The Voters Have Spoken

One of America’s greatest strengths is our ability to change our leadership without a shot being fired.
While this election will be remembered as one of the nastiest in memory, it will also be remembered, and perhaps be most remembered, for the most voters angry with the current administration, and its heavy-handed habit of spending dollars and sending the country into a huge debt.
The actions of the leadership in Washington have resulted in the Tea Party, formed by citizens across the land. The Tea Party is conservative movement formed to get the country back on its feet, and to stop the massive spending by both Democrats and Republicans.
Some 37 Tea Party candidates were elected across the land on Nov. 2, and the Republicans gained control of the U.S. House and also made some gains in the Senate. Harry Reid, the Democratic Majority Leader of the Senate, won his race, but he had a flawed opponent who was doomed from the start, despite raising large amounts of money.
Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House and the woman we all loved to hate for her heavy-handed manner, was elected to her seat, but will no longer hold a seat of power. There’s talk that she’ll quit Congress altogether now that she’s lost the big jet.
All told, new Republican and Tea Party candidates were elected across the country, except for in the usual states with heavy union votes, including California, New York and Nevada.
Republican or Democratic, if they were considered a big spender, they were voted out. The Republican Party, being the most conservative, was closely aligned with the Tea Party. However, following the election, many have said the Republican Party has a second chance to get back to its roots.
In Wyoming, we’re blessed to have conservatives from border to border. Even those of the liberal party are somewhat conservative. An eastern or Californian liberal wouldn’t last long in Wyoming. I think the big Tea Party movement didn’t really gain a foothold here because most of us are already there.
We are a conservative state, but we did get caught up in the national movement, electing all Republicans to our state offices, despite some strong candidates. It just wasn’t a year to be a Democrat, even though now and then we in Wyoming tend to vote for the person, and not the party.
I think a large majority of the voters in Wyoming are really conservative, which is good, but they also don’t like the extremes. They seem to want to stay in the center, or to the right of center, of the conservative movement. Our governors, whether Republican or Democratic, have always been conservative.
If a candidate for state office stands up and expresses liberal views, they’ve just shot themselves in the foot. We know our freedoms and rights, and don’t mess with them. Those we send to Congress and our Wyoming legislature, for the most part, vote as we would. We’re all on first-name basis, and if they didn’t vote as we would, they would surely hear about it – especially at the voting booth.
We’re blessed to live and vote in Wyoming.
Dennis