Political dynasties (2): Wary in Wyoming THE news that Liz Cheney, daughter of former Vice-President Dick Cheney, is challenging fellow-Republican Mike Enzi for his seat in the Senate has not gone down well in Wyoming. Mr Cheney served Wyoming for a decade as its sole representative-at-large; but the polished Ms Cheney, who is 47 and has five children, has lived there for barely a year. Before that, she spent most her life in McLean, Virginia - about as far east as you can get from Wyoming's empty hills before you hit the ocean, and practically in Washington, DC. Alan Simpson, once a Wyoming senator himself, called the decision "a disaster." American Conservative magazine thought it "possibly the most pointless primary challenge ever." The party consensus seems to be, "Why doesn't she run in Virginia?" Those who know Ms Cheney point out that she is bright, she has money (whereas Mr Enzi, by his own admission, has always found fund-raising a problem) and everyone knows the name. She is also outspokenly hardline, proclaiming from the outset that it is fine to obstruct anything proposed by Barack Obama. But that attitude may not get her as far as she hopes. Ms Cheney seems to be assuming that Wyoming is full of feisty, independent and deeply conservative voters. In practical terms, she must convert to this way of thinking the 38% (according to Harper Polling) who have no opinion on her. This is asking a lot of Wyoming. It is conservative, all right, yet most people are happy with Mr Enzi, a former shoe-shop owner who has served almost three terms in a quiet and pragmatic way. Although Wyoming is not shy of outspoken politicians (Ms Cheney's father was hardly a shrinking violet), it also likes them to get things done. Furthermore, Ms Cheney must mobilise Wyoming residents who feel disgruntled. Fewer do. Within a generation, thanks to the energy industry, Wyoming has risen from a state of lower-middle-class families to ranking 13th in median household income. Yet around 70% of the coal, oil, and gas rights in Wyoming are owned by the federal government. The state alienates Washington at its peril. Wyoming was horrified when in 2007 Congress cut the state's share of federal mineral royalties and, in 2012, sharply reduced Wyoming's chunk of funds for cleaning up abandoned coal mines. This state is not half so wild-West and free-spirited as a newcomer from Virginia might be inclined to believe.