Lando 
Posted on 09/29/2005 7:15:20 PM PDT by Lando Lincoln
This past weekend a gathering in Gillette, Wyoming highlighted the present, chaotic state of the Democrat Party. As Democrats around the country attempt to portray two faces to their constituencies, one representing moderation, and the other representing fire-breathing liberalism, Wyoming Governor Dave Freudenthal essentially renounced the basic philosophies of his party.
More stunning yet was that he did so in the presence of Democratic National Committee vice chairman Mike Honda. Honda then faced the daunting task of attempting to portray a bridge of commonality between Freudenthal’s pragmatic candor and the image presented nationally by the Democrats.
In front of an audience of roughly seventy-five Wyoming Democrats, Freudenthal blatantly distanced himself from Democrat Chairman Howard Dean, along with such fundamental party principles as gun control.
Honda, while desperately seeking to portray a facade of unity with the Governor, was clearly shaken and tried repeatedly to emphasize the Governor’s stance as being compatible with that of the party.
Freudenthal’s words were certainly not the first occasion of such antics among Democrats in the Cowboy State. Wyomingites still chuckle when recalling the 1996 Senate Race, in which Democrat candidate Kathy Karpan attempted to establish herself as a staunch protector of the Second Amendment.
Having been haunted throughout that campaign by a picture of herself, on stage with Bill and Hillary at the ‘92 Democrat Convention, Karpan recognized the need to impress voters that she would support their right to own firearms. So her campaign ran an ad in which she was portrayed on a duck hunting expedition, complete with 12-gauge shotgun.
Unfortunately for her, it was quickly discovered that the ad was staged in a Cheyenne city park where hunting of any kind was certainly prohibited. Ultimately, Karpan’s deceit proved that she had even more in common with the Clintons than previously known.
Freudenthal, ever the skilled politician, carefully avoided any similar snare. Apparently not wanting any record of an alliance with John Kerry, he invoked the standard excuse of “scheduling conflicts” as reason to forego last year’s Democrat Convention.
In Wyoming, a steadfastly “red” state, Freudenthal’s predicament is glaringly obvious. It is also highly illustrative of the split occurring nationally among Democrats.
On the one hand, the party’s elites regularly posture to the center in order to win elections. But in recent years, an idealistic and radical element has asserted itself. Blinded by an arrogant belief of absolute moral and intellectual superiority, this faction is convinced that it only needs to trumpet its countercultural and anti-American message with sufficient volume, and the rest of the country will enthusiastically follow.
Though both factions ultimately seek to advance the same agenda, they disagree sharply on strategy. And, all too often, the party’s career politicians are caught in the middle. The September 24 anti-war, anti-America rally in Washington D.C. provided yet more evidence.
Ostensibly a peace rally, it rapidly degenerated into a forum for every extreme element of the counterculture. Predictably, “mainstream” Democrats, such as Hillary Clinton, chose not to attend.
Such blatant exhibitions of liberalism make it extremely difficult for Democrat leaders to maintain a coherent and sellable message from a party that increasingly forsakes the character and patriotism of Zell Miller, replacing it with the rantings of Michael Moore and Howard Dean.
Dismayed though Honda may have been that Freudenthal would publicly disavow Dean (his statements certainly will not play well at the national level), the Governor was merely saying what Hillary and others were thinking as they offered their own excuses (“scheduling conflicts,” don’t you know...) for not attending the rally.
Consistently, Freudenthal seeks cover within the political framework of the Republicans. So intimidated is he by the prospect of publicly opposing them that, even on a topic in which such opposition would gain enthusiastic support from Wyoming’s conservative ranching community, he opts to remain uninvolved.
In the September 19 issue of the “Wyoming Livestock Roundup,” Wyoming beef producer J. Randall Stevenson excoriated Freudenthal for remaining neutral (or, as Stevenson bluntly expresses it “neutered”) in response to a USDA decision to open the nation’s borders to imported (and possibly tainted) beef.
Yet despite such posturing, Governor Freudenthal may continue to do well politically. Ironically, this is due in large part to Wyoming’s RINO dominated state legislature, which by its own rampant liberalism makes it infuriatingly easy for Freudenthal to masquerade as a “moderate,” or even a conservative. So he might sail through to reelection next year. Unless, of course, he faces a challenge from a real conservative.
Lando
Now do us a favor and quit. We dont need representatives that wake up one day realizing theyve been in the wrong party. It your kind that do more damage than the extreme demons because you gave them cover. Get lost you bumb!
Lando
Wyoming has Democrats? This is like Chicago having Republicans.
There's that many there? 75? Wow! Maybe that includes Honda's entourage
Interesteing developement. Perhaps the Governor has plans beyond his current position.
"Go Lando, Go Lando, Go Lando."
GIMME AN "L"
GIMME AN "A"
GIMME AN "N"
GIMME A "D"
GIMME AN "O"
WHAT'S THAT SPELL?
Actually, I *like* the idea of reasonable Democrats.
You see, the Republicans sometimes nominate boneheads or slimy folks (former Gov George Ryan anyone?) ... but if the Democrats nominate essentially marxists, what choice do you have (hmmmm).
I'd rather we have 1 CONSERVATE party and 1 moderate party, than one Conservative/moderate-RINO party and one leftist/Deaniac/shill/Clintonite/marxist/socialist/hatred-of-family-and decency party.
Lando
PING
Nice goin.
The headline makes it sound like he changed parties rather than just making some DINO noises.
Lando
Y'know, I'm an independent, but after all the press the last few weeks about Rove, Bush, Cindy, Bush, Miller, Bush, Fema Bush, Katrina, Bush, Roberts, Bush, Hammer, Bush, Rita, Bush ... you'd think the RATs would be able to stop this kind of stuff ... this is hilarious ...
There are democrats and there are "progressive democrats" -- the later are no less that pure-bred communists.
The DNC is of the "progressive" variety.
It is about time the real democrats start showing more loudly and openly their distance from the anti-American DNC.
And yes -- the same can be said for the republican party - At least 1/3 of the elected "republicans" in congress are actual democrats and some of them are "progressives".
That's what happens when you begin to allow crap like letting liberal extremists call themselves "republican" so they can win an election in NYC! What is worse, the RNC calls him a republican still!
INTEGRITY does not exist in either major party.
I'd rather we have 1 CONSERVATE party and 1 moderate party, than one Conservative/moderate-RINO party and one leftist/Deaniac/shill/Clintonite/marxist/socialist/hatred-of-family-and decency party.
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My ongoing, eternal dream!!! Well stated.
May we learn from the mistakes of our political opponents.
If more stood up, they would be doing much better in republican states. The gun issue has killed democrats in red states and rightfully so. I think the political landscape would be much differently if democrats didn't have to deal with big city liberals like Kennedy. The only problem they have if they do stand up is they lose rat money. Also people just don't believe them. For a state position they might be able to pull it off. But no on in their right mind would send a democrat off to Washington and expect them not to help the socialist there.
The only reason Freudenthal got elected in the first place is because the republicans bloodied each other up to much in the primaries to get elected, the same thing that happened the last time Wyoming elected a democrat governor. I really slammed Freudenthal and Wyoming for electing him on my website but as it turns out he hasn't been to bad and I can see how he could get elected in a red state.
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