Don't Forget, Before Iowa Comes -- Wyoming!

[helmuth_hubener]

The first caucus in the nation, as of the current tentative schedule, which could change, Wyoming will be the first state to have its results up on the big map on the network news. Here is the schedule acc. to http://www.thegreenpapers.com/P12/events.phtml?s=c :

Saturday 7 January 2012 Wyoming County Conventions
Saturday 21 January 2012 South Carolina Primary
Tuesday 24 January 2012 NH and Louisiana Primaries
Tuesday 31 January 2012 Florida Primary
Fri-Sun 3-5 February 2012 Maine Municipal Caucuses
Monday 6 February 2012 Iowa Caucus

I agree the Iowa Straw Poll is priority #1, but it would be good to start thinking about Wyoming. Wyo is one state where a small number of enthusiastic activists can exercise a huge amount of leverage and decide who the delegates to the convention will be. It's all about getting appointed precinct committeeman (elections were 2010 primaries, so too late for that, oh well! Only option now is to be appointed.).


Here are more details from http://www.thegreenpapers.com/P12/WY-R#0107

Saturday 7 January 2012 (tentative date): The County Conventions choose 12 of 29 of Wyoming's delegates to the Republican National Convention. Approximately 980 (?) County precinct committeemen and women, who were elected in Wyoming's 17 August 2010 (biennial) primary election, are eligible to vote for the National Convention Delegates and Alternates at the County Conventions.

* Wyoming has 23 counties that are grouped into 12 Delegate-Districts. In each Delegate-District, except Laramie, counties are paired: one county selects a delegate while the other selects an alternate. The counties swap positions after each Presidential election.
o Laramie, the county that cast the most votes of any county for the Republican candidate for Congress in the general election immediately preceding the National Convention selects both a Delegate and an Alternate. Laramie County cast the most votes of any county, 19,649 of out 131,661, for Congressman Cynthia Marie Lummis in the 2010 midterm election.
* The arrangement for 2010 Delegate / Alternate Districts are:
1. Natrona / Albany
2. Carbon / Sweetwater
3. Lincoln / Uinta
4. Sublette Platte / Teton
5. Park / Fremont
6. Washakie / Hot Springs
7. Big Horn / Sheridan Platte
8. Johnson / Campbell
9. Weston / Crook
10. Niobrara / Converse
11. Platte / Goshen
12. Laramie selects both a delegate and an alternate.

There is no formal system applied in the County Convention to relate the presidential preference of the Convention participants to the choice of either the county's delegates to the State Convention or the delegate(s) to the National Convention the County Convention is helping to choose. The participants at each County Convention alone determine if presidential preference is to be a factor in such choices and, if so, how it is to be applied. All delegates are officially unbound.

* State Party by-laws require that, before the County convention votes are taken, each would-be delegate or alternate must inform the convention of which presidential candidate, if any, they would cast their vote for at the national convention unless released from that pledge by the Presidential candidate.



Friday 25 May - Saturday 26 May 2012 (tentative date): The Wyoming State Republican Convention convenes in Cheyenne. The State Convention chooses the remaining 16 of Wyoming's delegates to the Republican National Convention.

Again, there is no formal system of allocating Wyoming's National Convention delegates to presidential contenders. The delegates to the State Convention alone determine if presidential preference is to be a factor and, if so, how it is to be applied to the choosing of the National Convention delegates. All delegates are officially unbound.

* 3 delegates are party leaders: the National Committeeman, the National Committeewoman, and the chairman of the Wyoming's Republican Party. These individuals will attend the convention as unpledged delegates by virtue of their position.
* State Party by-laws require that, before the State convention votes are taken, each would-be delegate or alternate (except the 3 Party Leader delegates) must inform the convention of which presidential candidate, if any, they would cast their vote for at the national convention unless released from that pledge by the Presidential candidate.

 

[libertybrewcity]

how is Ron Paul looking in Wyoming? Does he have supporters amongst the party leadership?

 

[The Dark Knight]

It will be interesting to see what the national party does to the states that hold their caucus or primary before Iowa and NH.

 

[libertybrewcity]

It will be interesting to see what the national party does to the states that hold their caucus or primary before Iowa and NH.

very interesting. They could suspend their delegates. They suspended half of floridas delegates last time.

 

[helmuth_hubener]

Wyoming doesn't get hardly any delegates anyway, so the state party seems to not care about any penalties in the least.

I don't know about the party leadership. I know we have a lot of normal-people supporters in my county. Unfortunately, we only choose an alternate this time around.

Any other Wyoming people on the boards -- sound off! We need a roll call.

 

[Eric21ND]

Wyoming's primary is such a cluster.

They went for Romney last time.

 

[libertybrewcity]

If Ron Paul can take Wyoming, these delegates would matter to us.

 

[Brad Zink]

From LewRockwell.com in 2008:
The Wyoming county conventions were NOT open to Republican voters. Eligible delegates consisted of only two groups: Republican party officials who were elected in 2006; and delegates who were appointed (by established precinct organizations) to fill empty delegate seats.

http://www.lewrockwell.com/blog/lewrw/archives/18271.html

They likely won't go for Dr. Paul in 2012, but it would be a good idea for our people in Wyoming to build relationships. This will come in handy in future elections.

 

[Eric21ND]

From LewRockwell.com in 2008:
The Wyoming county conventions were NOT open to Republican voters. Eligible delegates consisted of only two groups: Republican party officials who were elected in 2006; and delegates who were appointed (by established precinct organizations) to fill empty delegate seats.

http://www.lewrockwell.com/blog/lewrw/archives/18271.html

They likely won't go for Dr. Paul in 2012, but it would be a good idea for our people in Wyoming to build relationships. This will come in handy in future elections.

Told you it was a cluster. I can't believe Wyoming residents stand for that, but then again when its only you and your dog living there I guess it matters not.

 

[helmuth_hubener]

If Ron Paul can take Wyoming, these delegates would matter to us.

True. Much more important will be the momentum factor. If the puppet theater is announcing "Ron Paul won the first contest, Wyoming", that's hugely affecting to potential voters and hugely encouraging to our grassroots. A strong start is paramount.

 

[helmuth_hubener]

From LewRockwell.com in 2008:
The Wyoming county conventions were NOT open to Republican voters. Eligible delegates consisted of only two groups: Republican party officials who were elected in 2006; and delegates who were appointed (by established precinct organizations) to fill empty delegate seats.

http://www.lewrockwell.com/blog/lewrw/archives/18271.html

There are still tons of vacancies for precinct committeemen. That's why any good strategy will focus heavily on getting lots of Paulitarians appointed to fill the vacancies. You just call your county party chair, and he does it.

 

[specsaregood]

The Wyoming county conventions were NOT open to Republican voters. Eligible delegates consisted of only two groups: Republican party officials who were elected in 2006; and delegates who were appointed (by established precinct organizations) to fill empty delegate seats

So lets get that list together and start contacting them. Everybody, nationwide.

 

[brandon]

I'd be willing to bet Iowa will still be the first caucus. The schedule will get moved around over the summer.

 

[helmuth_hubener]

I'd be willing to bet Iowa will still be the first caucus. The schedule will get moved around over the summer.

Possible, but last time Iowa let Wyoming slide and be first, I guess because we're such a minor low population state, and the Wyoming leadership seems adamant to be first. Plus, it's a multi-tier multi-stage process that will actually start in and basically be decided in December if it's like last time, but not end until May. Plus, it's technically "GOP County Conventions" not "Caucuses" and so Iowa still is the first caucus technically.

To the comments of "oh, this is an outrage, why do Wyo people put up with it?", this system actually gives a huge advantage to an active, though possibly small, group of activists. I.e.: US! If it was a primary, to win my county I'd have to do all kinds of political hokum in hopes of convincing 10,000-20,000 (depending on turn-out) voters to vote Ron Paul. As it is, I have to get about 80 people to vote Ron Paul. So even if there are only 80 Ron Paul supporters in the whole county, if I can get them all appointed as "delegates" to the convention, and get them all to show up at the library on Saturday morning by promising donuts, we win, game over. That's a lot simpler.

See my account of the convention of 2008 here (also posted to RonPaulForums here)

 

[helmuth_hubener]

By the way, we'll do the hokum anyway (putting up signs, chalking the sidewalk, high school outreach, etc) just because it's so blasted FUN!

I just hope we can win Wyoming for Ron Paul this time, have it show up his color on the map. Whatever happens in May at the State Convention won't matter nationally, they won't announce it. It's all about the County Conventions in January! Whoever wins that gets Wyoming colored as a win for him. What color do you think they'll give Ron? Red? Green? Yellow (gold) would be fitting!

 

[helmuth_hubener]

So lets get that list together and start contacting them. Everybody, nationwide.

Here's Platte County: http://www.plattecountywyoming.com/clerk/Documents/2010-2012precinctpeople.pdf

I'm sure there's a way to get all of the counties. Call up the election clerk office of somesuch.

 

[libertybrewcity]

Here's Platte County: http://www.plattecountywyoming.com/clerk/Documents/2010-2012precinctpeople.pdf

I'm sure there's a way to get all of the counties. Call up the election clerk office of somesuch.

Look at all those openings! That's our in!

 

[FSP-Rebel]

Try to get in touch with these people: http://freestatewyoming.org/. There's a forum over there but gets almost no traffic. But if you make a post about this, it might attract more members chiming in. It's basically a small group of people/movers that opted out of the FSP-NH project but they all tend to be pro-Paul.

 

[eduardo89]

Try to get in touch with these people: http://freestatewyoming.org/. There's a forum over there but gets almost no traffic. But if you make a post about this, it might attract more members chiming in. It's basically a small group of people/movers that opted out of the FSP-NH project but they all tend to be pro-Paul.

That seems like a great place to start.

Is there a Constitution or Libertarian party in Wyoming? Maybe we can convince some of them to shift over to GOP for this election cycle?

 

[WyoLiberty]

Lol - I wrote in my hubby for precinct committee man - not knowing what it was....He got offered the position - but declined....not knowing what it was........I guess that's unfortunate...hmmm...I hate Wyoming election procedure....I think Campbell County is the Alternate this time around anyway...

Wyoming did get punished for holding their caucus too early with half their delegates, I believe....

I do participate on the Free State Wyoming forums (which are quite active, contrary to someone's comment.) *Most* are pro-Ron Paul....