Update August 18th: Ron Micheli finishes third with 26 percent of the vote. Matt Mead wins with 29 percent, while Rita Meyer finishes second with 28 percent. Full election results now available HERE.
Just one day before the August 17th primary election in Wyoming, residents of the Cowboy State are taking sides and promoting their choices in greater numbers as the Republican gubernatorial race reaches a fever pitch. But while Rita Meyer secured a high-profile endorsement from Sarah Palin and Colin Simpson snagged a green light from former President George W. Bush, Ron Micheli is getting a flurry of endorsements from even more knowledgeable people; namely, ordinary citizens who actually live in Wyoming.
But first, a newer poll of 600 likely voters by Aspen Media & Market Research, reported by the Wyoming Tribune-Eagle on August 8th 2010, shows a surge of support for Ron Micheli. Palin protege Rita Meyer still leads with 23 percent, but Micheli has now moved into second with 20 percent. Bringing up the rear is Matt Mead with 18 percent, and Colin Simpson with 10 percent. Nevertheless, 25 percent remain undecided.
Here are links to just a few of the LTEs pouring in to media outlets:
-- "Micheli has high principles", Casper Star-Tribune, August 14th 2010: Dennis and Dianne Tippets of Riverton say they have known Ron for over 20 years and have always found him to be a person with high principles and integrity. They believe he definitely has the knowledge, skills, abilities and experience to be a successful governor for our state.
Has Sarah Palin known Rita Meyer for 20 years?
-- "Micheli stands by friends", Casper Star-Tribune, August 14th 2010: Pat Cullen of Wheatland writes, "With modest financial resources, Ron, his wife Patti and family and friends are running a campaign to fit that description by trying to see and talk to "everyone in town." Ron has strong conservative views and will tell you these views regardless of political correctness, all the while hoping voters will agree with these views. Ron and Patti are the kind of people who will stand by friends and try to comfort them in their loss even if politically dangerous."
Those "strong conservative views" ought to play well in Wheatland, where there was a controversy in February 2010 over the Platte County School District #1 rejecting a "No Place For Hate" designation for a couple of their schools by the Anti-Defamation League. The District's trustees found that the ADL actively promoted pro-gay propaganda to students.
-- "Micheli driven by values", Casper Star-Tribune, August 14th 2010: Kaiser Mock of Gillette says that although Micheli is a strong fiscal conservative and a man who will stand up for Wyoming's rights as a state, he supports Ron for a much greater reason: he has earned respect. Micheli's conduct during the campaign has shown that he is driven by his convictions and values first and foremost.
-- "Micheli won't attack rivals", Casper Star-Tribune, August 15th 2010: Nola Bluemel of Lyman is impressed by the fact that although Ron Micheli has been targeted by robocalls distorting and misrepresenting Micheli's message, Micheli not only refused to respond in kind, but made it quite clear to his campaign workers that he would tolerate no attacks on the integrity or morality of his opponents in this campaign.
-- "A candidate we can trust", Casper Star-Tribune, August 7th 2010: Paul and Connie Galovich of Thermopolis praises Micheli for standing strong on values and principles without equivocation, even when political whims might challenge them. They also laud his stand for strong states rights, zero-based budgeting, supporting the traditional industries of our state, and family values.
This is just a small sampling of supportive letters. It seems the common denominators are trust, respect, and values. One cannot measure them objectively. While all four leading Republicans would govern the state well, it is Micheli who has attracted special notice for the intangibles.
So, will Wyoming Republicans allow their governor to be chosen by Sarah Palin or George W. Bush on August 17th, or will they do the job themselves, based upon their own five senses? Both Palin and Bush are honorable people, but it's the people of Wyoming who will have to live with the choice.
Showing posts with label Ron Micheli. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ron Micheli. Show all posts
Monday, August 16, 2010
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Wyoming LDS Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Ron Micheli Victimized By Media Misrepresentation, Triggering A Slide In Polls
Update August 18th: Ron Micheli finishes third with 26 percent of the vote. Matt Mead wins with 29 percent, while Rita Meyer finishes second with 28 percent. Full election results now available HERE.
Update August 16th: Ron Micheli surging in polls; endorsements pouring in from ordinary citizens. See updated post HERE.
Earlier in the Republican race to succeed Wyoming Governor Dave Freudenthal, one could throw a blanket over top four Republican contenders Rita Meyer, Matt Mead, Colin Simpson, and rancher Ron Micheli, who happens to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. But a Mason-Dixon poll from July 26-28 now indicates that Micheli has slipped to fourth with only 12 percent, while Meyer leads with 27 percent, Matt Mead has 24 percent, and Colin Simpson has 17 percent. Furthermore, the poll showed a higher-than-normal negative rating and a comparative lack of name recognition for Micheli. Rita Meyer did get a slight bump for a Sarah Palin endorsement, but being a Palin protégé can be a double-edged sword.
So what happened? Micheli's religion has not been an issue. Indeed, Micheli has taken pains to ensure the public that his religion would not be an issue, as outlined in this video:
The problem is media misrepresentation on two issues. First, Micheli has come under fire for a letter previously written by him allegedly pleading for leniency for convicted rapist Ty McDowell. McDowell pleaded guilty in June to breaking into the 25-year-old victim's west Casper residence, striking her repeatedly, then raping her before leaving her bound and naked on her living room floor in December 2009. McDowell was sentenced to 60 years to life in jail for this heinous crime. Because the Michelis had taught McDowell as a teenager in Sunday School, Micheli, at the behest of McDowell's lawyer, wrote a letter to Natrona County District Judge David Park as part of a character reference for a pre-sentence report asking him to take McDowell's past behavior, his desire to repent and make things right and the support he has from a supportive family into consideration in sentencing McDowell. In the letter, Micheli also acknowledged that Ty committed a serious crime and does not condone what he has done. Read the full letter HERE.
When the Michelis submitted their letter, they did so with the understanding that the court would consider it confidential and sealed. But the letter, as part of a public case, was in a public file and was soon picked up by the press. Immediately the Casper Star-Tribune jumped all over it and trumpeted it on their pages under the lurid headline "Micheli supports Craigslist rapist" (since toned down), which could only have been intended to inflame public opinion against Micheli. Subsequently, Micheli said his family is heartsick about the incident and complained about the media misrepresentation. "The (press) said we had no compassion for the victim," Micheli said. "That's not true. We feel for her, pray for her. We feel terrible. It (the letter) has been twisted to the point where we have been hurt in the long run." Nevertheless, though Micheli said his campaign has been hurt, he is still optimistic.
Obviously, Judge Park was not too impressed with Micheli's "character reference" since he sentenced McDowell to 60 years. I like the way Wyoming dispenses justice.
The second issue is the disclosure that Ron Micheli received over $132,000 in Federal agricultural subsidies for his family ranch from 1995 through 2009. Because Micheli has campaigned on cutting deficits and ending federal intrusion, naysayers started squawking about "hypocrisy". But Micheli had a ready explanation; he said more than half of the money was for drought disaster subsidies, which would be available to anyone else in the same predicament, and another $32,500 was used to help pay to move corrals away from a river at the Federal government's request. If the Feds ask you to make adjustments to your property for their own good, they have an obligation to help pay for it. Micheli does regard helping citizens respond to disasters as a legitimate and proper role for government.
The bottom line is that neither of these issues should be held against Ron Micheli. The media obviously exploited the Ty McDowell issue and blew it out of proportion. The decision to be rendered by Wyoming Republicans on August 17th should be based upon reason rather than emotion. Any of the four leading Republicans seem well-suited to take over Wyoming's top political job.
Update August 16th: Ron Micheli surging in polls; endorsements pouring in from ordinary citizens. See updated post HERE.
Earlier in the Republican race to succeed Wyoming Governor Dave Freudenthal, one could throw a blanket over top four Republican contenders Rita Meyer, Matt Mead, Colin Simpson, and rancher Ron Micheli, who happens to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. But a Mason-Dixon poll from July 26-28 now indicates that Micheli has slipped to fourth with only 12 percent, while Meyer leads with 27 percent, Matt Mead has 24 percent, and Colin Simpson has 17 percent. Furthermore, the poll showed a higher-than-normal negative rating and a comparative lack of name recognition for Micheli. Rita Meyer did get a slight bump for a Sarah Palin endorsement, but being a Palin protégé can be a double-edged sword.
So what happened? Micheli's religion has not been an issue. Indeed, Micheli has taken pains to ensure the public that his religion would not be an issue, as outlined in this video:
The problem is media misrepresentation on two issues. First, Micheli has come under fire for a letter previously written by him allegedly pleading for leniency for convicted rapist Ty McDowell. McDowell pleaded guilty in June to breaking into the 25-year-old victim's west Casper residence, striking her repeatedly, then raping her before leaving her bound and naked on her living room floor in December 2009. McDowell was sentenced to 60 years to life in jail for this heinous crime. Because the Michelis had taught McDowell as a teenager in Sunday School, Micheli, at the behest of McDowell's lawyer, wrote a letter to Natrona County District Judge David Park as part of a character reference for a pre-sentence report asking him to take McDowell's past behavior, his desire to repent and make things right and the support he has from a supportive family into consideration in sentencing McDowell. In the letter, Micheli also acknowledged that Ty committed a serious crime and does not condone what he has done. Read the full letter HERE.
When the Michelis submitted their letter, they did so with the understanding that the court would consider it confidential and sealed. But the letter, as part of a public case, was in a public file and was soon picked up by the press. Immediately the Casper Star-Tribune jumped all over it and trumpeted it on their pages under the lurid headline "Micheli supports Craigslist rapist" (since toned down), which could only have been intended to inflame public opinion against Micheli. Subsequently, Micheli said his family is heartsick about the incident and complained about the media misrepresentation. "The (press) said we had no compassion for the victim," Micheli said. "That's not true. We feel for her, pray for her. We feel terrible. It (the letter) has been twisted to the point where we have been hurt in the long run." Nevertheless, though Micheli said his campaign has been hurt, he is still optimistic.
Obviously, Judge Park was not too impressed with Micheli's "character reference" since he sentenced McDowell to 60 years. I like the way Wyoming dispenses justice.
The second issue is the disclosure that Ron Micheli received over $132,000 in Federal agricultural subsidies for his family ranch from 1995 through 2009. Because Micheli has campaigned on cutting deficits and ending federal intrusion, naysayers started squawking about "hypocrisy". But Micheli had a ready explanation; he said more than half of the money was for drought disaster subsidies, which would be available to anyone else in the same predicament, and another $32,500 was used to help pay to move corrals away from a river at the Federal government's request. If the Feds ask you to make adjustments to your property for their own good, they have an obligation to help pay for it. Micheli does regard helping citizens respond to disasters as a legitimate and proper role for government.
The bottom line is that neither of these issues should be held against Ron Micheli. The media obviously exploited the Ty McDowell issue and blew it out of proportion. The decision to be rendered by Wyoming Republicans on August 17th should be based upon reason rather than emotion. Any of the four leading Republicans seem well-suited to take over Wyoming's top political job.
Monday, April 19, 2010
LDS Rancher Ron Micheli Running For Governor Of Wyoming As A Republican, Promotes Traditional Heartland Republican Values
Update August 18th: Ron Micheli finishes third with 26 percent of the vote. Matt Mead wins with 29 percent, while Rita Meyer finishes second with 28 percent. Full election results now available HERE.
Update August 16th: Ron Micheli surging in polls; endorsements pouring in from ordinary citizens. See updated post HERE.
Update August 3rd: See new post for analysis as to why Ron Micheli is sliding in the polls, and how media misrepresentation is playing a role in the campaign.
In Wyoming, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints make up just over 10 percent of the population of about 550,000. The latest official information, current as of December 2009, indicates a total of 62,411 Mormons scattered among 152 separate congregations. It is the state’s third-largest religious denomination after Protestants and Catholics. The southwestern portion of the state has the highest percentage of Mormons.
So it is no surprise that one of the candidates for governor is a member of the LDS Church. The Billings Gazette and the Casper Star-Tribune report on the candidacy of Ron Micheli, who is identified as a rancher, a former legislator and former director of the Wyoming Department of Agriculture. And Micheli ranches near Fort Bridger in southwest Wyoming — heavy Mormon country.
But the 61-year-old Micheli, whose father’s family is Catholic and whose mother’s family is Mormon, says he hasn’t found his religion to be a negative in his campaign so far. He also does not have a strategy of concentrating on the Mormon and agricultural vote to lock up the primary. “We want to get as many votes as we can no matter what a person’s faith is or what they do for a living or where they live,” Micheli said. “I don’t think people of the same faith or occupation will automatically vote for you.” Micheli is seeking the Republican nomination for governor, which will be decided in the state's August 17th primary election.
On his official campaign website, Ron Micheli shows he is a proponent of traditional Republican values. A strong supporter of the Constitution, Micheli wants to build a strong economy with high quality jobs by working to protect local industries diversifying the state's economic base. He will fight for the Constitution and join with other governors to confront the infringement of the Federal government upon rights of the states. He will work to strengthen and protect core values such as hard work, self-reliance, sacrifice, and perseverance by keeping the tax burden low so families can make ends meet, and will also work to protect against policies that erode traditional family values. Micheli is conditionally pro-life, meaning that he opposes state funding of abortions except in cases of rape, incest, or life of the mother. As a lawmaker, he supported and advocated legislation to require parental notification before an abortion could be performed on a minor.
Update August 16th: Ron Micheli surging in polls; endorsements pouring in from ordinary citizens. See updated post HERE.
Update August 3rd: See new post for analysis as to why Ron Micheli is sliding in the polls, and how media misrepresentation is playing a role in the campaign.
In Wyoming, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints make up just over 10 percent of the population of about 550,000. The latest official information, current as of December 2009, indicates a total of 62,411 Mormons scattered among 152 separate congregations. It is the state’s third-largest religious denomination after Protestants and Catholics. The southwestern portion of the state has the highest percentage of Mormons.
So it is no surprise that one of the candidates for governor is a member of the LDS Church. The Billings Gazette and the Casper Star-Tribune report on the candidacy of Ron Micheli, who is identified as a rancher, a former legislator and former director of the Wyoming Department of Agriculture. And Micheli ranches near Fort Bridger in southwest Wyoming — heavy Mormon country.
But the 61-year-old Micheli, whose father’s family is Catholic and whose mother’s family is Mormon, says he hasn’t found his religion to be a negative in his campaign so far. He also does not have a strategy of concentrating on the Mormon and agricultural vote to lock up the primary. “We want to get as many votes as we can no matter what a person’s faith is or what they do for a living or where they live,” Micheli said. “I don’t think people of the same faith or occupation will automatically vote for you.” Micheli is seeking the Republican nomination for governor, which will be decided in the state's August 17th primary election.
On his official campaign website, Ron Micheli shows he is a proponent of traditional Republican values. A strong supporter of the Constitution, Micheli wants to build a strong economy with high quality jobs by working to protect local industries diversifying the state's economic base. He will fight for the Constitution and join with other governors to confront the infringement of the Federal government upon rights of the states. He will work to strengthen and protect core values such as hard work, self-reliance, sacrifice, and perseverance by keeping the tax burden low so families can make ends meet, and will also work to protect against policies that erode traditional family values. Micheli is conditionally pro-life, meaning that he opposes state funding of abortions except in cases of rape, incest, or life of the mother. As a lawmaker, he supported and advocated legislation to require parental notification before an abortion could be performed on a minor.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)