With accusations of mob ties, irresponsible drinking and hypocritical fund-raising slinging back and forth, the contest for Montana’s lone Congressional seat is by far the most interesting election political observers can look forward to for 2010. But it’s also important to note how early it is in the running, with the potential for new entrants to turn the dynamics of the race on its head. News broke today that a third Democratic challenger entered the race, Melinda Gopher. A newcomer to state politics, I know little about her. Left in the West, however, points to a number of blog postings she has written for the Huffington Post, accompanied by her biography. And she’s on Twitter!
My name is Melinda Gopher, I am an Ojibwe Native, or Anishinabe, I reside in Missoula, Montana. I am a lifelong civil, treaty, and political rights activist. I am a paralegal, feature writer, and screenwriter…I am following the health care reform efforts in my state based upon my perception of Sen. Max Baucus’ callous disregard for the well being of Native American constituents who are an ever-growing, powerful swing vote in his home state. Some tribal communities have unemployment rates spiraling above 60 percent; to us, his latest bungling of health care and the public option is unexpected.
Gopher has also posted two blogs on the site, one that looks at the role of Native Americans in the ongoing debate over health care, and another that reports critically on a town hall meeting with U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg, R-Mont., held in Hamilton, titled, “Fear and Loathing in Montana: Racial Tensions and Xenophobia Palpable at Rep. Rehberg’s Town Hall.”
As much as the growing field of Democratic Rehberg challengers makes for interesting politics, our new reporter, Molly Priddy, made a very astute observation about the potential for the Democratic field to turn into what the Republican field of Max Baucus challengers became in 2008: A large group of aspiring officeholders who fail to distinguish themselves with voters, resulting in the nomination of a Bob Kelleher, someone who doesn’t even believe in the Republican platform. Whether Democrats are susceptible to an embarrassment of that scale will depend on how many others enter the race for the nomination, and how effective they are at distinguishing themselves from the pack.