Casper Star-Tribune Online Endorses Obama

[Hope And Change]

Romney, Obama should get party nominations

Monday, December 31, 2007 2:03 AM MST

The wishes of Wyoming voters are usually a moot point by presidential convention time. In each party, someone usually racks up enough wins in the early primaries to ensure the nomination, thus making the conventions a formality.

This year, thanks to the state Republican central committee's decision to hold its county caucuses Saturday, things are a little different. Several GOP candidates campaigned in Wyoming. While most of these hopefuls were in the lower tier, the move nevertheless gave the state some recognition it hasn't received in other years.

With Thursday's GOP and Democratic caucuses in Iowa too close to call, a win in Wyoming could boost a candidate's chances in next week's New Hampshire primary.

Though Wyoming Democrats won't have a chance to pick their delegates until the state convention, we'd like to offer readers our perspective on both parties' contenders. Our Editorial Board's recommendations aim to identify the candidates who will best represent Wyoming's interests, along with the nation as a whole.

Barack Obama has emerged from the Democratic pack with, as his latest book proclaims, the "audacity of hope." He represents a dramatic change, replacing old-style politics based on exchanging money and favors with an approach that promises equality and fairness.

What can Obama offer Wyoming? The senator from Illinois has shown he is in tune with this state's strong support for the coal industry. Obama realizes that while it's necessary to reduce our carbon footprint to combat global warming, that hardly means shunning coal-fired plants.

Hillary Clinton's biggest disadvantage in Wyoming is the unpopularity of her husband in the state during his two terms in the White House. John Edwards, meanwhile, the remaining top-tier Democrat in the race, will find it difficult to escape the dubious distinction of being second on the ticket to John Kerry in 2004.

For those reasons, Romney and Obama are our choices for the two parties' nominations. Whether you agree with us or not, we hope you find our observations helpful.

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