Posted on 03/15/2016 1:36:23 AM PDT by Cincinatus
Wyoming voters have sent a clear message to the GOP: The Equality State isn’t getting on the Trump Train.
Voters, apparently unimpressed with the front-runner, almost shut him out completely at their Republican county convention on Saturday, giving him barely 7 percent of the vote.
Precinct caucuses were held March 1, and under half of the state’s 29 delegates were up for grabs on Saturday — the rest will be doled out during Wyoming’s state convention in mid April — but Ted Cruz swept up three quarters of them, taking nine of the available twelve. Trump, who has won eleven primary states, was awarded just one and received only 70 of 971 votes — a laughably poor haul for the Republican front-runner.
Losing Wyoming may not affect his momentum in the primary, but Trump barely beat out “uncommitted” in a red state full of white middle-class Evangelicals, his prime demographic.
If Wyoming held more sway in the primary, a loss like this might prompt pundits and campaign consultants to ask why Wyoming Republicans voted differently from the majority of their peers in eleven other states, but with only 29 delegates on the line, the anomaly of the Wyoming convention is likely to be passed over with little scrutiny.
But what makes Wyomingites distinct from Trump’s usual supporters is important: They’re truly conservative.
According to a 2014 Gallup poll, Wyoming is the most conservative state in the U.S. Trump’s “bigger, better, gold-plated government” message doesn’t exactly speak to the hearts and minds of libertarian-leaning conservatives who would prefer that the government pave their roads and stay out of their personal lives. In a state that’s 91 percent rural, debatable success in Manhattan’s real-estate market means little, and it certainly doesn’t prove you have the chops to run a country. Trump’s big-government fantasies likely don’t resonate with Wyoming’s ranchers, hunters, and small-business owners who are lifelong, red-blooded, free-market Republicans, and Saturday’s results proved they aren’t buying Trump’s recent conversion to the Right.
The distaste for Trump in Wyoming likely goes beyond policy. Wyomingites aren’t exactly sitting at home watching reruns of The Apprentice and wishing they could shake the spray-tanned hands of the man responsible for it. Trump’s penchant for peddling steak, vodka, and bottled water just exaggerates the distance he’s removed from the lives of average voters in the Equality State. Wyomingites don’t buy steaks from the Sharper Image; they raise them. Trump’s thin-skinned bravado and proclivity to scream “lawsuit” at every offense probably didn’t earn him any favorability points in a pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps state where “rub some dirt on it” might as well be stitched into the state flag.
It seems Wyoming voters aren’t jumping on the “burn it down” bandwagon. If they’re spitting-mad at the GOP, they’re proving it by throwing their weight behind a proven constitutionalist instead of a lifelong Democrat. Wyoming voters took a stand for conservatism on Saturday. There’s plenty of room beside them for Florida and Ohio voters on March 15.
Fixed it!
Wyoming! Home of the Rhinestone Republicans! No surprise!
Wyomingites didn't get to vote...only 971 party apparatchiks did, while 540,000 citizens were disenfranchised
Come on Jim !
Closest I can find of the rules for the Republican Caucus Rules in Wyoming.
The precincts caucuses were March 2nd.
“CHEYENNE, Wyoming — Presidential hopefuls have jetted over Wyoming more than campaigned here, but the state’s Republicans are proving determined to show up to support their favorite candidates anyway.
Turnout at GOP precinct caucuses Tuesday in Laramie County shows Republican voters are energized like no time in recent memory. Almost 800 people — more than twice the number that local party officials expected — lined up in gusty wind to crowd inside Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne.
“I believe this election, for Wyoming, is the most important election we face,” state Republican Chairman Matt Micheli told the crowd. “We have a special obligation in Wyoming to be engaged and involved.”
Turnout also was high in Natrona County and as far afield as tiny Lysite, an eastern Fremont County town of about 50 where 11 people showed up to caucus Monday.
Next up after two weeks of precinct caucusing: County conventions statewide on March 12 that will choose 12 delegates and 12 alternates to the Republican National Convention in Cleveland in July.
The Wyoming Republican Party has a complicated system for deciding how it will represent itself — and its voters — at the national convention. Precinct caucusing began in mid-February and culminated in nine counties Tuesday.
Though no formal tally of who likes which candidate occurs at the caucuses — forbidden under national Republican rules — the gatherings play an important role in the presidential race in Wyoming because they determine who goes to the county conventions.
After choosing a dozen delegates at the county conventions, Republicans will pick 14 more at their state convention April 14-16 in Casper. Three additional delegates are automatic — the party chairman, committeeman and committeewoman — for a total of 29 delegates.
PHOTO: FILE - In this Aug. 20, 2015 file photo, Republican presidential hopeful Ted Cruz greets supporters after speaking at a Wyoming Republican Party fundraising event, at the Wyoming Hereford Ranch in Cheyenne, Wyo. Participants in Wyoming’s final series of Republican precinct caucuses Tuesday, March 1, 2016, say they’re looking for the best candidate to repeal federal regulations on fossil fuels. Precinct caucuses involve lively debating over presidential candidates. (Ryan Dorgan/The Casper Star-Tribune via AP, File) MANDATORY CREDITFILE - In this Aug. 20, 2015 file photo, Republican presidential hopeful Ted Cruz greets supporters after speaking at a Wyoming Republican Party fundraising event, at the Wyoming Hereford Ranch in Cheyenne, Wyo. Participants in Wyoming’s final series of Republican precinct caucuses Tuesday, March 1, 2016, say they’re looking for the best candidate to repeal federal regulations on fossil fuels. Precinct caucuses involve lively debating over presidential candidates. (Ryan Dorgan/The Casper Star-Tribune via AP, File) MANDATORY CREDIT
Party rules grant Wyoming bonus delegates for having Republicans in the governor’s office and Congress and GOP majorities in the state Legislature. The least-populated U.S. state gets more national delegates than over a dozen others including Oregon, which has almost seven times as many residents.
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz made a quick stop to campaign at a ranch near Cheyenne last summer, and it appears to be paying off. Caucus-goers in Cheyenne remembered the rally in a barn where Cruz pledged to end the Obama administration’s regulations on coal and electric utilities that burn it.
“He is the most principled person in the field,” supporter Robin Goodspeed said. “He is a Christian man. I am a Christian, and that is important to me.”
Donald Trump got strong support in Super Tuesday states but didn’t appear to have deep backing in Laramie County. Several caucus-goers said they liked Florida Sen. Marco Rubio. While some approved of Cruz’s promise to crack down on illegal immigration, others thought Rubio was more reasonable on the issue.
“I personally have a hard time with just trying to kick 11 million people out of the country,” retiree Jim Wollack said. “Plus, I think he’s a person who can not only unite the party, but unite the country.”
Republican Gov. Matt Mead has not endorsed a candidate but expressed concern about those who talk about their opponents’ physical appearance and pit one group of people against another — remarks aimed at Trump.
“I think not only myself, but other governors and people I talk to are concerned about what I think are viewed as ill-considered comments,” Mead said.
Republicans reported strong precinct turnout across the state over the past several days.
“People have a feeling we’re at a precipice in politics at the moment,” Fremont County GOP Chairman Richard Gard said. “It’s over the edge or get things straightened out.”
“..... Trump barely beat out “uncommitted” in a red state full of white middle-class Evangelicals, his prime demographic.”........
Most of who migrated to Wyoming from Kalifornia
Ranchers (don't like eminent domain, don't like Federal intrusion), Oil industry, Coal mining (Just say no thanks to the EPA (which tried to give a million+ acres of the State to an Indian Tribe), and no ethanol). With two real deal breakers on Trump, he isn't going to fly there.
Possibly but I think Americans (not liberals, socialist etc) are beyond pissed at government period. Government is destroying this country and can’t seem to get it’s head out of it’s ass.
What I find most irritating is that folks keep electing the same idiots over and over for the most part and then blame them for the problems. Insanity definition in there somewhere.
Trump’s not the answer in my opinion he’s just anti-whatever for the moment and is anything but PC which I like. I’ll vote for him if nominated because anything on the left is a 1000 times worse.
I like Cruz and he shook things up in DC and the GOPe hates him but Texas was smart enough to elect him for that reason. We need 49 other states to do the same... dump the status quo and put new folks in.
Be nice if congress went back to meeting a couple weeks a year, got paid for those two weeks only and had to have full time jobs. It’s not a full time job or an elite country club like it’s become and got us into the mess we have.
I still can't get my head around that. There are over half a million people in Wyoming.
The opinion of a tiny percentage of Wyoming voters, probably establishment party hacks, does not impress me.
Strategically, Wyoming means nothing to Trump. They are going to vote Republican in November no matter what. Even if Jebbie Bush was the nominee. Especially if Jebbie Bush was the nominee because they evidently like their establishment Republicans there. So Trump will carry Wyoming easily in November if he is the nominee himself.
Wyoming Delegate Selection Process.
http://wyoming.gop/a-brief-civics-lesson-in-delegate-selection/
“A Brief Civics Lesson in Delegate Selection
The Republican National Committee (RNC) has two jobs. First is to hold a convention, which nominates a presidential candidate. The second is to see to the election of that nominee. So: how does the Wyoming Republican Party select its delegates and alternates to that convention? No two states do it exactly the same way.
A delegate is entitled to vote and otherwise participate in the convention. If the delegate cannot do so, an alternate steps in. The RNC sets the size of each delegation, using a formula that rewards state parties for electing Republicans. In 2016, Wyoming is entitled to 29 delegates and 26 alternates.
Wyoming’s Delegate Selection Process
In all states, three delegates are automatic, the state party Chairman, the Republican National Committeewoman, and the Republican National Committeeman. They do not get any alternates.
County conventions (March 12) select another 12 delegates and their 12 alternates. In most cases, a county convention will elect either a delegate or an alternate to the Republican National Convention. For this purpose, the state’s 23 counties are divided into twelve delegate districts (with the county electing the delegate emphasized): (1) Natrona-Albany; (2) Carbon-Sweetwater; (3) Lincoln-Uinta; (4) Teton-Sublette; (5) Park-Fremont; (6) Hot Springs-Washakie; (7) Sheridan-Big Horn; (8) Campbell-Johnson; (9) Crook-Weston; (10) Converse-Niobrara; (11) Platte-Goshen; and (12) Laramie. Laramie County, being its own district, elects one of each.
The remaining delegates and alternates, if any, are selected at the state convention. Wyoming is entitled to 29 delegates. We have accounted for 15 of those, leaving 14 to elect at the state convention. The state convention will also elect 14 alternates.
Delegates and alternates are elected from one big slate, so those voting at the convention get to vote for up to 28 people. The top 14 are the delegates. The bottom 14 are the alternates. These are promoted to delegates in the order of their vote count.
So Who Elects These People?
The Chairman is elected to a two year term by the State Central Committee in the spring of odd numbered years. The National Committeeman and National Committeewoman are elected to four year terms at the state convention of presidential election years.
Delegates to the state convention are elected by the county conventions.
Delegates to the county convention are elected by precinct caucuses in their respective counties.
Any person registered to vote Republican as of the call for precinct caucuses in a given precinct may vote in that precinct’s caucus.
Resources
The Wyoming delegate selection process is governed by the Bylaws of the Republican Party of Wyoming, Wyoming Statute Title 22, and the Republican National Committee Rules.”
Gleefully reported by NR. Their (WY) 2 or 3 electoral votes will sway the election, I’m sure. Go Trump!
True enough, but those caucuses can also be gamed. It is where Orin Hatch ganged up on what should have been a death sentence, unlike the other sitting Senator Bennett who got removed from office through the caucus. Hatch had the benefit of seeing what a caucus loss could do to you at the State Convention, and made sure he had his “people” gang up on the caucuses giving him another six years of bad votes.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/08/bob-bennett-utah-gop-senate_n_568988.html
The Huffpost article nails the reasons for his loss and the reason we now have Mike Lee as Senator from UT, a far better choice. You have to read way down the article to finally read about his attendance at the various caucuses, but that is how he failed to gain delegates at the Convention.
All Republicans voted back in Early March.
Or at least those who cared to get off their backside.
Why would I want to read an article by the Huffers?
They are notorious yellow journalists.
Looks like the Caucus process works well in Wyoming.
“SALT LAKE CITY — Republican Sen. Bob Bennett was thrown out of office Saturday by delegates at the Utah GOP convention in a stunning defeat for a once-popular three-term incumbent who fell victim to a growing conservative movement nationwide.”
They will get to vote for Trump in November or their 3 EC votes will go to Hillary, the horse, Clinton.
Has her voice failed? Sounds like she needs to cough up a hair ball.
Maybe the fact most in the state did not know a vote was going on so the party bosses voted as told. Wyoming had what 600 votes total?
I did not know that Wyoming is full of "girlie" men!
Cruz wins everywhere except where they have an actual election.
In 2000 losing those electoral votes would have cost Bush II the election to Gore. Believe me, they all matter.
(That is why losing his home state was crushing to Gore; would have put him over the top.)
What Wyoming really did was neglect its duty to engage in the contest - how pathetic a turnout for a while, albeit sparsely populated, State.
People who actually read Free Republic know that this was the second-round county convention level. The first-round precinct caucuses had record turnout and picked the delegates to this next level.
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