Cowboy State Politics

We have a long history of political opportunism--a lot of politicians have at least a little bit. Though he doesn't hold a candle to some of the biggest opportunists in history, Reid Rasner wins the award this year. After his campaign of trying to stick like glue to President Trump he has no thrown in with the liberal Wyoming Republicans.

Also, because of SF113, each county has to conduct a hand count audit of 5% of the votes in the election.  There's a right way to do it--full transparency. After all, that is the whole purpose behind it!

Wyoming Liberalism which is always disguised as being a "traditional Republican," always misleads you into thinking it's something good. The 69th Legislature is going to bring with it numerous policies that have been out of reach for the left for a long time: medicaid expansion, weed legalization, abortion access, open primaries and a host of other terrible ideas.

Of course, all of it will be dressed up to look like it's reasonable.  But with the same old suspects in charge, the result will be the biggest shot of liberalism Wyoming has seen in a long time. It's like liver and onions--it looks bad, smells bad, and leaves a really bad taste in your mouth.

Tuesday's election ushered in a group of people who believe in bigger government, more government spending, probably higher taxes and a move away from legacy industries in favor of subsidized wind and solar. Most of them rejected the Republican Party Platform as extreme or a purity test.

At the same time, they'll spout the "Code of the West" all day long. Ironically, the platform has more to do with our state's motto than the candidates have with the R they used to get elected. Tuesday's election was decisive for more and bigger government that has nothing to do with the platform or the code of the west.

The Democrats are admitting that they work with liberal Republicans. Mike Yin wants them to unite with the Democrats to get a liberal speaker--so it's not a "Freedom Caucus speaker." Really what he's done is show that the two groups are essentially of the same ideology.  Yin preposterously calls parties "a fiction." Except, that it is the party majorities in the legislature who choose their nominee for speaker. It's just more of pay no attention to what the other hand is doing.

This election is tremendously more expensive than any others we have had. My house received 91 different mailers (give or take a few that hit the trash). Politicians raised and spent ridiculous amounts of money. That combined with PAC spending, makes your vote very valuable. The question is how valuable? They way the math works out, each vote is worth as much as a dinner out. The question is do we think it is.

The Cowboy State Daily reported on 8/12 that Eric Barlow recieved $6,500 in PAC donations. That's not even remotely true. The real number is over $220,000.00.  Most of it came from one organizations Civil Leadership PAC.

Earlier this year, nearly every media source in the state was begging Democrats to switch to the Republican Party. For all of their efforts, it only resulted in a little over 2,000 party changes. That may be enough to flip some districts.

Ogden Driskill made a shocking statement in his Newcastle debate with Chip Neiman. He said that we should have an abortion exception if the baby "isn't going to be a good one." Driskill has debated the issue of abortion numerous times in the legislature and knows how delicate of a topic that is. For him to make such a flippant remark is astounding. Right before he said that, he claimed to be pro-life.

Youtube video of debate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOfrZwKLLQs 

Marilyn Connolly claims to be conservative and has been a Republican for a long time. But her votes don't line up with that at all. Often, Connolly voted right along side the Democrats on many of the same bills she lists in a recent advertisement.  

A recent spending analysis on HB0001 reveals who the big spenders in the House of Representatives are.  The top 10 might surprise you. A hint: it's BILLIONS with a B.

Spending Analysis: https://www.openrangerecord.com/files/afp/HouseAmendmentSpending.pdf 

SCGOP Legislative Debate: https://youtube.com/live/r_P1P48ogKw?feature=share 

Eric Barlow has a terrible record when it comes to illegal immigration. He has consistently voted against bills that would ban sanctuary cities and bills that would restrict your money going to illegal aliens. But it was the Cow Pie's defense of Barlow's record that caught my eye. Why would Barlow all the sudden vote to restrict tax money going to aliens?  The answer, he really didn't.

The biggest spenders in the last session are the same people that AFP is claiming are small government folks. Julie Jarvis voted to spend over $1.244 BILLION. That's BILLION with a B. Marilyn Connolly voted for $1.241 BILLION. While the conservatives averaged $28.5 MILLION. Million with a M and not a B. Spending isn't AFP's only problem.  Its biggest one is hypocrisy--especially their state director Tyler Lindholm.