MT Senator race: Public Lands

I'd like to think Rosendale was about as electable as Vermin Supreme. Close race. I see Kemp got elected in Georgia. Never underestimate the power of ridiculous campaign ads and a well-oiled twitter account. If Rosendale would have wore a boot on his head and given out free ponies, he surely would have defeated Tester.

KeithChapman said:

....I always try to hang my hat on my own accomplishments and not those of my great great great gran pappy, who if were being honest, I didn't know that well.

Full disclosure, I don't live where I was born so my opinion is certainly skewed. I also came from a large state where you would get funny looks if you acted like being born there was some sort of personal accomplishment. If I had bragged about how many generations my family had lived there, I probably would have had someone ask if i wanted a cookie or a sticker.

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You betchya!

KeithChapman said:

Edit: didn't hit the quote button like I thought, I'm just curious for BigHornRam's perspective on this.

The idea that some one is proud that their ancestor took a risk and moved some place new. But wants people who themselves took a risk and moved some place new to feel bad about it has always confused me.

How is something more impressive as it is diffused by time and relation? Don't get me wrong, frustration with change, growing pains all valid gripes. But within the context of being proud of something you had no control over vs being proud of something you actually made happen yourself....I always try to hang my hat on my own accomplishments and not those of my great great great gran pappy, who if were being honest, I didn't know that well.

Full disclosure, I don't live where I was born so my opinion is certainly skewed. I also came from a large state where you would get funny looks if you acted like being born there was some sort of personal accomplishment. If I had bragged about how many generations my family had lived there, I probably would have had someone ask if i wanted a cookie or a sticker.

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I've only lived in Montana for 20 years. To Robert's disappointment, I plan to be a transplant for life. You don't want to know where I was born, it might make you puke. Welcome fellow transplant!

The idea that some one is proud that their ancestor took a risk and moved some place new. But wants people who themselves took a risk and moved some place new to feel bad about it has always confused me.

How is something more impressive as it is diffused by time and relation? Don't get me wrong, frustration with change, growing pains all valid gripes. But within the context of being proud of something you had no control over vs being proud of something you actually made happen yourself....I always try to hang my hat on my own accomplishments and not those of my great great great gran pappy, who if were being honest, I didn't know that well.

Full disclosure, I don't live where I was born so my opinion is certainly skewed. I also came from a large state where you would get funny looks if you acted like being born there was some sort of personal accomplishment. If I had bragged about how many generations my family had lived there, I probably would have had someone ask if i wanted a cookie or a sticker.

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When you grow up here you get a more complete picture of the people and their needs. People like Rosendale and Gianforte made big money elsewhere and moved here and made it their playground. They didn't take any risk to move here. Gianforte got into politics when he got bored with his other pursuits. He had to dump about $9 million of his own money into his races because nobody liked him ($17 million if you count the shameless donation to the University right before he ran for Governor). Those guys never had a ground up perspective. Williams is a transplant, but a little more grounded by the limitations of a person of with more typical assets. I think she was honest about who she was in the race.

... if you like your state auditor you can keep your state auditor.

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He's a pre-existing condition.

BigHornRam said:

I've only lived in Montana for 20 years. To Robert's disappointment, I plan to be a transplant for life. You don't want to know where I was born, it might make you puke. Welcome fellow transplant!

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Disappointed? Nah. I'm all good with and use to Transplants coming in. We (long timers) are a minority now. Is what bothers us the most is when that Immigrant (which usually ran from a place they didn't fit in, or liked) try's to change our life style or heritage to suit themselves. Montana's going to keep changing, and more BHR's are coming than going, so I won't notice whether your here or not.

I hope I don't have to double down on those casseroles and bundt cakes now.

Greenhorn said:

I'd like to think Rosendale was about as electable as Vermin Supreme. Close race.

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Hard to believe it was so close. A rich developer, slimy and irritating, who only a year ago was a public land transfer zealot, who while in the legislature $#!t on firemen, veterans, and more, only lost by a few thousand votes to a Montana farmer who by most reasonable measures is a moderate.

If the democrats want to win in the future, they better not look at yesterday as a success. They need to figure out what they are doing wrong. In 2 years Bullock's run is up. If they choose poorly, which they are very good at doing, 2020 is gonna hurt.

Nameless Range said:

If the democrats want to win in the future

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If moderates/ independents who believe in science based, thoughtful, legislation want to win...but I agree...really getting sick of the shit sandwich v. slime bucket choices on every ballot.

“I told you so”

wllm1313 said:

If moderates/ independents who believe in science based, thoughtful, legislation want to win...but I agree...really getting sick of shit sandwich v. slime bucket choices on every ballot.

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Very true.

I am not a democrat, and have no problem voting for centrist republicans, but I will say over the last decade or so I have appreciated a democrat in the governor's office with the ability to veto the crazy that comes out of our legislature.

Nameless Range said:

Very true.

I am not a democrat, and have no problem voting for centrist republicans, but I will say over the last decade or so I have appreciated a democrat in the governor's office with the ability to veto the crazy that comes out of our legislature.

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Colorado seems to have the crazy legislation coming from the left right now, Hickenlooper did a good job, in my opinion, of being moderate. Either candidate this time around was going to be a departure from that.

MTGomer said:

“I told you so”

View attachment 89804

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My pick but don't remember if he was 5th generation or not.

Nameless Range said:

Very true.

I am not a democrat, and have no problem voting for centrist republicans, but I will say over the last decade or so I have appreciated a democrat in the governor's office with the ability to veto the crazy that comes out of our legislature.

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These are pretty close to my feelings, I hope Randy is right about the rise of the radical middle and I live long enough to see it.

My initial reaction is to hope the the Democrats have enough wisdom to interpret these slim gains as a mandate to muzzle the fringe left in their party and move to the center. I also hope the Republicans are shaken up by how close it was and do the same. Definitely a sigh of relief when I heard Tester eked our the W.

This election was a pain in the ass. The candidates provided in this destructive extreme partisan two party system was disappointing.

Tester lost my confidence over the past year and even more so as the extreme partisan divide grew further and further and Tester spotlighted himself within this corrosive abuse of "representing" Montanan interests on a state, national, and international level.

On the other hand, Rosendale has always run on a solid Republican extreme partisan edge of the GOP platform and I don't trust one so eagerly awaiting the puppet master to pull his strings.

What a cluster. My thoughts evaluating who of the two as the Libertarian within the Senate run did not hold my interest.

#1.) I concluded, Tester is the more likely one to recover the roots of representing the majority of Montanans... Not R or D, though as Montanans.
#2.) I don't want a full Republican nor Democrat stack representing Montanans as a whole and with Daines present (whom I support) and a reasonable level of confidence Williams would lose, that further supported Tester for my vote.

I personally have enjoyed having Tester and Daines representing Montanans along with Zinke for his limited time. I didn't like the Gianforte entrance though that was 100% Montana Democrat's fault. Presenting Clueless Quist as their intended puppet was a joke!

Williams is the farthest of any interest I have in a politician. Gianforte is a knucklehead.

I'll say this... Swanson is the most valued Montanan to represent Montanans, as a whole in this crappy election. Tester was a good one - WAS a good one.
Daines is good though he too has sucked into this disgusting division just not to the extent Tester pandered the spotlight this past year (+).
I voted Swanson. She's the only one who ran on quality principles.

So... That's how it rolled out for my 2018 MT ballot ~ contrary to some of our vocal extreme Democrats within HT.
Meh, a great hunt campfire is always a nice equalizer and opportune time to enjoy premiere Montanan mutual interests.

Sytes, good wrap-up analysis of which I share much in perspective. Three points of difference are first with Daines, who I view as a silver-spoon Bozemanite returning to Montana but still allegiant to big money. Secondly, my pride in Zinke has devolved into distrust and the realization that he is a "climber" seeking influence and wealth, with only "lip service" to Montana values. Thirdly, with an acknowledged bias of being acquainted with Kathleen Williams and her political accomplishments, I view her as the only legitimate representative of real Montana values. (The recent assertions that she is tied to Pelosi and the west coast ultra liberal element are incredulous to me.)

Anyhow, thanks for taking the time to clearly express your views. Best regards and good hunting to you.

Sytes said:

I voted Swanson. She's the only one who ran on quality principles.

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My wife and I had dinner with Elinor and her family a couple of years ago at her house in Billings, I really like the way she thinks about politics, Montana, and life in general. She would have had my vote if I was still living in MT.

I love how MarylandMatt and KaliforniaKathleen, the two people that pretended to be hunters both lost.