help me describe these "western democrats" I keep hearing about

[cleveramerican]

In the last two weeks or so every commentator is referring to "western democrats".
This is a suddenly new term.
I am aware of Obama's so-called western strategy
(if he wins New Mexico, Nevada and Colorado, he could lose Ohio or Florida and still win)

They are both campaigning hard out west this week.
The convention is in Denver.
How would you describe a "western democrat" as opposed to a northeastern or a southern democrat?
Or is it such a new term the election itself will define it for us all.

[BuyingThyme]

1. They're like Country Democrats but with a lite more melody.

[Xipe Totec]

2. Any Democrat west of the Grand Banks...

The rest are called Europeans.

[eleny]

3. So many of us are from other areas of the country

I moved here in '76 from NYC. Lived half my life there and half here. So, I don't really know who they're talking about.

[GoldieAZ49]

4. watch meet the press today, Gov CO & WY ... see if it is online

very interesting, these 2 dems, they support O but do not agree with on everything. the Gov of CO is Catholic and pro-life. Both Gov's talk about the independence of dems in their states.

Some very good info, it was nice to see some party diversity.

[cleveramerican]

6. Wyoming hasn't gone to the dems since LBJ

its the redest of the red states.I am stunned to hear they have democrat as governor.

[GoldieAZ49]

12. yes, he said that, and don't hold your breath on it going blue

something like 83% republican

[Major Hogwash]

26. So?

Neither has Idaho, but McCain is not a real conservative.
And since Romney was so popular here, I don't think they will be all that fired up to go vote for McCain in the fall.

Especially after the debates.

Something that I have noticed over the last 5 years is that most of the Republicans I have talked to, the ones who are not total liars living in denial, have changed their opinions about Bush because of the Iraq War.
They now admit that there were no weapons of mass destruction and they feel like they were lied to by Bush to support him for that war.
Nothing pisses them off more than being lied to, they aren't that different than Democrats.

I'm not talking about the 23% that will never consider voting for a Democrat ever.
Those type of people are becoming extinct here.
Most of those people are really old and they are people that hated Kennedy when he was President, so they hate all Democrats.
The younger Republicans are really disillusioned and disgusted with Bush.
They don't know how to defend Bush or the Iraq War, so they sort of try to change the subject as soon as they can.

[Hawkeye-X]

11. Bill Ritter was already a known pro-lifer Dem...

But we still elected him over Bob Beauprez who was a national joke.

He's a native Coloradan, first in 35 years.

Hawkeye-X

[GoldieAZ49]

13. I am glad to see a pro-life Dem as Gov

He came across very likable, former prosecutor

[woolldog]

34. are you pro-life goldieaz?

[Cha]

28. I got this from his bio..

"He is reforming energy and natural resource issues by requiring more responsible drilling and stronger protections for Colorado's air, land, water, wildlife and communities.

Gov. Ritter also is changing the fundamental way state government operates. He is creating stronger partnerships with employees and finding new efficiencies that are making state government more effective and accountable.

The sixth of 12 children, Gov. Ritter was raised on a small farm in Arapahoe County. He was a member of the first graduating class of Gateway High School (1974), and he earned his bachelor's degree in political science from Colorado State University (1978) and his law degree from the University of Colorado (1981).

His first job out of law school was as a deputy district attorney in Denver. In 1987, Gov. Ritter and his wife, First Lady Jeannie Ritter, left Denver to run a food distribution and nutrition center in Zambia, Africa. They returned home in 1990, and three years later Ritter was appointed as Denver's District Attorney, a position he held until January 2005. He earned a national reputation as one of the country's most effective and innovative prosecutors, and several of his programs continue to serve as state and national models.

The governor and first lady have four children: August, Abe, Sam and Tally."

http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/GovRitter/GOVR/1177024890365

I was curious 'cause I went to Jr High in Denver with "John Ritter" and wanted to see if there was a possible connection..I don't think so but it was still interest to read this about Gov Bill Ritter.

[John Q. Citizen]

5. Ask me anything. I live in Montana!

First of all, what's a Northeastern or a Southern Democrat like? After i know that I can tell you the difference.

We like cheese.

Well, some of us do, at any rate.

[cleveramerican]

9. I don't think of Montanna as "western", I think of it as mid-western.

How would you rate the dems chances of winning there in November?

[John Q. Citizen]

15. Obama? Possible but an uphill fight. At worse we will force McCain to expend lots of time and money,

at best we will win the state.

We are not, I assure you, Mid-Western.

Glacier and Yellowstone national parks.

The Northern Rockies.

The Headwaters of the Missouri and the Clark Fork of the Columbia Rivers.

Copper and Timber Barons and the birth place of the Wobblies!

4th largest state, 4/5 the size of CA, less than a million people.

[GoldieAZ49]

18. look at the map

Western states:
Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona & New Mexico

[cleveramerican]

20. Thanks for setting me straight

From here in Ma, its sometimes hard to tell whats what.

who best represents the "western democrat" ideals? Bill Richardson or Barbara Boxer?

[GoldieAZ49]

21. Richardson

But the two Gov's I mentioned earlier are much better, at least from what I have heard discussed

[ZombieHorde]

36. Obama will win my town, Missoula, but I don't know how the state will go.

We did just get rid of a Republican Gov. for a Democrat one. The Bush administration is making MT blue.

[XemaSab]

7. If I had to guess, I'd say western democrats have more of a libertarian leaning

:shrug:

[GoldieAZ49]

14. yes, less governmental interference

very independent

not to fond of being referred to as 'fly over' country

[woolldog]

35. Bingo.

[ZombieHorde]

8. I live in Montana. I guess that I am a Western Democrat.

Think Libertarian, now add health care, education, and social services.

[John Q. Citizen]

17. That's a damn good description, neighbor!

[cleveramerican]

23. Thats a fabulous description!

Easy to understand and unique from the northeastern or southern type

[leftstreet]

33. Best Description Evah!

Westerners are TRUE "conservatives."

We see things like single payer national healthcare as a way to "conserve."

[Hippo_Tron]

10. Pretty much the same as any other Democrat

Governor Brian Schweitzer of Montana is just like other Democrats everywhere else in the country. The cowboy boots and the bolo tie, while helpful, didn't get Schweitzer elected (contrary to popular belief). Montana was fed up with the GOP and decided to put a Democrat into the Governor's mansion and progressives have been working for years in the state to make that happen.

Yes he's very anti gun control. You won't find a Democrat anywhere that doesn't have one or two issues where they adamantly represent the views of their constituents over the views of their party.

[John Q. Citizen]

29. The Dems who support gun control do so because their constitutents do too. Don't kid yourself

It's not a Democratic issue, it's a demographic issue.

[Hippo_Tron]

30. I can definitely see that

[RichardRay]

16. Wyoming Democrats

We value neighborliness. We don't expect to get agree with everybody, but we do expect people to get along. Sometimes it's best to nod and change the subject.

We've got a lot of coal and oil shale, and we'd just love to tax the companies that are extracting the minerals from the ground. We have a lot of things we need to do for the folks who live here and the dollars have to come from someplace.

We've got even more wind - Wyoming didn't invent wind, we just perfected it. If we could figure out a way to deliver it to the places that want it we'd have so many wind generation stations in production that South Dakota would be becalmed.

We really wish folks who live in crowded urban areas wouldn't try to impose the solutions that work for them on us; we have similar problems, but pretty different causes and way different resources that we might use to solve our problems.

We don't have a problem with gun control, we generally hit whatever we're aiming at.

[GoldieAZ49]

19. "We don't have a problem with gun control, we generally hit whatever we're aiming at."

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Glad to hear it!

Hats off to you!

[Major Hogwash]

22. Strong family values, willingness to help out neighbors, respect nature and gawd.

That's what it seems to me out here.
The price of gas has went though the roof here in Boise.
What's it like there?

I'd love to retire in your neck of the woods.
Beautiful country and long ski seasons.
I liked Rock Springs a lot the last time I went through there last fall, too.
I think I'm the only person who has ever said I would like to retire in Rock Springs.
Most people don't even know where it is at.
But, I think that is part of its charm.

[RichardRay]

27. We just broke $4, with one station in town stubbornly holding

at $3.999.

Teton County is out of control on property values, though. I live in a 224 sq ft cabin and get along OK, but the median price for a single family dwelling in JH is now $1.6 million. Try moving a family into town at that cost!

[anonymous171]

24. Libertarian leaning democrats. Don't like annoyingly big government, socially liberal.

[paulk]

25. a strong libertarian streak and the feeling that

we don't need Washington and especially notheasterners telling us how to run our part of the country.

You might find this site interesting.

http://www.westerndemocrat.com/

[GoldieAZ49]

32. got that right, they don't run their part of the country well enough to tell

anybody else what to do

[crankychatter]

31. Oh, tie up and WHIP a Yuppie, Yippa YAY, Yippa YAY

ok... I know... anyone can carry a tune in text