Tea Partier lurking behind every Wyoming sagebrush

On Sunday, Rasmussen Reports released a telephone survey of “Likely Voters” in Wyoming.

No surprise:

Republican Matt Mead leads Democrat Leslie Peterson, 61%to 25%. This is pretty close to the majority held by registered Republicans over registered Democrats.

No surprise:

Mead, a former U.S. attorney, is favored by 84% of membersin his own party.

But all of this is scary and weird:

Twenty-six percent (26%) of Wyoming voters consider themselves membersof the Tea Party movement, much higher than the national average.

Seventy-seven percent (77%) of Tea Partiers in Wyoming favor Mead. Only 38% of non-Tea Party members support the Democrat, while a majority(51%) favors the Republican.

Fifty-eight percent (58%) of all voters in the state say the Tea Party movement is good for the country.

And, finally, we get to the crux of the matter (also no surprise):

John McCain carried Wyoming over Barack Obama by a 65% to 33% margin in November 2008. Now just 32% of Wyoming voters approve of the job Obama is doing as president. Sixty-seven percent (67%) disapprove of his job performance. This is considerably higher disapproval that is found nationally in the Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll.

So, Republican Matt Mead will be our next governor. The majority of Tea Partiers will vote for Mead, as will some Democrats. Dems will vote for Mead because he is a moderate in the tradition of many Wyoming politicians. Repubs don’t have to be moderate, but let’s just say it’s a tradition. Democrats, such as Gov. Dave Freudenthal, have no choice – wearing the cloak of Republicanism is crucial to victory. He ran against Republican loonies in two races and won both times. Will Mead stay moderate? Or will he have to kowtow to the very loud Tea Party.

A look at his web site shows a few Tea Party planks slipping in. Here’s one on his “Health Care and Quality of Life page,” which is also a priority of the Republican Party:

Wyoming should join with other states in the ongoing legal challenge against the recently passed federal health care law. In my view the law is unconstitutional and infringes on individual liberties. Our state’s voice should be heard. Under the new federal law, the Federal government is meddling in one sixth of our national economy. The law will kill jobs, distress small businesses, and hurt future growth. The expansion of Medicaid, the mandate for individuals to purchase health insurance or be penalized – these and other aspects ofthe federal law are not good for Wyoming or our citizens. This is not the time for our State to remain silent.

However, on the same page, he says this:

As Governor, I will tackle the tough issues that affect quality of life, like unemployment, health care, treatment of juveniles, domestic violence, services for persons with disabilities, teenage pregnancy, and the elderly. I want the best for Wyoming families now and in the future. We want safe, friendly communities and the ability to enjoy our great outdoors.

Some disconnect here. Can’t have great health care without health care reform. Many thousands of Wyoming families depend on Medicaid. To curtail the teenage pregnancy rate, will he engage in education or the Republicans usual weapon of choice – fear?

Four weeks left to election day. In Wyoming, you can vote early. Do it now or later – but vote!

The Tea Party is counting on you to stay home.