Obama wins Wyoming behind avalanche from Teton County
Yes, we did.
Wyoming gave Barack Obama a much-needed boost Saturday, as the presidential hopeful rode the biggest turnout in state Democratic Party history to yet another overwhelming victory out West.
Teton County led the way, with 80 percent of voters backing Obama — his largest margin of victory in the state. Overall, Obama claimed 61 percent of the vote in Wyoming, compared to 38 percent for Hillary Clinton.
Obama now has won 29 of the 43 nominating contests and leads by 150 delegates heading into Tuesday’s primary in Mississippi.
At Snow King Resort in Jackson, a crowd of nearly 1,200 overflowed from the Grand Ballroom — six times the previous high turnout for a Democratic caucus here.
A roar erupted when Marcia Kunstel finished her nominating speech for Obama with his signature line, “Yes, we can.” The sustained ovation had the crowd on its feet, cheering and waving signs — a moment unlike anything seen before in Jackson Hole.
Kids ran around in blue T-shirts designed by artist Ben Roth with the candidate’s likeness and the slogan “Obama? Oh Yeah!”
Old-timers recalled county caucuses in the 1970s and ’80s that drew maybe one or two dozen Democrats.
Obama claimed at least seven and possibly eight delegates from Wyoming on Saturday, compared to four for Clinton. Another two superdelegates have pledged their support for Obama, including state Rep. Pete Jorgensen of Jackson. Three superdelegates are undecided, and the remainder of Wyoming’s 18 delegates will be awarded at the state convention in Jackson in May.
The strong showing in Teton County may have amounted to an extra delegate for Obama, said campaign staffer Jonathan Manton.
Statewide, nearly 8,800 Democrats turned out to participate in the caucuses. In 2004, only 675 took part.
Despite its relatively tiny population, Teton County cast the third-highest total of ballots in the state, trailing only Laramie and Albany counties and surpassing Natrona County, which has more than three times as many people.
County-by-county results are posted here.
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March 10th, 2008 at 9:39 am
Today, I am proud of Wyoming.
March 10th, 2008 at 10:11 am
What an amazing, thrilling, positive experience to see the turnout on Saturday!!! What an inspiration this man Obama has been to create an atmosphere of hope and unity within the Democratic Party as well as throughout the country. Hillary Clinton is a well qualified and intelligent candidate, so I wonder why she has run a campaign that seems to imitate the Karl Rove politics of “search and destroy” against a member of her own Party who could very well become our Presidential nominee? Is it desperation, is it do anything, say anything to get the nomination?
It is my “hope” that this old style of negative mudslinging can finally be overcome in this election cycle. (YES WE CAN!) Enough of the cynical, calculating, divisive politics…if Republicans want to “go there”, let them…we as Amercans should be better than this! Let’s show the world we can conduct a political campaign that brings people together and uplifts all of us to work for change that can address the mulititude of problems the next President of the United States is going to have waiting for him, or her, in Washington. The time for all of us to sacrifice and work for a resolution to difficult issues facing us is NOW! Obama has the judgement, the experience, and the slow, steady, calm leadership style needed to energize the best effort Americans can put forth…it will, in fact, take ALL OF US participating to truly say, Yes We Did! Let’s all roll up our sleeves and show the Clinton’s that campaigns can be built on inspiration and hope and positive campaigning! Enough already, let’s choose the candidate who tells us we can do this if we all work together. Senator Clinton will best serve this country as a leader in the Senate to help transform Congress…her attention to detail and her intelligence will better serve all of us if she remains in a legislative Senate leadership position. I have no doubt that there will be a woman President, but this particular woman? In my opinion, the answer is NO, not in this particular election!
March 10th, 2008 at 2:36 pm
My nipples, like the guy in your pic, are erect with happiness. Way to go Wyo!
March 12th, 2008 at 8:54 am
Obama. Because So Many Democrats Deserve A Place In The Pasture.
March 12th, 2008 at 3:07 pm
It was great to see so many people at the caucus!