"In Montana, Democrats usually walk, talk and act like Republicans"

by: JC

Mon Jun 30, 2008 at 11:03:19 AM MST

Well, The Denver Post put out an interesting analysis of the general campaign's battle for western states. The Post's Karen Crummy, had a pretty "crummy" write up about the state of Montana's electoral and political campaigns in her article today, "Montana: Under the gun on many conservative issues", part of a five article series.

Let's start with "Political Identity Crisis" for $200. I thought that maybe we could continue the theme of exploring our perceptions of just where, on the political spectrum, do we believe our state, our democrats, and ourselves lie, what with all the talk of leftists, progressives, centrists, and Montana dems "walking, talking and acting like republicans."  And of course, how the national press sees how the battleground state of Montana is shaping up, what with Obama seemingly blowing in the wind on the issues as of late.

Nothing like challenging our own notions of political identity and loyalty, which seem to have generated so much chatter here at LitW lately. ;-)

Crummy starts off with the assertion that Montana is a one trick pony:

"In Montana, where "opening day" refers to the beginning of hunting season rather than baseball, a candidate's political survival usually hinges on one issue: guns.

A candidate's position on gun rights is the Montana entrance exam. Answer correctly and you can move on to discuss other issues. Give the wrong answer and most voters don't want to hear what else you have to say."

Amidst the obligatory "fair and balanced" sprinkling of quotes from Erick Iverson, Jim Lopach and Brian Schweitzer she gets around to the meat of her story, and that is that Montana is cycling back to voting for democratic candidates, and takes a stab at trying to define why we might do so in the presidential campaign...

"In the past four years, the state has elected Democrats for governor and U.S. senator and put Democrats in control of both chambers of the legislature. That contributes to the state's potential battleground status. But there have also been changes over the years: More people have moved into smaller cities, conservationists appear to have more clout and the state is in the midst of a restoration economy, cleaning up polluted rivers, old mines, forests and brownfields.

The state is also involved in fostering energy alternatives, such as wind power and coal gasification."

Quite a stilted view. Conservationists more clout? Wha...??? Where? How? But the real tripe of the story is from the proboscis of Montana's GOP chief:

"However, even Iverson doesn't think the state is a lock for the GOP. McCain is strong, he said, on issues like energy and national security. But he said voters notice he doesn't have an office or any real presence in the state.

"He needs to realize he could lose the state if he ignores it," he said." [emphasis added]

Happy, happy, joy, joy. This article really points up the great benefit to being a Montanan: nobody really knows how to accurately pigeon hole us. Yet Iverson correctly points the fickle finger of fate at McCain for taking Montanan's schizophrenic party (or should we say ideological--or ideo-illogical) identification crisis as a shoe-in.  

Crummy goes on in another article of her five piece look at Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico, and  Montana, to note that "Brimming with individualistic, self-reliant, libertarian-leaning voters" ...  

"Montana voters don't even register with a party." [organ pipe in background does the infamous "dun-dun-duh" walkdown]

Maybe we haven't learned to write or sign our name yet. Or maybe they haven't created a party yet that appeals to us gun-happy, libertarian, self-reliant, conservationist, restoration-loving, alt-energy type, "republicans in democrat clothing," sensitive, back-woods wackos.

And then of course, she has to top it all off with our favorite ex-home town mayor:

"The question is whether the national Democrats are finally in a position to appeal to Western voters," said Dan Kemmis, former speaker and minority leader of the Montana House of Representatives and director of the Center for the Rocky Mountain West. "Can they address and be sensitive to Western issues?"

Like appeal to the ones that seem to be having a major identity crisis, and are all over the spectrum on issues? Altogether now: it's time for sensitivity training. And just who are these self-appointed "national Democrats" that seem to be so divorced from our Montana brand of republican democrat-wannabees?

What ever happened to the notion of the Democratic party being of the grassroots--built up from the ideals of the big tent, instead of top down from the likes of the GOP's new carnival tent atmosphere?

I think I'll just go pick some more morels. At least you know--black, brown, gold, grey or tan--that they all are really true morels to the core.