Note to Laramie County Dems: Beware The Ides of March

My first Democratic Party county convention was 2004 -- a decade ago. I showed up as a Dennis Kucinich delegate primed for bear dove. I had had enough of senseless Bush/Cheney wars and wanted to end them. Kucinich was the peace candidate. Kerry was the candidate of destiny. At that county convention, held in the basement of the American Legion hall, I ended up as a Kucinich delegate to the state convention in May in Sheridan. There were a few of us peaceniks on hand, but we were trounced by the Kerry people. If Kerry had shown the same grit as his delegates showed at the convention, he might have beaten George Bush. But he wimped out. And we ended up with four more years of wars and giveaways to the rich and Dick Cheney's scary face.

What does a Dem delegate accomplish in an off-year election? A lot, if you're planning on running for the legislature. There's also a U.S. Senate election. That was going to be a circus when Liz Cheney entered the race last year against Mike Enzi. But Cheney dropped out and now Enzi is probably a shoo-in.

What about the Governor's race? Matt Mead is an incumbent so he probably will win, even with a lackluster record. The Dems, to date, do not have a gubernatorial candidate. We have some good people waiting in the wings, but everyone knows that Wyoming re-elects its Govs, be they D or R, because, well, it's more convenient that way.

This is my fourth Governor since moving to WYO and I have yet to see an incumbent lose. So the county convention is Saturday, March 15, at the Plains Hotel in downtown Cheyenne. Registration is from 8:30-10 a.m. Wonder what would happen if I breezed in and registered as a Kucinich delegate.

Me: "I'm a Kucinich delegate"
Registrar: "What's a Kucinich?"
Me: "He's the peace candidate for president."
Registrar: "It's not a presidential election year."
Me: "Isn't this 2004?"
Registrar: "It may seem like it -- this is Wyoming, after all -- but no, it's 2014." Me: "Then what am I doing here?"
Registrar: "You tell me."

I could be there to hear the Rev. Rodger McDaniel, who's the designated speaker for the day. He's always exciting and controversial. I could be there to visit with my Democratic friends. They are a great bunch, funny and argumentative. I could be there because I'm a registered Democrat and we keep showing up at these things because hope springs. Come join us. At the most recent Dem meeting I attended, there were new people there, some of whom used to be Republicans. I like that. I didn't used to be a Republican, although almost everyone is my family is a Republican and I briefly contemplated voting for Reagan in 1984.

See you Saturday.

And beware The Ides of March.