Barber Poll Puts Its Spin On The Election

With less than a week before general election, Teton Barber Shop has provided its traditional “barber poll” of select candidates and issues on the ballot.  However, they are quick to point out the sampling is most informal and results are nothing anyone should get lathered up about.  In the presidential race, the race here as across the country is a close shave with Barack Obama scoring 47% of the votes cast and Mitt Romney collecting 49%.  Tim Chestnut is snipping at John Barrasso’s bid for re-election with 99 votes to Barrasso’s 192.  Cynthia Lummis’ lead over Chris Henrichsen has been thinned to 115 to 159 while Brubaker, Cummings and Willis have only taken a few numbers.  A trim 20 votes separates Marti Halverson from Bill Winney , with Winney garnering 113 votes to Halverson’s 133.  Voters clearly parted the Democrats from the Republicans in the County Commission race where Paul Perry won 165 votes and Barbara Allen collected 157 votes compared with Melissa Turley’s 135 votes and Claire Fuller’s 102.  Mark Barron brushed by Jim Fulmer 31 to 10 while the race for town council was much less clear.  Those participating in the poll gave Hailey Morton 158 votes, Jim Stanford 126 votes, Jim Genzer 115 votes and Phillip Cameron 97 votes.  In the SPET tax issues, the participants clipped the proposal to purchase forest service land on the north end of town 168 votes to 96, but the issues to construct bike paths along Highway 22 and Broadway and the environmental work on the old county landfill easily made the cut by similar margins.  Between now and next Tuesday, candidates will make a last push to groom their support and the poll may prove either surprisingly accurate or of no more value than the sweepings from the barber shop floor.