When you hold a forum for voters, you actually expect the candidates to show up

I read about this in Saturday's Casper Star-Tribune. I just read it again and realized how strange it was that no Republican candidates showed up at the big Homecoming weekend Voters Forum in Laramie. Here's the story:

It was Democrats three, Republicans zero at the League of Women Voters Forum in Laramie.

All three Democratic candidates running for Congress attended Thursday night's forum at the Albany Public Library. But all three Republican candidates sent other people to speak in their place.

Democratic House candidate Gary Trauner drove from Teton County to attend [approx. 380 miles one way]. Republican Cynthia Lummis sent her daughter to talk for her [approx. 45 miles].

Democratic Senate candidate Chris Rothfuss lives in Laramie, so he didn't have far to travel. His opponent, Republican Sen. Mike Enzi, sent a campaign representative in his place.

Republican Sen. John Barrasso also sent a campaign staffer, while Democratic challenger Nick Carter showed up in person.

Gosh, the Democrats must care more -- or maybe they treat this election more seriously than their opponents. McJoan goes into detail on the event in a Daily Kos post at http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/10/13/105245/56/368/629149. This photo of Republican candidate surrogates accompanied her story --

They look nice enough. And they came with notes and everything. But voters came to see the actual candidates, not campus Young Republicans.

Here's Gary Trauner, the actual Democratic candidate for Wyoming's lone U.S. House seat, speaking on the issues at the forum --