Online Poll: Does A ”Good Old Boy” Network Really Run Wyoming?

The Wyoming Good Old Boy network. It's a term you hear a lot.

Legend has it that the shadowy network of ''Good Old Boys" is an unseen force in Wyoming, wielding power in state government, and city councils. county commissions and even law enforcement according to some proponents. The Wyoming Business Council is sometimes alleged to be under their control as well.

Some claim they run the legislature or at least wield disproportionate influence in the Wyoming House and Senate. Likewise, rumor has it that they hold sway in various state agencies.

This isn't brand new either. In 2019, then-Cheyenne Mayor Marion Orr said the firing of University of Wyoming President Laurie Nichols "smells of good-old-boy politics." Rumors of the good old boys and their alleged influence go back for many, many years and probably even decades.

But are they real? Does such a network exist, or is it the stuff of legend? Or maybe they once existed, but are much diminished in the modern world?

Interestingly, no one ever claims to be a good old boy network member. Political candidates don't typically run for office in Wyoming claiming to represent the good old boys, although occasionally you may hear politicians disclaiming membership in the network.

It's also possible that the good old boys if they exist, are not such a bad thing. After all, a lot of people like Wyoming just the way it is. If the good old boys are as powerful as some claim, maybe they deserve credit rather than blame.

So what do you think? Is the Good Old Boy Network real? Take our poll and give us your opinion!