Have you ever heard a politician say, “I don’t fall in line with party bosses.” Or someone says a politician “represents her constituents and not the party bosses.” What about when you hear this, “he has never been the kind of legislator who bows to party bosses …” I could go on and on about recent articles and letters, but this kind of rhetoric has become a hallmark of the current election cycle, and it appears that this language has been carefully coordinated among a group of politicians to make a point. We have heard this term, “party bosses,” used in the past, but what is striking about it now is that it is always used by one specific sect of the political world: the Republicans who have repeatedly joined forces with Democrats to pass larger spending and bigger government legislation.
Let’s look at these statements and dig into what they are really saying. Who are these so-called “bosses?” The Montana GOP has an elected leadership board, chosen by county central committees and sitting legislators. The central committees are local groups in each county that have volunteered to be involved in state politics. These volunteers are also elected at the county level by voters. The leadership team runs the state Republican Party, supposedly advocating for conservative causes. The party also has a platform, or statement of beliefs, that is also voted on to define the party and what it stands for. Currently, this group of legislators and candidates is unhappy that the party is beginning to take a stand on some issues and calling out legislators who don’t follow the party platform.
Over the last decade, Montana politics has swung to the right and toward the Republican Party. That was a great success, but along the way, many people realized that with these wins, the state government was not becoming more conservative—budgets continued to grow, as did the size and role of our state government. That brings us to the current situation, where many Republican legislators are now being held accountable by the public and the party for their roles in government. As expected, this group doesn’t like the light being shone on their actions, so they lash out at the “corrupt party bosses.”
I will always stand with these legislators’ right to vote on legislation as they see fit. The issue arises when they attempt to mislead their constituents by using a party label (that voters believe has a set of beliefs these politicians will follow) and then attack the party’s leadership for pointing out discrepancies in their voting record. This has led to a coordinated attack on “party bosses” to make themselves out to be something they are not. The simple fact is that this group of legislators, who have long hidden behind the Republican brand, are now being shown to the voters for what they have been doing the last few sessions.
I believe it’s time for these candidates to be honest with voters. If they cannot support what the Republican Party states as general values and beliefs, then they should not use the party banner to get elected. Ultimately, voter education and awareness will lead to the best outcomes in our state government for what the people want accomplished.
Rep. Shannon Maness
R-Dillon