In this year’s Republican primary for Montana’s open U.S. congressional seat, 67 percent of the electorate voted for someone other than Commander Ryan Zinke. Many of whom voiced their antipathy regarding Zinke’s former voting record in the Montana state Legislature, which was not fully supporting the Second Amendment, and his liberal positions on a number of social issues. I, for one, called him out as “a Liberal in Seal clothing.”
Many conservatives, both Republican and Independent, have voiced ambivalence about their vote this November considering either not voting for a congressional candidate or voting a protest ballot by voting Libertarian. One vocal local pastor has called Zinke “the worst of two evils.”
To any conservative, the “worst of two evils” is the return of Nancy Pelosi to the Speaker’s position. Many conservative voters don’t realize that it only takes a shift of 18 votes in the House of Representatives to swing the majority back to the Democrats, a change of approximately 5 percent, and Montana could potentially be one of those damaging swing votes.
Ryan Zinke has learned a great deal while on the campaign trail about Montana’s voters’ needs, and has moved his spoken positions to be more consistent with Montana’s conservative views. He has toned down his arrogance, and morphed into a candidate showing the potential for leadership.
Voters on the fence should first look at the big picture. Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid’s tenure will directly be affected by how Montana votes and Ryan Zinke is only being elected for a two-year term. A vote for Zinke will protect the Republican majority in the House, while conservatives have an opportunity to watch Zinke’s performance. If he is not consistent with his current positions, there are a number of conservative candidates waiting in the wings for 2016.
Freeman Robinson
Big Arm