Cuckoo for caucus: Wyoming Republicans sacrifice delegates in favor of national influence

Friday, January 04, 2008

By Grace Hammond

Jackson Hole, Wyo - The Wyoming GOP has elbowed its way into the middle of a caucus sandwich. For the first time, Iowa and New Hampshire’s caucuses flank Wyoming’s. The state GOP sacrificed half of its delegates in a calculated decision to move the event forward a month - from Feb. 5 to Jan. 5 - and increase Wyoming’s national clout. Joe Schloss, chairman of the Teton County Republican Party, sat down with The Planet to discuss the local GOP’s hopes for Saturday’s county conventions and the influence the caucuses could have on the nation.

Planet Jackson Hole: Are there clear frontrunners now, two days before the caucus?

Joe Schloss: I will say that in the state, and particularly in Teton County, we’ve only had two very active campaigns. One has been Mitt Romney’s and one has been Ron Paul’s. We’ve had a small presence involving some of the other candidates, but they don’t appear to have a strong organization here. Romney, Thompson, Hunter, Brownback and Paul all made stops this year. The Wyoming people are getting a good taste of what [Romney's and Paul’s] campaigns are all about and what those two candidates are all about. But they’re not getting the picture with regards to say, Rudy Giuliani, who has not come to the state of Wyoming.

PJH: Do you think the results of Wyoming’s caucus can be considered representative of the views of Republicans nationwide?

JS: I don’t know that Wyoming represents the views of the nation. I think that the voters and the delegates within Wyoming clearly represent the people of Wyoming. ... I don’t believe they speak for any other states. I think perhaps you get a more liberal outlook in some of the bigger cities around the country, on the East Coast and the West Coast, that don’t necessarily coincide with the way that the people in Wyoming think. So we’re not totally unique but we still don’t always agree with the rest of the country.

PJH: Some argue that regional caucuses and straw polls should have little national influence because they represent a very narrow segment of the voting public. What’s your take?

JS: The caucus process is a very old process which coincides with the history of Wyoming. A caucus is different from a straw poll because it involves individuals who then have voting power. It’s not just canvassing the public in a straw poll and asking them 'what do you think, who do you like.' The voting power makes a difference … and it is significant nationally.

PJH: Has the state GOP been kicking around the idea of moving the caucus forward for some time now or is the idea new this year?

JS: It’s been discussed on and off for several years, but it’s the first time we’ve got the concurrence of the State Central Committee to support it. That’s why we’re going forth with it at this time - in the past it was more in the talk stage.

PJH: Was it a relatively scandalous decision within the party itself? Was there a lot of opposition - is there still opposition?

JS: Not as much as you would think. The majority of the members of the State Central Committee support the process and they believe it was worth taking the penalty and the risks involved in order to accomplish the goals set forth in the plan.

PJH: What would have to happen to make you consider the date change a success and that is was worth the penalty?

JS: It’s a little hard to quantify. ... It may take another cycle or two to gain the recognition we’re seeking from the national candidates. The first time around we feel we have been successful. But have we met all our goals? Are we totally successful in accomplishing all we set out to do? I think it’s going to take another election cycle to really determine that.

PJH: Other than losing delegates, did you see any other negative results from moving the date forward?

JS: I don’t believe that there were any additional costs. The penalty is the big hit. Losing half your delegates to a national convention is significant because some of those individuals will sit on committees, so you end up having a little less say in the outcome of things at the national level.

PJH: What kind of benefits did you anticipate when you made the decision to change the date?

JS: The main benefit is for the state of Wyoming to become a recognized leader in the election process, much like New Hampshire and Iowa. We felt that there was no reason why we should not be included in that. The best way to do that was to move the date and become a frontrunner instead of jumping in after decisions have already been made and our say doesn’t feel like it’s worth as much.

PJH: Next cycle, do you think the candidates will pay more attention to Wyoming because they’ve had more time to prepare for its early caucus?

JS: I do. Unless the other states continually move their dates up ahead of ours, and then it becomes a game of catch-up. Whose gonna be first? If we move ahead, and then Iowa moves ahead, or New Hampshire moves ahead, and we keep leapfrogging, at what point do you say enough is enough?

PJH: Is it set in stone that the Wyoming GOP will lose half of its delegates? Is there any wiggle room?

JS: No, we will lose the 14 delegates. There is a process by which we could potentially regain them, but it will not take place until the national convention itself and it is uncertain.

PJH: Mitt Romney pledged to request that all Wyoming delegates be allowed in the convention if he is the nominee. How could that change things?

JS: If he emerges at the national convention as the frontrunner, it’s quite possible that he would be able to hold sway over the group and effect that change. But that, too, isn’t a certainty.

PJH: Are you planning to continue with an early caucus during the next election cycle?

JS: If [the rules] don’t change and we’re going to be penalized every time we move up, then I think the State Central Committee needs to reflect on the pros and cons and ultimately come to a vote as to whether or not we wish to continue doing this. At this point, we’re hopeful that the national bylaws, rules and regulations committee will see fit to make a change so we won’t be penalized in the future.

PJH: What do you see as the greatest value of this caucus and county convention?

JS: It involves the members of the Republican Party at a grassroots level. ... Individuals at the precinct level get to participate in this democratic process of putting forth ideas and expressing the issues that are important to them. That ultimately becomes a platform and resolution at our county level. We have a voice in what takes place and that, in turn, moves up to the state level and ultimately the national level. So all the way down to the lowest level in the community, we’re having a say in the issues that we want our state party to get behind us on, to support.

Photo of Joe Schloss by Jonathan Adams.


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Cuckoo for caucus: Wyoming Republicans sacrifice delegates in favor of national influence | Planet JH News Article: General News

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