Political parties are institutions that appear nowhere in either our federal nor our Wyoming constitutions. Yet, parties are the tails that wag the dog everywhere in our modern political life.
We often identify ourselves first as members of a political party before we identify as Americans or Wyomingites. This is a sad fact, but true. And, until we can somehow shake off this partisan influence, we are stuck with it.
Here in the Big Empty, the political landscape – or more accurately, the “partyscape” – has featured the Republican Party as the elephant in the room. In recent decades, the GOP primary has served as the de facto general election for Wyoming.
But just like tectonic plates shift beneath landscapes, political shifts occur beneath partyscapes and we feel the tremors under our feet.
It is by no means a seismic event yet, but I think I can feel the political tectonic plates subtly moving around somewhere underground as we speak. And the elephant is starting to wobble.
When the Wyoming GOP welcomed a cabal of pissed off populists into its Big Tent, the Wyoming Freedom Caucus took root, and grew to the extent that the entire party assumed the character of that small wedge of fire-breathers.
The message from the party was that anyone opposing the Freedom Caucus deserved the name Republican In Name Only or RINO.
Then the Tuesday Night Massacre on 8/18/16 showed clearly what Wyoming voters thought of that nonsense, and the Freedom Caucus tumbled from favor. That left the elephant unsteady on its feet.
Couple the Freedom Caucus’ embarrassment in legislative elections at the hands of the voters with the third-place finish of the GOP-endorsed candidate for governor, and the elephant began to stumble around looking for solid ground.
Enter Rebecca “Checkgate Becky” Bextel, a recent Republican bigwig who abandoned the party to run for governor on the Constitution Party ticket, providing a clear definition of RINO.
It appears that the Wyoming Republican Party apparatus believes that Checkgate Becky represents the solid ground where they will make their stand.
Instead of lining up behind the elected nominee for governor, Sen. Eric Barlow, several county GOP organizations are waving pom-poms for Bextel as a last gasp chance to return the Freedom Caucuss to glory.
All this, while GOP chairman Brian Miller and the state Central Committee are sitting on their hands and remaining close-mouthed about Checkgate Becky’s demonstrated RINO-hood. And they have yet to endorse their own nominee for Governor of Wyoming.
See what I mean about a stumbling elephant?
Clair McFarland penned an excellent analysis of this shifting partyscape, and I urge it upon your eyes.
Whether or not a competing party will succeed in ending GOP hegemony in Wyoming remains to be seen, and remains a long shot.
It all boils down to Wyoming voters’ perception of, and tolerance for, the Republican Party shooting itself in the foot time and time again
I think we’ll end up with four “major” political parties after Nov. 3.
Disgruntled former Freedom Caucus Republicans, like Bextel, will likely gravitate to the Constitution Party.
There they will find a sanctuary city for their hair-on-fire belief system, and be happy as clams with a consistent 10 to 15 percent of the vote.
Democrats will always be around with around 30,000 registrants. Lisa Kinney, the Dem candidate for U.S. House has a legitimate shot at beating Chuck Gray for that office.
The Libertarian Party intrigues me. If that party can continue to field candidates the caliber of Shawn Johnson, they’ll turn some heads and establish themselves as bona fide players.
My beloved Republican Party will remain the elephant in Wyoming’s living room, but leaner and smarter. And saner.
It will regain its footing once the tremors subside and the RINOs depart. It will once again be the Grand Old Party, and I’ll raise my glass to that.
Rod Miller can be reached at: RodsMillerWyo@yahoo.com
