Them on Us: Conservative Wyo.; UW political analysis; foul ball

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

By Jake Nichols

Jackson Hole, Wyo.-When Wyomingites head to the voting booth, they’re listing to the right. We found the news that’s hardly news to some in the San Francisco Chronicle: “Wyoming voters found most conservative in the West.”

“Even more so than Utah?” Wondered the Chronicle. Yes, according to a Mason-Dixon poll of likely voters in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. The August poll found that 77 percent of Wyoming voters want to stop illegal immigration with a border fence, while 47 percent support deporting illegal immigrants. Seventy-four percent support drilling for oil and gas on public lands, with 51 percent saying it’s more important than protecting the environment.

Sixty-six percent support uranium mining for nuclear power, 81 percent decry gun-control laws as too restrictive, and 62 percent trust John McCain to handle the economy, compared with 27 percent for Barack Obama.

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Five former Wyoming governors will be hung at high noon in Cheyenne on Oct. 3. Actually, the ceremony will commence at 10:30 a.m. at the State Capitol where the portraits of J.J. “Joe” Hickey, Clifford P. Hansen, Stanley K. Hathaway, Michael J. Sullivan and James E. Geringer will be unveiled.

The portraits were painted by artists Michele Rushworth of Sammamish, Wash., and Galina Perova of Salt Lake City on a $70,000 state grant. Wyoming legislature has approved another $90,000 to commission work of the remaining nine governors whose portraits haven’t been painted yet.

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“In my memory, I cannot recall an instance in the past century where a candidate has been so sharply and openly critical of the sitting president of his own party,” said Univ. of Wyoming Modern U.S. History professor William Moore. “He’s been dramatically critical, which is unprecedented, at least since the Democrats and William Jennings Bryan rejected the policies of their president, Grover Cleveland, in 1896.”

Moore, along with two other university professors, called the current presidential race unlike any in history in a number of ways. Jim King, head of the political science department, said another reason the campaign this year is unusual “is because McCain, who has been in Congress for 25 years, is now trying to run as an outsider.”

UW history professor Phil Roberts called the 2008 campaign “a very strange election.” He pointed to the fact that neither President Bush nor Vice President Cheney appeared in person at the Republican convention and neither is campaigning actively for McCain. That has happened only once, when Lyndon Johnson did not show up for the DNC convention for his VP, Hubert Humphrey.
Phil White penned the story in Monday’s Casper Star-Tribune.

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The last game to be played at revered Yankee Stadium ended Sept. 21. The last homerun hit in that stadium came off the bat of New York catcher José Molina. Who caught the ball that memorabilia traders say could be worth $50,000; depends on who you ask.

At the center of controversy is a Wyoming man: Steve Harshman. The shot landed in the leftfield bleacher netting, just above the heads of the fans. Harshman reached up and grabbed the ball through the mesh and held tight.

“Don’t rip that netting,” Harshman said a security guard told him. “Let go and we’ll get the ball for you.” Harshman did as he was told and the ball rolled off the net to Paul Russo of Manhattan. Security personnel demanded he hand over the ball, and when he did, he was shocked to watch them give it to Harshman.

Now, Russo is crying foul and wants the ball back. Though he was originally identified as “Steve from Colorado,” by News 7, Harshman was born and raised in Casper. He teaches at Natrona County High School, and coaches the football team. He said he doesn’t plan on selling the ball.

Harshman also happens to be a Wyoming House Representative (District #37) and sits on the … wait for it … Appropriations Committee.


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