Let's Get Ready, Wyoming: First Caucus in the Federation, January 7, 2012

[helmuth_hubener]

Plastic man Romney won last time. Can this atrocity be allowed to happen again?


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.

[WyoLiberty]

If Ron plans on running, there needs to be some serious stumping here before next May. Will it make a difference...I have my doubts - the cronyism here is pretty frustrating...sometimes it feels like "little D.C." as far as politics go...

[helmuth_hubener]

If Ron plans on running, there needs to be some serious stumping here before next May. Will it make a difference...I have my doubts - the cronyism here is pretty frustrating...sometimes it feels like "little D.C." as far as politics go...

Where are you located? Are you a precinct committeeman?

[Tall Girl]

Helmuth, I'm in Johnson Co. My husband and I are both precinct people. We already know who Johnson will send to the national convention most likely so is it pointless for us to try to do anything here? I wish Campbell got the actual delegate this time around as they are far more likely to send an RP supporting delegate. Johnson will send a Romney lover.

[ibild]

Positions that would be good to obtain are county committeeman, county committeewomen, and the county chair.. These positions are already shoe in's for state conventions. Helmuth I do hope we can get in contact with each other and begin work here locally... Have signed into this facebook page? http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=...173742238&ap=1 I believe it is Tall Girl who started it. We are also looking into setting up conference calling to become a more organized group..

[Wyoming]

There seems to be some confusion here. The county conventions select delegates to the national convention. In addition, the state convention may select more delegates. So we may get two shots at it. A lot of the details are still up in the air.

In addition, there is a proposal before the state central committee to go early (December or January) with delegate selection. that will be decided at the state CentComm meeting in late August in Casper. Note that all state CentComm meetings are open to the public, so feel free to show up.

For more information, http://wygop.org/. Grab the bylaws and study them (Yes, I know they're obtuse).

[Badger Paul]

The only way we can really impact Wyoming is by sending letters asking those chosen as precinct committeemen and women to vote for Paul. I did this four years ago. Perhaps after a good showing in Ames, we can make an impact with them and pick off a delegate or two.

[Wyoming]

The only way we can really impact Wyoming is by sending letters asking those chosen as precinct committeemen and women to vote for Paul. I did this four years ago.

Good idea. But it's the county convention delegates and the state convention delegates who will select the delegates to Tampa, so they are the folks you need to influence. State convention delegates will be selected at county convention.

Also consider running for county convention delegate yourself. That you do at your precinct caucus.

[trey4sports]

This one will more than likely get moved back.

[BuddyRey]

Ron Paul did great in North Dakota and Western Montana last time around, so I was amazed to see Wyoming go to Romney in nearly every county. Wyo's become one of the most exciting trailblazers in promoting freedom legislation and state nullification since then, so I hope the climate is better for you guys this time around. Best wishes and the utmost support from a potential Free State Wyoming mover in NC!

[Badger Paul]

"Also consider running for county convention delegate yourself. That you do at your precinct caucus."

From what I've ready they've already been chosen. The caucuses were in 2010.

I wouldn't be surprised if they moved the date back to spring as well.

[Wyoming]

"Also consider running for county convention delegate yourself. That you do at your precinct caucus."

From what I've ready they've already been chosen. The caucuses were in 2010.

There were caucuses in 2010. But Wyoming politics and stage government run on a biennium. There will be caucuses again early in 2012. See the Republican Party State bylaws at http://wygop.org/2010-wygop-bylaws/

[trey4sports]

Ron Paul did great in North Dakota and Western Montana last time around, so I was amazed to see Wyoming go to Romney in nearly every county. Wyo's become one of the most exciting trailblazers in promoting freedom legislation and state nullification since then, so I hope the climate is better for you guys this time around. Best wishes and the utmost support from a potential Free State Wyoming mover in NC!

Didnt he do well there because it was late in the cycle and Ron Paul was the only other name on the ballot besides McCain? Not trying to be a downer, and maybe i'm wrong.

[helmuth_hubener]

Answering questions:

Precinct committeeman=county delegate. However, they are not the only delegates. In all counties, 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, or write him a letter, and he does it. Make sure you're registered Republican first.

So, to win in Wyoming, all you need to do is to round up Ron Paul supporters and get them to call or write the county chairman to be appointed as delegates, then get them to come to two meetings (some kind of pre-convention thing in December, then the convention in January). That's all we did in Campbell County: we rounded up about 25, and got 37 votes for our guy, losing to the Romney-supporting delegate's 44. In any county, get 50 supporters and you'd almost certainly win; get 80 and you'd be assured a victory.

To quote myself from another thread:

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.

Trey4Sports: No, it was the first contest in the cycle. Romney did well because he's Mormon, and because he was establishment and safe. Also, there is no ballot. You vote for the delegate, not the presidential candidate, and the delegate is unbound, and doesn't even have to have/declare a presidential preference.

[helmuth_hubener]

ibild and TallGirl, hi, we should get together. I hope you are signed up as delegates to the convention!

[Napoleon's Shadow]

Be sure to organize people though here too:
https://www.facebook.com/RP2012WY

[tsai3904]

Precinct committeeman=county delegate. However, they are not the only delegates. In all counties, 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, or write him a letter, and he does it. Make sure you're registered Republican first.

According to the latest FEC records, there were 22 Wyoming residents who gave over $200, with 7 giving over $1,000. Have you guys thought of contacting these contributors and informing them of the importance of becoming precinct committeemen? We can find their addresses in the FEC records and send them a letter in the mail with complete instructions.

Let me know if someone in Wyoming is interested and I can gather the names and addresses of the contributors.

[helmuth_hubener]

Fantastic, tsai! That's what we need to do. Maybe there are some new names in there. Feel free to message me the list if you've already pulled it up, which it sounds like you have.

[tsai3904]

Sent you a pm.

[Napoleon's Shadow]

WY might actually be a state that Ron could win. But it's up to everyone there to make it happen.

[Napoleon's Shadow]

[ytc]

Hi, my husband and I moved to Rock Springs from WA / OR last year. We were very active in RP Meetup at Spokane, WA during the 2007/8 campaign season.
The Sweetwater County committeeman, Mr. Clark Stith, informed me yesterday that there may be a vacancy for me to become a Precinct Committee Woman. Do you know if he is sympathetic to Ron Paul? Is there any Ron Paul group in Rock Springs that we might join?

Looking forward to getting organized!

[Wyoming]

Hi, my husband and I moved to Rock Springs from WA / OR last year. We were very active in RP Meetup at Spokane, WA during the 2007/8 campaign season.
The Sweetwater County committeeman, Mr. Clark Stith, informed me yesterday that there may be a vacancy for me to become a Precinct Committee Woman. Do you know if he is sympathetic to Ron Paul? Is there any Ron Paul group in Rock Springs that we might join?

Looking forward to getting organized!

I don't know if Mr. Stith is sympathetic to RP. It may not matter. Show up, volunteer, deliver, and they will appoint you. And you have a decent chance of being elected delegate.

[The Free Hornet]

didnt he do well there because it was late in the cycle and ron paul was the only other name on the ballot besides mccain? Not trying to be a downer, and maybe i'm wrong.

I know what you meant, but...

Ron Paul is the only other name on EVERY ballot!!!!!

Everybody else is more of the same.

Everybody else will fight against liberty.

Ron Paul makes it a 2-on-1 fight, not a 3-on-0 fight!