Posted: Friday, August 15, 2008 12:00 am
Star-Tribune Editorial Board
It will be a good news, bad news scenario for the winner of the Democratic primary for the late Craig Thomas' Senate seat. The victor will advance to the general election, but he'll be in the unenviable position of facing an incumbent in John Barrasso who at this point appears very formidable.
In our view Nick Carter, a Gillette attorney, has a better chance to overcome Barrasso's advantages in name recognition and money than his Democratic rival, Casper City Councilman Keith Goodenough.
Carter and Goodenough have vastly different styles but share the same views on most major issues. Carter has run an aggressive statewide campaign that has focused on criticizing Barrasso instead of his primary opponent. Goodenough has run a low-key, grassroots campaign that has criticized Carter for registering as a Republican for many years in Campbell County.
Carter's response - that he did so to vote in contested GOP races for local offices, including sheriff and county commissioner - is perfectly reasonable. It's something many Democrats do when there are few primary races within the party.
One issue on which the two Democrats disagree is funding for clean-coal research, which, as Carter says, should be supported by the federal government. Goodenough mistakenly believes industry should foot the entire bill, despite the fact that having a more environmentally friendly use for Wyoming's vast coal resources would be of great public benefit.
Carter is also correct when he criticizes the government's failure to build a high-speed rail system, which would be much more energy efficient than auto and air traffic. He says it's the kind of issue that should be debated in the Senate today, so the planning can start as soon as possible.
Carter has also taken an interesting approach on health care, promoting federal catastrophic insurance coverage for everyone. Such a system would likely reduce the number of bankruptcies people file due to high medical bills.
To his credit, Goodenough has stuck to his principles by not accepting contributions from political action committees or individual donations of more than $100. He has an impressive election track record, managing to win five legislative races in Natrona County over the years despite living in a heavily Republican district.
Carter may lack political experience, but he has a wealth of knowledge about the issues, some good ideas and a definite passion for the job. He has knocked on a lot of doors throughout Wyoming, and he's eager for the challenge of taking on Barrasso. Democratic voters should give him that chance.