a party on the rise
Some of the highlights from the 2008 Wyoming Democratic Convention:
• Willie Neal is going to Denver.
• Obama picked up two more delegates. Overall tally for Wyoming at this point: Obama 12, Hillary 5, Undecided 1.
• We persuaded Wyoming Democrats to unanimously endorse Wild and Scenic designation for the Snake River headwaters.
• Gary Trauner is a rock star.
• Gov Dave came out swinging.
• Brian Schweitzer wowed ‘em.
He’s only 18 and has yet to vote in an election, but I wish Willie Neal were running against Keith Gingery for the Wyoming Legislature. Neal was chosen as Teton County’s lone delegate for Barack Obama to the Democratic National Convention in August. Jean Jorgensen and Marcia Kunstel are going as alternates, and Chuck Herz was chosen for the Rules Committee. Story Resor will be an alternate for Hillary Clinton.
Several weeks ago, I decided not to run as a national delegate and instead chose to support Willie. The Obama campaign has been propelled by youth, and Willie is a lot younger than I am. (Besides, I may find my way in by hook or by crook as a journalist.) Nobody worked harder locally on Obama’s campaign than Willie did, and he put just as much effort into being elected as a national delegate, passing out chocolates and stickers with his name. He also spearheaded the recycling effort at the convention, ensuring that a lot of paper didn’t go to waste.
This was part of the message Willie sent thanking his supporters:
“Sending youth to the convention will send a strong message that Wyoming is ready for the change that Senator Obama will bring as president.”
• Obama picked up two more delegates — We ratified the selection of Patrick Goggles, a Democratic state legislator from Ethete, as Wyoming’s add-on delegate. Although technically he is “unpledged,” Goggles is an Obama supporter, which likely factored into his nomination by John Millin, state party chairman and a staunch Obama ally. Goggles will be one of two national delegates from the Wind River Reservation, joining Layha Spoonhunter, 18, a sign of Obama’s growing support among Native Americans.
In the aftermath of the convention, one of Wyoming’s two unpledged superdelegates, Nancy Drummond of Sheridan, announced that she, too, will back Obama. I was one of a slew of delegates who pressed her over the weekend; my argument was that she should not choose a candidate based on her own personal preference but rather the candidate best for the future of Wyoming Democrats. As evidence I described for her what Snow King Resort looked like at the county convention in March, as hundreds of young people crowded in to participate for the first time.
The word going around was that Drummond and Cynthia Nunley of Lander, Wyoming’s other unpledged superdelegate, were likely to back Hillary. So perhaps we changed Drummond’s mind. Nunley has yet to declare. The last person I saw pressing Drummond, for at least the second time, was, you guessed it, Willie Neal.
• Gary Trauner is a rock star — The Jackson Hole resident and candidate for U.S. House of Representatives made a splashy entrance to John Cougar Mellencamp’s “This Is Our Country” amid a sea of waving signs. Trauner’s staff worked on the Edwards campaign in Iowa and has a flair for stagecraft. True, the song has been overplayed during every sports broadcast for the last two years, but Trauner’s melodic appearance injected a jolt of excitement into the convention. “The Wyoming Democratic Party is a party that is on the rise,” he proclaimed, looking very much like Wyoming’s next congressman.
• Gov Dave comes out swinging — While Dave Freudenthal has been known to keep the Democratic Party at arm’s length, he made a surprise appearance to address the delegates, acknowledging the price tag ($100) of the night’s dinner he was to attend with Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer. Freudenthal uncharacteristically rallied the troops, decrying a “ruined economy” and saying he thought he’d never see the day when the Canadian dollar is worth more than the American dollar.
The governor implored Democrats and “orphan Republicans,” alienated by their party, to join together this November to “make very, very sure there’s no third term for ‘McBush.’”
• Gov Brian wows ‘em — Freudenthal’s counterpart from up north lived up to the hype, delivering an absolutely stunning speech about the challenge facing this generation over energy. Schweitzer is sharp witted and a fighter. If only Wyoming leaders followed his example on the Patriot Act and Real ID. At the end he whipped off his silver bolo tie and auctioned it for $2,700 (to Joe Albright of Flat Creek Ranch) for the Wyoming Democratic Party.
More thoughts on the convention, and particularly Schweitzer’s speech, later.
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May 29th, 2008 at 9:23 pm
Jim,
I think you are right. Willie would certainly give me a run. I am very proud of Willie Neal for stepping up and getting so involved in the political process. It is extremely impressive, no matter which party you are discussing, for an 18 year old to be a national delegate. The people of Teton County are very proud of Willie and he should be commended for his hard work and his efforts to improve our community. I was elected in 1988 when I was 18 as a delegate to the State Convention, which of course, does not even compare to being named a national delegate, but I still remember it as a wonderful learning experience. I would hope you would keep us loyal readers updated as to Willie’s experiences in Denver at the convention.
State Representative Keith Gingery -Jackson Hole