The West Leans Left (The Nation Takes Notice Of Schweitzer)

[ruggerson]

http://www.thenation.com/blogs/notion?bid=15&pid=64523

Is a red state Governor who wears cowboy hats, embroidered denim jackets and bolo ties, drives a Volkswagen Jetta powered by biodiesel, ran with a Republican Lt. Gov on his ticket, loves hunting, strives for energy independence and refuses to accept special interest money or hold closed-door meetings the new face progressives should be talking about?

If his name's Brian Schweitzer, many already are. In the last four presidential elections Democrats took 41, 38, 33 and 38 percent of the vote in Montana. By comparison, Schweitzer engineered a four point win in 2004. Since then he's become one of the most popular Governors in the country.

This week Schweitzer took his show on the road, attending a meeting of Governors in Washington, appearing on 60 Minutes (be sure to check out his reference to "sheiks and dictators and rats and crooks") and speaking before the Center for American Progress--an event I attended yesterday.

Schweitzer called his recent session with the Montana state legislature "the most progressive in the country." The Missoulian offers a recap:


His initiatives include the largest two-year increase in state funding for schools since 1991, a new college scholarship program for Montana students, a good raise in pay for state employees, eliminating the business equipment tax for 13,000 small businesses, requiring more wind power and other alternative energy development, beefing up health care and other programs for the needy and improving relationships with Montana's Indian tribes and nations.

(more)

[movonne]

1. Well this is a good sign..

[Warpy]

2. Dammit, this New Englander trrensplanted to New Mexico

keeps trying to tell you all that! The south isn't solidly Repug, and the West will likely elect any plain speaking guy who offers us hope for a better economic future. It's the damn entrenched yuppie types on both coasts who are the problem!

Take a page from Shweitzer's playbook, willya? Drop the nuance. Speak in plain English to plain people. Stop offering business as usual. Start offering things like work that pays, retirement that's secure, and jobs that aren't going to go offshore so some CEO can get obscenely richer.

That's how to get elected. Schweitzer showed us all that.

[Bucky]

6. Re: "damn entrenched yuppie types on both coasts"

Heh. Good one.

Of course as long as the dominant primary is in New Hampshire, we're going to keep on recycling the Dukakis campaign.

[napi21]

3. I've posted several time on how impressed I am with Brian!

I realize I've only seen him on two interviews, but the guy seems to have it all! He's a "Real regular guy"! He's also a REAL COWBOY. Saw him on one video downing a doggie, and actually riding his horse across his land.

He reminds me a bit of Bill Clinton and Paul Hackett combined.

I know I heard him say he has the best job in the world being Gov. of MT. and he's only had that job for 1 year, but I'd sure like to see him give some serious thought to moving to Washington DC for 8 years! I'm sure we could work something out to let him hae horses on the WH grounds.

[ruggerson]

4. I'm convinced

we need a fresh face. An enormously popular one term governor from the West with a sunny disposition and unassailable anti-Washington credentials might be just what we need to defeat the Inside The Beltway Republican that is sure to be nominated by the GOP.

[Hippo_Tron]

5. He should've delivered the Dem response to the SOTU

Period...