Casper Star-Tribune Online

Advanced Search

Governor stumps for Obama

Story Tools

Print this story

E-mail this story

Rate this story

Text Size

Share This Story:

trib.popular

By JOAN BARRON
Star-Tribune capital bureau

Wednesday, October 8, 2008 8:23 PM MDT

CHEYENNE -- Gov. Dave Freudenthal spent Tuesday stumping for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama in four small towns in western Pennsylvania.

The Obama campaign paid all expenses, the Democratic chief executive said Wednesday afternoon. Freudenthal's chief of staff, Chris Boswell, took a vacation day to accompany him on the trip, he said.

Several other governors have taken similar trips to key regions in the presidential campaign to support Obama.

Freudenthal and Boswell flew into Pittsburgh late Monday night and returned to Cheyenne late Tuesday night.

They were accompanied on the Pennsylvania tour by Obama staff members.

Freudenthal said he talked to small gatherings of 25 to 30 people.

"I'm delighted to do it but I'm not going to spend too much time at it. It's not my full-time job," he said. "I've never done anything like that before, where you just show up in a place you've not been with people you don't know and you get up and give it a riff and take questions."

Freudenthal received a lot of questions about guns, health care, the price of gasoline, the stock market and whether the Democrats will be any better than the Republicans.

"People there are just as scared as they are here," Freudenthal said. "There's an awful lot of unease about the economy."

He was struck that so many people turned out for the campaign stops on a working day.

Freudenthal, a sportsman, said people in that part of Pennsylvania hunt white-tailed deer and birds.

In Somerset, Pa., Freudenthal attended a sportsmen's gathering, followed by a stop at the coal miners union hall in Grindsville, Pa., a stop at another sports club in McDonald, Pa., and a rural meeting at a farm in Tarentum, Pa.

In April the governor endorsed Obama for president on grounds he could end the bitter partisanship in the nation's capital.

So far Freudenthal has not endorsed any Wyoming candidates.

"Governor Dave has never been terribly political," said Bill Luckett, executive director of the Wyoming Democratic Party. "He could have helped the Democratic Party more if he wanted to."

Sen. Obama is a unique politician in Freudenthal's eyes, Luckett said. "I don't know what plans he has in local elections at this point."

During a recent news conference Freudenthal said he would make no endorsement in the contest between Republican Sen. John Barrasso and Democrat Nick Carter of Gillette.

It wouldn't be proper, he said, because he had appointed Barrasso to the seat after the death last spring of Sen. Craig Thomas and Barrasso had been in the office for such a short time.

He told reporters he would decide later on endorsements in the other senate race between Republican Sen. Mike Enzi and Democrat Chris Rothfuss of Laramie, and in the U.S. House race between Republican Cynthia Lummis and Democrat Gary Trauner.

Freudenthal did campaign door-to-door recently with a Cheyenne Democrat, Katherine Van Dell, who is challenging Republican incumbent Amy Edmonds for the House District 12 seat.

Contact capital bureau reporter Joan Barron at (307) 632-1244 or joan.barron@trib.com


Wyoming briefs		Civil trial under way in suit over advertising

Article Rating

Reader Comments

There are 17 comment(s)

Comments to this story.

keephim wrote on Oct 8, 2008 8:41 PM:

" any chance kingdave would stay there? "

Drill Now Use Less wrote on Oct 9, 2008 7:30 AM:

" I doubt Gov. Dave would be stumping if he was in an election year - How quick the blue really comes out - I guess he's looking for an appointment in D.C. by Barry - how sad one can toss out the views and voters of Wyoming under the bus to secure another political job. Sad Indeed. "

Kilpatrick wrote on Oct 9, 2008 10:50 AM:

" Is the governor looking for a job after he descends from the mountain? Perhaps a job for his wife? "

Jared wrote on Oct 9, 2008 12:05 PM:

" I am really disappointed that Governor Freudenthal did this. His first responsibility is to his constituents and I don't think that it is the demand of Wyomingites to have Obama as president OR to have their governor campaigning for him in OTHER states. "

Clem wrote on Oct 9, 2008 12:55 PM:

" Man, I'm sure these people in PA were really impressed to hear from Freudenfool from Wy imploring them to vote for the leftest commies nobama and obinden. "

Where did you learn math wrote on Oct 9, 2008 1:50 PM:

" Governor Dave Freudenthal has an 80% [give or take a percent or two on any given day] approval rate, and won every single county in this state in his last election. I repeat, EVERY SINGLE COUNTY! I trust his judgment because he is one of the few in politics who knows what it is like to worry more about doing the right thing than doing what is right for his own aggrandizement. You cannot say that about our congressional delegation, nor most of our legislature. Dave is truly one of the good guys, represents what the vast majority of Wyomingites are really about, and I am proud of him and his record, and after having seen the mess of the last month, will also vote for Obama-Biden. I just wish I could put Dave in Congress or the White House! "

Exactly wrote on Oct 9, 2008 3:10 PM:

" I agree...Gov. Dave is a good man. There is nothing wrong with him stumping for the presidential candidate that he believes is best for the job. Just because you right wing idiots are brainwashed into supporting all republicans regardless of who they are or what they stand for doesn't mean that everyone else should be so ignorant. By the way; Obama will be a very good president and will stand up for the people of Wyoming (even the ones who are not smart enough to make an independent intelligent decision). The republican party hasn't done anything for Wyoming in forever and they will not as long as they are blindly getting the votes of our mindless republican voters even though they don't do anything for us. They are taking you for granted and you are gladly allowing them to walk all over you with a smile on your face. Why don't you try doing some independent research and making a decision for yourselves based on policy instead of partisan ideals.

Look what your idiological decision making has done to our country for the last eight years; our country is on the wrong path in every category, the economy is almost completely in the tank, our military is stretched so thin that if a real national security matter arises we will not have the forces available to deal with it, the entire world has lost respect for us, and we are no closer to shutting down Al Quaeda now than we were on Sept. 12th. I did not vote for Bush or any of our inept representatives, so I take no responsibility for the mess we find ourselves in. I know that if you are following the talking points that are being spoon fed to you by the GOP you will try to say that everything is the democrats fault, but I have bad news for you, the republicans have controlled the whitehouse for the last eight years and both houses of congress for six of the last eight years, so noone with a brain will honestly believe that it's the democrats fault. If you want to know who's fault it is; look in the mirror. I hope that the majority of the country is smarter than our blindly following republican lemmings in Wyoming are and that they make the correct choice for change and save us from our own ignorance. I think the rest of the country will do the right thing even though I have no faith in the people of Wyoming. "

WyomingGal wrote on Oct 9, 2008 4:47 PM:

" Hey Clem, they are far better than McSameBush2 and FailinCaribouQueen! "

Chris wrote on Oct 9, 2008 10:00 PM:

" SOOOOO disappointed in Gov Dave. Thought his going to the convention was bad enough. Maybe he is not what he appeared to be here in WYO? Still finding that hard to believe. He lost a lot of faith in me. "

Joe wrote on Oct 10, 2008 6:01 AM:

" So Obama paid for the fuel, wages for the pilots,security detail and the time on the aircraft at 1500.00 or so per hour?? Bad move Dave- so should have stayed in WYO- or is your job kinda slow. I thought you were going to stay out of the mix?? Or are you looking for a couple jobs?? "

Think People wrote on Oct 12, 2008 10:43 AM:

" Why can't some American think beyond color? If Obama was fully white you know he would win a hands down victory, because he makes sense! Why don't American demand answers about 911, Iraq war, why did the Feds refuse autopsies on the firemen killed in 911 etc. Why have we Americans been so gullable and allowed our constitution to be stripped from us by fear tactics. I wish Americans will wake up and demand answers to all the lies we have been told by the Republicans so far. Until we see proof and have answers we should not allow another Republican to continue to strip our freedom away. Think America! "

Ben wrote on Oct 13, 2008 11:15 AM:

" Regardless of what all of you Obama supporters on here think, Wyoming will vote for McCain. I don't know if it is because Obama is black (I highly doubt it though) or because we genuinely prefer McCain. The majority of people in this state disagree with you and the poor decision Governor Freudenthal made. I also think that he is a good man and has been a good governor, but personally I side with the rest of the state and will vote for the McCain ticket.

PS, I am not gullible nor have I been brainwashed, I side with conservative views on day to day life and as an economist I doubt Obama's sound bite answers (while well spoken) will actually solve problems. "

Darla wrote on Oct 16, 2008 5:42 PM:

" Wy is for McCain? To many sheep there. LOL.

More than one species of. Does no one think? "

wrote on Oct 16, 2008 10:06 PM:

" And what are you thinking Darla? "

Jeff wrote on Oct 28, 2008 3:43 PM:

" As a former Wyomingite, Johnson County 1958 - Laramie HS 1976 - UW 1980, it saddens me to see that all of the progress made in electing Gov. Fruendenthal is once again lost in a general election. Ugly images of the "Black 14" and "Matthew Sheppard" come racing back when I read some of the previous comments. Perhaps one day Wyomingites will remember that they were the first to allow women the right to vote but will were unwilling to vote for the first black president in our nations history. God Bless you all! "

Mr. Wyomingite wrote on Nov 3, 2008 3:54 PM:

" Well it seems to me that..the republicans did a wonderful job the last eight years..just look at the situations the United States we are so proud of is in..Lets all go to our mirrors and look in it..And say its all about you.. just as the Republicans do..Please give me a break..Good job Dave..Smart move..help our country..Don't blow it like the Air head supporters in our State that our racest..or just as Air Headed as Sara..Im sure happy there happy with what Bush has done with our country.. "

GovDave wrote on Dec 16, 2008 2:24 PM:

" Don't drink the Kool-Aid

He does NOT have an 80% approval rating, his press corps and bloggers make you thinnk he does.
Ask the average guy in the street. He could follow Obama and we'd be glad to be shut of him "

Submit a Comment

We encourage your feedback and dialog, all comments will be reviewed by our Web staff before appearing on the Web site.

Please note: We provide our story commenting feature in order to solicit feedback, debate and discussion on topics of local interest. Please keep in mind that civility is a necessary component of productive conversation. All blatantly inflammatory or otherwise inappropriate comments (i.e. vulgarity, marketing, etc.) are subject to rejection and/or removal. Comments will appear if and when they are approved. Thanks for reading, and thanks for participating.