generation: What it meant at the time. Why we put flags and ribbons on our car antennas. What patriotism meant in the moment. What we felt about threat and war and our personal safety."

During the phone interview, Wilks was asked one final question: "Grandpa, why do you think it takes an attack to bring people together?"

Read more to see Wilks' response.

FROM OUR SPONSOR RIRIE-WOODBURY DANCE COMPANY

GROUNDWORKS launches our 60th Anniversary performing season with a breathtaking concert.

Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company is launching its performing season with GROUNDWORKS, a tribute to co-founders Joan Woodbury and Shirley Ririe, featuring works by Alwin Nikolias. September 21-23, 7:30 PM at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center. Get tickets at saltlakecountyarts.org 801-355-ARTS (2787)

Health

Faith

Salt Lake County

Utah County

The West

Why a Salt Lake company owns the ‘Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas’ sign (Deseret News)

The Nation

The World

Sports