I think a nontrivial factor in Trump winning Orthodox Christians by landslide margins is Middle Eastern Christians resonating with GOP suspicion of Islam.
The Orthodox number was curious to me, because when I think of Orthodox Americans I think of Greeks, who might vote Republican on aggregate but certainly don't seem like an overwhelmingly Republican demographic (most of the Greek politicians who come to mind are Democrats). Your explanation makes sense in this regard.
Greeks are the largest ethnic bloc of Orthodox Christians in the United States, but their share is overall dwindling as they secularize and integrate. While anecdotal, I know a lot of Greek-American conservatives are angry at the Biden Administration for what they see as interfering with Church affairs. With more liberal Greeks increasingly going secular, I suspect they are mainly the ones staying in the pews.
Probably the worst Mormon total for the Republicans in 40+ years.
I suspect Mormons eventually end up where the Mainlines are. Their culture puts too much emphasis on being friendly and agreeable to really cohere well with the attitude of the Trump GOP. Their leadership also seems to be trending liberal from what I've heard as an outsider.
yes, I completely agree. If it were not for other INTERNAL counter trends in the state (Hispanics stagnating, drifting slightly and many transplants to Utah leaning more conservative Compared To Colorado), I would say Utah would be electing Democrats end of this decade. But that is unlikely to happen due to counter trends, but I could see a Ted Cruz 2018 happen there in 2028.
https://religionnews.com/2021/04/01/younger-u-s-mormons-voted-for-biden-but-trump-performed-well-overall/This was an interesting read in 2021. I do believe it is close to reality. Younger Mormons were very likely a draw. Older mormons are just stuck in their ways and mostly see January 6th as justified.
One challenge I see for Democrats and Mormons is gun ownership: A majority of Mormon households own GUNS.
