Cowboy State Daily
Liz Cheney is Putting Wyoming in National Media Spotlight
It’s hard to imagine that any Wyoming politician has ever been in the national media spotlight as much as our current U. S. Rep. Liz Cheney – except for when her father was vice president, of course.
Folks from national media have been driving all over Wyoming this past week preparing big stories on Liz and her challengers in the August 2022 Republican primary for the Cowboy State’s lone seat in the U.S. House.
Both 60 Minutes from the CBS network and Gannett’s USA Today were doing major pieces on the outspoken Liz.
The main reason for all the attention is Liz Cheney’s continued bashing of former President Donald Trump. What is so incongruous about this is the fact the state Liz represents — Wyoming – had a higher level of voter support for Trump than any other state in the nation is the state in 2016 and 2020. In 2020, nearly 70% of Wyoming’s voters supported Trump’s re-election.
As a result, the Cheney-Trump feud has the national media drooling.
And folks, it REALLY is a helluva story. How crazy can this get?
A big majority of Wyoming people supported Trump in his two presidential campaigns. And yet, our lone member of Congress is leading the charge among a tiny group of her Republican congressional colleagues in standing up to the former president and what has come to be known as “Trumpism.”
Ledge King and Hannah Gaber of USA Today caught up with me last Wednesday as they tailed candidate Darin Smith of Cheyenne in his campaign to unseat Cheney.
I watched these reporters as they interviewed Smith and a coffee group in Lander known as the Fox News All-Stars.
I also watched Smith woo a group put together in Riverton that included former mayor Ron Warpness.
Meanwhile, veteran reporter Leslie Stahl and her camera crew from 60 Minutes were with Cheney as she moved across Wyoming. They filmed a Cheney-friendly small town hall event in Casper that was coordinated by Tim and Susan Stubson and others.
In talking with the USA Today folks, I found that they had already chatted with candidates state Sen. Anthony Bouchard, (R-Cheyenne) and state Rep. Chuck Gray (R-Casper), who are also running for Cheney’s seat. The reporters also attended the State Fair in Douglas, which they found fascinating.
King said the national interest in this race is incredibly high. He expects their printed stories and video pieces to be aired some time in the coming weeks.
King and Gaber also interviewed me about my feelings concerning the Cheney situation. They had followed my earlier comments in my role as publisher of Cowboy State Daily, which King subscribes to.
I repeated my thoughts from an earlier column, that it does not make sense for Cheney to ever run again for her Wyoming seat. There are three reasons why this is a bad idea for her:
First, because of her Trump-bashing, she has become a national media darling and is positioned to run for president as a nominee from the moderate wing of the Republican party.
Second, even if she runs again for the House and wins, it will be an ugly, expensive and grueling campaign. It will be her against Trump, which she might relish, but again, why take on the responsibility of representing Wyoming for two more years when she has much bigger national fish to fry?
And third, finally, why risk losing a Wyoming election? I find the possibility of a loss hard to grasp, however, since if she runs, some 14,000 Democrats and Independents will cross over on primary election day to pretty much guarantee her reelection.
My assumption is these comments will end up on the cutting room floor, but it was flattering to be interviewed by a national outfit.
Meanwhile, Cheney was not letting any grass grow under her feet.
She appeared on Casper’s KTWO-TV for an interview Saturday, in which she bashed Trump for how he originally got the USA into this Afghanistan exit fiasco. She also criticized current President Joe Biden for what she called his many mistakes.
Sunday morning, Cheney appeared on the longest running TV show in the country, Meet the Press, on NBC. She was warmly greeted by host Chuck Todd, who is notorious as one of former President Trump’s biggest detractors.
Cheney took the opportunity to condemn Trump for making a deal with the Taliban and putting our country into an impossible situation. Then she again criticized Biden for making it even worse.
“Biden has reversed all these other decisions by Trump, why didn’t he reverse this one, too?” She asked. Stay tuned. Wyoming, courtesy of Liz Cheney, will be all over the national news during upcoming weeks.
Charles Cole
August 23, 2021 at 2:11 pm
Let’s see now, Leslie Stahl, USA Today “reporters,” and Chuck Todd are submitting positive reports on Cheney. Hmmm. Wyomingites should pause and think carefully about whether such folks as the aforementioned (there will be others, I assure you) have Wyoming’s best interests at heart. As to Trump’s “deal” with the Taliban, we know from people who were in the room during those negotiations that and who have stated publicly that the Taliban thugs knew and were specifically told that if anything remotely resembling a North Vietnamese takeover of Saigon occurred, there would be hell to pay in the form of massive power being unleashed on them from the air. And THAT’s the Trump “deal” that Biden rescinded. The Trump bashers and screamers who often post “Orange Man Bad” tropisms and silly ad hominem slurs about anyone who disagrees with them on this board will doubtless come out in force on this one. So be it. The truth remains the truth. As I recall, almost all presidential phone calls are recorded and I hope that the ones between Trump (who is banned from Twitter) and the Taliban leader (who is not) can be summoned and made public. That is likely the only way to shut the pie hole of the ubiquitous Cheney and debunk once and for all her grossly stupid and false claims which, in turn, might well lead to her being excoriated in public — something she richly deserves. But, make no mistake, the deep pockets of the left will be in full-throated support of her in this coming election, assuming we can retain an honest election in light of her newfound buddies’ (the Democrats in Congress) attempts to chloroform state control of elections and replace that system with federal control of all elections. If that happens, none of the rest of this will matter a whit.
Ivy Burrowes
August 23, 2021 at 2:36 pm
Thanks Bill Sniffin! Liz Cheney is but another link in the chain on the short list of Cheney’s. I like to call her Lizard. She is as much about Wyoming as an east coast gal with a creepy dad, and an agenda! The good news is, she has a Wyoming fishing license, and property somewhere…probably Jackson Hole. She is not what Wyoming is all about…not that I recommend introducing her to the concept of true women who have been born, and have thrived in Wyoming. God forbid that Lizard Cheney would ever be “rode hard and hung up wet,” and if she ever was, I would still leave her hanging on the clothesline.
Thank you for writing this piece, which is a part of the truth. The puzzle is bigger than we know. WE THE PEOPLE, are bigger than we know! And just so you know, I am a registered Democrat!
Olivia Cupant
August 23, 2021 at 3:25 pm
Someone needs to clue Ron in on the fact (and it is a fact, I learned it in J-school) that actual journalists are never the real story. But sure, make it all about yourself, Ronnie.
Fred Osborn
August 24, 2021 at 8:12 am
The problem with Wyoming people is they can’t handle the truth…especially when it concern’s a so called “republikan”.
Neil Schiche
August 24, 2021 at 8:40 am
Wyoming is fortunate to have Liz Cheney as our U.S. Representative.
She is conservative, highly educated, and clear thinking.
Look at some other Wyoming politicians.
Bouchard has no education, a business that pumps out septic tanks, and gets 15 year old girls pregnant.
Biteman is a transplant from Michigan, poorly educated, a radical conspiracy theorist, and tries to get Wyoming involved in costly litigation that went nowhere.