Montana Repubs Can't Find Challenger To Dem Senator Baucus
CQ has the rundown on the GOP's travails in Montana, where one after another of the viable GOP challengers to Dem Senator Max Baucus are proving unable or unwilling to make the race:
* Republican Michael Lange, the former majority leader of the Montana House, was considered a choice to go afer Baucus -- until he unleashed a tirade about Montana Dem Governor Brian Schweitzer that got him bounced from the House leadership.
* Four-term at-large Rep. Denny Rehberg is another top potential GOP recruit because he ran a good race against Baucus in 1996, losing by just 5 points. But he is "said to be resisting GOP efforts to draft him into the race," CQ reports.
* Finally, two other GOPers who have been floated as potential challengers -- technology billionaire Thomas Siebel and tech executive Steve Daines -- both told CQ that they're not interested in the race.
Because Montana leans conservative and usually votes Republican, giving President Bush 59% of the vote in 2004, Baucus can never be declared completely safe. But right now he's looking pretty comfortable.
Giving Bush 59% ain't leaning conservative, it's leaning stupid. A real conservative would never vote for Bush and his ilk. Sorry Montanans, meaning no disrespect to y'all, but voting Bush IS pretty stupid.
May 18, 2007 12:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
Sure, but the same culturally conservative state also elected Schweitzer and Tester. Clinton even won there once. I'm not trying to pile on John Kerry, but he wasn't a good fit for Montana -- or for a lot of states. As you know, a lot of people in a lot of places fell for Bush based on their misjudgement of things like body language, speech, personality -- as well as his appeal to certain phony issues and pseudo-values and their default connection to the Republican brand. Acting like Montanans are stupid just strengthens those tendencies.
May 18, 2007 1:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
Good points.
I agree that Kerry was not a good fit for more than just Montana. But the DLC and the primary process didn't give us the best candidate unfortunately. However, given a choice between an ill-fitting Kerry and Bush, a real conservative should have no problem choosing Kerry as the much better candidate. There's a great distinction to be made between a "loyal Bushie" and a conservative is my major point here. It may be inaccurate to characterize those who voted for Bush as conservatives. Stupid? Maybe so, or at least easily fooled or disillusioned. It ain't just Montanans, it's also Alabamans and Tennesseeans, etc!
P.S. What does "culturally conservative" really mean? Are we talking about religious fundy nuts who salute Falwell, Robertson and Dobson when we use those words? Culturally conservative is another misnomer that has been allowed to exist for far too long 'cause ain't nothing conservative with such radicals who would eliminate separation of church and state.
May 18, 2007 3:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
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December 4, 2007 7:07 PM | Reply | Permalink