Attorney Stan Cannon of Lander says that based on the current political climate in Wyoming there needs to be a change made in two programs at the University of Wyoming.
He says they need to merge the Political Science Dept. with the Theatre Department.
Then they could issue a degree in “Political Drama.”
Well said.
The furor over scurrilous flyers besmirching political candidates during this year’s primary campaign is intense. And the politicians being victimized are righteous in their anger.
Dirty politics is nothing new but it can be argued these flyers are over the top. And they are being sent all over the state. A ton of money is being spent.
I just believe that if that money was being spent on ads with local press, radio, and digital -- there is more bang for your buck than giving all that money to the Post Office.
Why An August Primary?
After being around at least 25 political seasons in Wyoming, I think I can offer some perspectives on some of the things that we do here in the Cowboy State.
For one, we do we have an August primary? Since we are a one-party state, pretty much, most of our exciting stuff happens in the primary.
And yet because the primary is in late summer (Aug. 20 this year), it becomes very hard to campaign because people are outside enjoying themselves.
Others argue that it is a wonderful time for folks to travel around. The weather is good, the roads are dry, and, plus, that is how we have always done it.
Although it did not matter nationally this year, in normal presidential years an earlier primary is wonderful. Back in 2008 Wyoming held an early presidential caucus and we saw all kind of prominent national candidates visiting the state like Hillary Clinton and the eventual Democrat winner Barack Obama. Plus, Republicans Mitt Romney and Fred Thompson were here, too, as I recall.
Some Good Political Advice
I ran a statewide campaign way back in 2002 and it was crazy.
Sen. John Barrasso’s late wife Bobbi (a proud native of Thermopolis) was an expert at politicking and I remember her giving me some sage advice early in my campaign. She said: “At the beginning you control the schedule. At the end, it controls you.”
She was referring to all the parades, political gatherings, county fairs, and other public events. It is very hard for a political newcomer to draw a crowd to himself or herself, she said. “You need to go where the crowds are.”
That gubernatorial primary included the main candidates Eli Bebout, Ray Hunkins, and myself on the GOP side with Dave Freudenthal and Paul Hickey dominating the Democrat side. We had 63 joint candidate appearances in that 2002 primary campaign. Surely that was a record. And it was remarkably civil.
One noon we had a parade in Sheridan and then later in the day, a debate in Thermopolis sponsored by the Wyoming Press Association.
Another time it was Jackson and Casper. It was a totally crazy time crisscrossing the state. And folks, this is a BIG state.
Debates can be such a waste of time for candidates. The public demands them. People want to see how you stand up under pressure. But nobody ever governs the same way they handle themselves in a debate. It is a false way to measure the quality of a candidate.
Every town, it seems, has a community celebration in the summer. I was stunned by the number of parades in Wyoming. We probably did more than a dozen of them.
I will never forget the wonderful times spent in people’s homes talking about the future of Wyoming. And you really get to know little places like Lusk, Fort Bridger, Tensleep, and Farson.
My wife Nancy dreamed up the idea of the “Sniffin Bar,” which was a Snickers bar with my logo wrapped around it. We gave away more than 10,000 of them during the campaign. I always had a huge cooler of my favorite candy bars in my Suburban.
Posterity might show that I was the only candidate in the history of the USA who gained weight during his campaign!
One And Done Club
My old friend Gus Fleischli of Cheyenne died last week at the age of 98. He was president of the “One And Done Club,” and I was his Vice President.
This was for all those Wyoming folks who ran a statewide race just once and then never tried again. Gus ran for governor in 1978, which was the first time I met him. He was campaigning in the back yard of my old friend, the late Garve Chapman.
I always said when asked if I would run again in a statewide race that “if I did, it would be as a single man.” This meant my wife gave me that one chance. Never again.
So, I guess I am now president of the One And Done Club. Other erstwhile one-time statewide candidates can contact me at bill@cowboystatedaily.com about becoming official members.
