Reply #24: Montana is not exactly the canary in the coal mine, folks... [View All]

[TygrBright]

While what's going on in Montana is interesting (and encouraging,) it represents a pretty unique confluence of circumstances that isn't likely to be replicated elsewhere any time soon.

What we're seeing here is a somewhat anomalous conjunction between the Montana "old timers" -- which include a heavy representation of hard-core anti-government, libertarian, leave-me-aloners; and the "incomers" of the last twenty years, the nouveau riches back-to-nature liberals who've been flooding into the state.

They don't agree on much, other than the need to keep the government from messing with their privacy.

(Although some very interesting and surprising developments in the environmental preservation vs. individual property rights arena are starting to sprout like mushrooms, as well.)

Montana's population is small enough and non-urban enough to make these two (comparatively) small groups quite significant in the overall politics of the state.

It's not likely to happen elsewhere except possibly Wyoming. But thus far, Wyoming has been absent the significant inmigration that has affected Montana politics over the last 20 years.

Still, by any measure, it's a pie in the face for the Evil Empire, and that's gotta be one on the plus side of the ledger.

temperately,
Bright