EDITORIAL: Is there light at the end of the tunnel for Wyoming Democrats?

Posted 7/29/14

It seems like they are the soccer fans at the Super Bowl, the wine drinkers at an Old West saloon or cats in a kennel. We don’t believe rumors they can hold a meeting in a phone booth, but that’s only because when do you ever see a phone booth …

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EDITORIAL: Is there light at the end of the tunnel for Wyoming Democrats?

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Sometimes it seems like being a Democrat in Wyoming is similar to being a vegetarian at a barbecue.

There’s not much reason to get too excited.

It seems like they are the soccer fans at the Super Bowl, the wine drinkers at an Old West saloon or cats in a kennel. We don’t believe rumors they can hold a meeting in a phone booth, but that’s only because when do you ever see a phone booth nowadays?

Just look at the numbers and the history. The Wyoming Secretary of State’s Office reports that as of July 1, there are 166,723 registered Republicans in the state compared to 52,956 Democrats. That’s a more than three-to-one advantage for the GOP.

It doesn’t get much better when you examine the books. Sen. Mike Enzi, who is the overwhelming favorite to win a fourth term, raised $267,000 from April 1 to June 30, and had more than $1.6 million cash on hand.

His little-known Democratic opponent, the earnest Charlie Hardy, raised a bit more than $6,000 in the same cycle and had little cash on hand.

It’s the same story in the governor’s race, with Gov. Matt Mead holding a huge edge over Democrat Pete Gosar, and in the “contest” for the state’s lone U.S. House seat, incumbent Cynthia Lummis, a Republican like every other person holding a major office in the state, has more than $220,000 cash on hand.

She is basically running unopposed, although Richard Grayson, of Apache Junction, Ariz., has filed to run as a Democrat, while admitting he knows he stands no chance of winning.

It wasn’t always that way, and Gosar went to great lengths last week to try to persuade us that it doesn’t have to be that way in the future.

Gov. Dave Freudenthal, a Democrat, was elected in 2002 and 2006 and won re-election in a landslide. Although he is only 63, not that old for a politician, he has never mounted a campaign again.

Freudenthal proved that Wyoming voters will choose a Democrat if they like and trust him. Can Gosar convince them he is the kind of person and politician they can support?

We admire his willingness to try. It’s an uphill climb and one he undertook only after no other candidate came forward. Gosar was the chairman of the state party, a job he dropped to become its gubernatorial nominee.

He said there are reasons for hope. Wyoming, like its Western neighbors Colorado and Nevada, is slowly becoming more diverse. Many of those new residents lean toward the Democratic Party.

In addition, poll after poll shows younger people are turned off by the GOP’s anti-gay rights stance and opposition to same-sex marriage. Add in their views on environmental issues, marijuana legalization and other issues and there seems to be a generational opening for the Democrats.

In addition, the growing divide in the Wyoming Republican Party, with tea party supporters working to remove traditional Republicans from office and positions of authority, is an opportunity for the Democrats. A lot of moderate voters are unhappy with the continued family squabbling in the GOP; surely some of them can be persuaded to change their registration.

But it’s also about the candidates. Freudenthal charmed voters with his plain-spoken approach, boots and jeans and moderate positions on issues.

Gosar, a Pinedale native and former University of Wyoming linebacker, also fits the role well. He is just 46 and is a nice-looking, friendly and well-spoken man.

That seems like just the kind of person a party should build around. But it need a lot of building.

The Wyoming Democrats need to recruit candidates for office from the local level to statewide races. Not a single Democrat is seeking public office in Park County — that’s ridiculous.

Lummis is being given a free pass, which allows the GOP to focus its energies and dollars on other races. If the Democrats want to compete, they must do just that.

We favor a government with two strong, involved parties. To fly straight, a strong right and left wing are both needed. While the Democrats find themselves in a deep hole, they can brighten their mood with this realization: They can only go up from here.

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