Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer is nationally recognized for his plain talk and good ideas. The Democrat selected a Republican running mate by allowing Montanans to mail in their nominees. He used the same strategy to trim the state budget and to select the design for the state quarter.
Schweitzer is frugal with the Montana budget, and on target to leave the state with a whopping $500 million surplus. But it was the public veto branding of the 2011 Legislature’s Tea Party bills that made history.
Mostly forgotten is how in 2007 Schweitzer won a historic $100 million homeowner tax rebate. But few will forget how he visited Fox News in 2011, calling out legislators for looking “bat crap crazy.”
Last week U2 star Bono shared the stage with Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to rousing applause as he pledged to fight AIDS internationally. It proved a real rock star approach to politics.
That platform was reminiscent of 2005, when Montana Sen. Jon Tester was on stage with Pearl Jam bassist and youth vote advocate Jeff Ament. “Keeping rural Montana alive has so much to do with the youth of Montana,” Ament said.
Recall how Tester trumpeted his cornet on a cold January morning, commencing the 2005 Legislature to the tune of “When the Saints Go Marching In.” That Legislature invested historically in education.
Today Tester is a solemn workhorse, the lead sponsor of recent legislation that provides incentives to hire veterans. Significant to foodies, Tester earned the praise of New York Times’ Mark Bittman for having the “guts to fight Big Ag.”
Texas Rep. Ron Paul leads Tea Party loyalists with his “End the Fed” message. Paul energized younger conservatives with his call to end wars. Paul dubbed himself the “flavor of the decade.” Billionaire Donald Trump wrongly labeled Paul a “joke candidate.”
CNN asked former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman about Trump’s gathering of GOP hopefuls. “You know, I’m not going to kiss his ring. And I’m not going to kiss any other part of his anatomy. This is not about ratings for Donald Trump. This is about jobs for the American people. I don’t like to see the dumbing down of American politics,” said Huntsman.
Huntsman coined the movement toward “politics as entertainment.” He said people want solutions to the joblessness crisis. Huntsman said there is “no trust toward Congress, the executive branch or Wall Street.”
Huntsman found his real voice but has staggeringly low poll numbers in Montana. This is bad news for Republicans, as a moderate Huntsman is well suited to upset a resilient President Barack Obama.
In a speech last week, Obama seized upon the Occupy Wall Street theme in Kansas, vowing to fight for fairness at a “make or break moment for the middle class.”
It is time for politicians to be real, to open up and talk directly with the American people. In the real world, Middle America has it tough and is hungry for a middle class warrior.
Three years ago Muntadhar al-Zaidi tossed a shoe at a ducking President George W. Bush and heckled “this is a farewell kiss from the Iraqi people, you dog.” While scorned in America, al-Zaidi became a real hero in Iraq while serving nine months in prison.
Whitefish elections demonstrated that general voters are tired of fanatical rhetoric. An influx of big-money spending mattered little. Voters hungered for the realness of a Schweitzer-style menu of good ideas and plain talk.
But November is a far away, with plenty of fanatical primary rhetoric in the path. Primaries have never been about moderates or independents, only the views of base stalwarts matter.
Merry Christmas Montana, thanks for keeping it real. May the season offer you honest joy, real love and the blessings of family and friendship.