Oh No, I Can’t Believe It

As I write this column the day after the elections, I’m happy for Wyoming, but not for the nation as a result of the elections. The President won easy with the electoral count and the popular vote was about even, so we have four more years with President Obama, a Democratic Senate and a Republican House, which most likely means gridlock for four more years.
    Here in Wyoming, the votes went almost as expected – all counties were Republican, except Teton, which was  Democratic.
    In the ag community, Doug Thompson was reelected as County Commissioner while his multi-use partner Pat Hickerson lost to a lady tied to the environmental cause. These days Fremont County is divided into districts, instead of just a countywide election, so it is similar to three counties instead of just one.
    The big story is the national election. Whatever the Republican or conservative message was, it didn’t get out or didn’t have much effect. In the important states for the electoral count, such as Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Ohio, the union won from the auto buy-out. After Wisconsin and Pennsylvania went to President Obama, one could tell the election was most likely over. It hurts that Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico and Iowa all went Democratic nationally, but not so much statewide.
    Here in Wyoming, we approved to preserve the right to hunt, fish and trap while Colorado and Washington voted to approve the use of marijuana for recreational use, even though there are federal laws against it. If they go to the polls high on pot, just think of the wackos they will elect.
    America has changed, minorities are a majority, there are more single women than married women, and people want the government to serve them instead of them serving the government. That is, they want a handout and think only the wealthy should be taxed. As the story goes, Gov. Romney’s supporters sign their checks on the front, and President Obama’s people sign theirs on the back – a government handout is a way of life. In the exit polls, 41 percent still think that President Bush caused the economic crisis, which proves the point that Republicans just didn’t get the message across. Getting our message out is hard to do with the biased national press.
    Numerous voters last week viewing our President surveying the super storm damage with the Republican Governor of New Jersey came away with positive feelings and, in the end, voted for him. His handling of recovery from Hurricane Sandy was more important than how he handled the crisis in Libya. Both were important, but the only story that got out was favorable to the President.
    Conservatism still rules in America, I believe, but it’s all in the message and how it is delivered. Republicans are not a bunch of extremists, but in some states they are viewed as such. That needs to change.
    Today, a majority of voting Americans are pleased; the minority is not. There are also those who will go buy more guns and ammo and proclaim America is going down the tubes. As long as we uphold the constitution and don’t change it, we’ll be ok.
Dennis