I recently had the pleasure of speaking at the Ronald Reagan 2010 Cocktail Dinner in Etna, Wyoming.
http://www.wygop.org/site/c.8rJHKZMLJkL0H/b.5834929/k.BF58/Home.htm
Etna is in the Western part of Wyoming, with the house hosting the event being only blocks outside the Idaho border.
Like many other states, my foray into Wyoming took place because one person decided to take a chance on me, sight unseen.
I spoke to Marty Halverson on the telephone and there was an instant connection. Many in Wyoming consider her influential, but to me she was just simply a very nice Republican lady.
She hosted virtually all of the candidates, and put on an extravaganza. I have never seen so many delicious edibles in all of my life.
(That is not a remark with hidden meaning. I am sure there were pretty girls there, but I was focused on the hors douvres. My girlfriend can verify this because on our first date I was ogling various cuts of Brazilian beef, which kept me from ogling her. Lust comes in many forms. She is stunning, but you had to see these cuts of meat to understand.)
I had the pleasure of meeting gubernatorial candidate Colin Simpson.
I asked Colin innocently if he was related to former Wyoming Senator Al Simpson. Colin proudly stated that Al Simpson was his father.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_K._Simpson
I always liked Al Simpson. He was a principled guy with a wry sense of humor. I told Colin that my favorite Al Simpson story (that Colin probably heard a million times) was when people would come up to the 6 ft 10 inch senator and say “You look like Al Simpson.”
The senator would say that he heard that a lot, and the person would then say “Don’t it make you mad?”
That self-effacing humor is in short supply in today’s world.
Another gubernatorial candidate in attendance was Matt Mead. Mr. Mead has a lovely family, every bit as nice as the Simpsons.
http://www.meadforgovernor.com/
Matt Mead and Colin Simpson were very friendly with each other. This was not perfunctory gestures. They genuinely liked each other, and treated each other as friends. Wyoming is a small state, which can breed animosity. This dinner brought the exact opposite. It was refreshing seeing political opponents be so sincere and dignified with each other.
(Primary fights are usually more vicious than general elections. In primaries the candidates usually agree on most issues, so disputes can become very nasty and personal. Also, in conservative states like Wyoming, the primary often is the general election.)
Candidates for governor get attention, but at this event everybody was given an opportunity to shine. There were even two candidates for coroner. I did not know exactly what a coroner did. I figured it was something medical involving death. Yet these men were passionate about being coroner. It is not easy to convey that passion to others, but the audience paid very close attention to who their next coroner was going to be.
Wyoming only has one member of congress Cynthia Lummis. Wyoming is very lucky to have her. Even by Wyoming standards, she is a real common sense conservative. Her husband was happy to relax while she did the politicking.
My remarks were lighthearted and fun. Naturally I pointed out that Al Simpson and Dick Cheney were follically challenged.
“It’s times like this that make me nervous that Dick Cheney supports waterboarding.”
I did not make the remark about how I would rather be hunting with Dick Cheney than riding with Ted Kennedy. The line is true, but obvious. I am not ont he left politically, but I do like to come out of left field.
“Wyoming is very different from California. Wyoming brought America the respected Senator Malcolm Wallop. California infected the world with Barbara Boxer, who in November could use a good wallop.”
Like many Republican states, Wyoming is functioning properly. It is not coming apart at the seams. The only danger seems to be the occasional cow or horse that may wander into the street. Then again, cows and horses don’t stop you for change and then try to rob you. Also, the nature scene is more beautiful than most places despite fewer oppressive environmental regulations. Conservative Republicans in Wyoming somehow manage to balance a love of animals and trees with a desire not to destroy humans and cripple the state economy.
Wyoming is lovely, and I would like to thank Mrs. Halverson for inviting me to her great state. I will be back to Wyoming many times.
eric