I watched the debate in a bar in Wyoming

[RichardRay]

so you'd expect I would have had a less then comfortable experience. I got there a couple of minutes late (a misbehaving loop exit condition had me focused and I didn't notice the time). There was a TV at each end of the bar, one showing the debate, the other a sporting event of some sort. About 25% of the patrons were watching the sporting event, the rest were focused on the debate. I was circumspect at first, but within minutes it was clear that the bartender and the wait staff were finding Kerry's presentation compelling and W's disgusting. At one point W made a statement about how well the war in Iraq is going.

The bartender stopped in the middle of mixing a drink and groaned, "God, he still thinks we're WINNING."

As the evening wore on more people were nodding when Kerry spoke and grimacing when W wandered. There were certainly Bush supporters in the house, but by half way through they'd gotten very quiet. By the end they were watching the sporting event and trying to pretend they didn't know what was going on on the other screen.

I know that Wyoming will go Republican, and I know that even if it somehow went Dem it doesn't have enough EV's to make a difference, but it was really good to feel like my guy was doing a good job and that I wasn't the freaking Lone Ranger any more.

If he did that well in Wyoming, I can't imagine how good it might have felt from other seats.

Richard Ray - Jackson Hole, WY

[wtmusic]

1. thanks for the report

Hard to argue with honesty and competence, no matter where you are

[fertilizeonarbusto]

2. Thanks for the report

Love from us in the Blue states!!!!!!!!:hi:

[nine30]

3. VP debate

I can't wait to hear how they respond to John Edwards debating Wyoming's own son (The man with the crooked smile) next week.

[RichardRay]

12. Please, he's not ours

He registered here to avoid a problem with Texas election laws when he joined the ticket with Dubya. He's pretty unpopular up here in this corner of the state due to his arrogance and disrespect for local values when he visits.

Richard Ray - Jackson Hole, WY

[hlthe2b]

4. Actually, Jackson is one of the few Dem strongholds in Wyoming...

Cheyenne also tends to be more Democratic, as well as Laramie....

Unless things have dramtically changed since I left there....

[RichardRay]

13. Wilson, WY, a blue hamlet

I live at the bottom of Teton Pass in Wilson. We're about the bluest region in the state. So much so that the lege carved us out of the district that contains Jackson (also more Dem) and attached us by a long skinny piece of gerrymandering to Afton, a safely conservative location. Heaven forfend we send a Dem to the state legislature.

Richard Ray - Jackson Hole, WY

[IrateCitizen]

5. Hey Richard -- what's the take in WY on oil/gas exploration policies?

I've read from a few sources that a lot of the ranchers out there are starting to get good and pissed about the easing of regulations surrounding the installation of oil and gas wells on grazing property. I've heard that this issue was a primary factor in you all electing a Dem governor too. Has there been any connection to Bush made over the easing of exploration restrictions?

Just curious.

[RichardRay]

16. Coal bed methane is a biggy

The extraction leaves the land pretty beat up. A bill was recently introduced to require gas companies to pony up a bond for 100% of the projected rehab costs. It's got good support. The issue is largely seen as one of property rights rather than environmental concern, but the folks who are concerned about their property rights have reasonably strong conservation ethics.

The state is experiencing an economic recovery as a result of the upswing in extractive industry. We had a large tax surplus last year and continue to contribute to a fund for future state needs (Permanent Mineral Trust Fund). The fund can't ever have it's capital reduced, but the annual interest from its investment is substantial already and grows every year there's a budget surplus. It's an ongoing struggle to balance the long term cost to the environment with the long term financial benefit.

There is some feeling that Wyoming needs to guard against becoming the nation's gas field. The feeling is that the federal guvmint doesn't give a rat's ass about a big square state in the middle so we need our own laws to manage the issue.

Richard Ray - Jackson Hole, WY

[Jade Fox]

6. Good to hear, Richard!

Thanks for posting.

[jedicord]

7. I watched at the bar in a bowling alley in Texas

Boy was I lonely! Everyone in there seemed to be Bush supporters and they literally attacked me. And these people are friends I've known for years.

Funny, whenever I asked someone why they did like Bush, the only answer I got was "I don't know, I just like him." My GOD!

I decided this morning what happened was that they knew Bush was looking and sounding like a loser, while Kerry was kicking butt and it got them mad.

[Jade Fox]

19. Yep, their boy is going down and they know it.

[nine30]

21. The like him because...

..he reminds them of themselves. His walk , his talk, his moronic grin..

[liberal N proud]

8. I suspect that is the case many places.

I am sure there are the idiot who regardless of how flat on his face he fell, they still love him. NE. Missouri, SW. Ohio South Carolina, Kansas, and Oklahoma

[VOX]

9. Thanks, RR, for reporting in from a beautiful but very red state...

Interesting to hear the reactions of the local denizens.

Well done -- :toast:

[Maddy McCall]

10. In JACKSON HOLE?

WOW!!! Thanks for the report, RR! :yourock:

[Onlooker]

11. That's a great report

Reports like that ring truer than anything on the news.

[nickinSTL]

14. MO...

I was at work during the debate, and all my coworkers were marveling at the moron.

Not that any of them were Bush supporters to begin with.

Library workers in one of the most liberal areas of St. Louis County. :D

[LisaM]

15. Wyoming was featured on the front page of the Seattle paper last Sunday

they were showing all the oil wells the * administration plans on drilling.

My dog came from Wyoming - Rock Springs. For his sake, we watch the Wyoming games and root for the Cowboys. It was a pleasure to see them beat Ole Miss last week.

[txindy]

17. Great news!

Makes me hopeful about the future and not just the election.

[cheshire]

18. At least you know they aren't all stupid as hell. Thanks for the info.

[henslee]

20. This is the under the radar stuff I like to hear. Thanx.

[Supersedeas]

22. Thanks for the insight, Richard