CHEYENNE, WYO. — The headline in the Casper Star-Tribune the other day pretty much said it all: "Tiny and very Republican, Wyoming is a Democratic player at last."
Normally, it is not much fun being a Democrat here. The sparsely populated state -- with half a million residents, it ranks 50th in the nation -- has 59,130 registered Democrats, compared with 136,000 Republicans.
When asked to describe what that feels like, Kathy Karpan, a former Wyoming secretary of state who supports Hillary Rodham Clinton for president, didn't miss a beat: "How about Custer? We are always outnumbered, always the underdog."
But this week, Clinton resuscitated her campaign after a long primary losing streak, keeping the nomination contest with Barack Obama close. And suddenly Wyoming Democrats are basking in a spotlight they have not enjoyed since the state's delegates put John F. Kennedy over the top at the 1960 Democratic National Convention.
What is at stake when Democrats caucus here today?
In reality, not much. A mere 12 delegates are up for grabs. An additional six, mostly superdelegates, eventually will be in the mix, bringing Wyoming's total to 18 of the 2,025 needed to secure the nomination.
But with the state's caucus occurring during a lull in the nominating calendar, presidential candidates -- and one very high-profile surrogate -- have stepped foot onto Wyoming soil for the first time in nearly 20 years.
On Friday, Clinton and Obama each made two appearances. Both visited Casper, while Clinton also stopped in Cheyenne and Obama went to Laramie.
In Cheyenne, Laramie County Community College President Darrel L. Hammon seemed to be referring to the Republican domination in the state when he welcomed the crowd.
"One of the things that's most important to us at this institution is we allow anyone on our campus," he said. "When people said to me, 'You know, Sen. Hillary Clinton is gonna be on your campus. Are you OK with that?' I said, 'Why wouldn't we be?' "
Sitting in the crowd of 1,800 was Anthony Maestas, 46, who retired two years ago from the Air Force. A Republican, he said he was not a fan of the Clintons when the former president was in office.
But he clapped throughout Hillary Clinton's speech, particularly when she talked about the need for universal healthcare and the importance of providing good benefits for veterans.
"I didn't know what to expect," he said afterward. "I was impressed."
