Montana Democratic Governor hopeful chooses Republican running mate

[ibegurpard]

http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?ts=1&display=rednews/2004/02/12/build/state/20-schweitzerrunningmate.inc

"Bohlinger joins Schweitzer ticket"

"Republican state Sen. John Bohlinger of Billings will join Democratic gubernatorial candidate Brian Schweitzer as his running mate on the Democratic primary election ballot.

Bohlinger said Wednesday he is not leaving the Republican Party and will resign his Senate seat "when I am elected lieutenant governor."

Bohlinger said the Schweitzer/Bohlinger administration "will put aside partisan politics and work with all Montanans to expand our economy."


He said, "I was a little surprised when we began our conversations."

Schweitzer said he selected Bohlinger because they share the same priorities, "making sure that we listen to the people of Montana, creating jobs and protecting everything that makes Montana special."

Bohlinger was recommended to Schweitzer by a third party when the latter began his statewide search for a running mate."

<more>

I give up on the Democratic Party.

[pepsi]

1. Why?

"I give up on the Democratic Party."


Why?

This is damn smart.

[ibegurpard]

2. Damn smart?

I suppose if all you are interested in is WINNING and ceding all ideological ground to Republicans instead of working to reframe the debate and make people understand that the issues the Democratic Party has traditionally stood for are in their best interest. That you approve of this only reinforces my dismay.

[pepsi]

4. Why? Because.

"I suppose if all you are interested in is WINNING and ceding all ideological ground to Republicans instead of working to re-frame the debate and make people understand that the issues the Democratic Party has traditionally stood for are in their best interest."

Choosing a running mate from the other party does not signify that you are ceding ANY ideological ground. If this Repug was a neo-con or something of the sort...I could see your point. What this Dem is doing appears, at first glance, to be moving in the direction of getting things done in the great state of Montana(my neighbor). I say....good example.

[ibegurpard]

5. He could also just switch his Registration to Republican

He could most certainly stand an easy shot of winning then. I'm sorry but how dooes it show anything but shame in what the Democratic Party is supposed to stand for when it's considered an appropriate move to run with a Republican? As for Bollinger not being a neo-con, if he doesn't disavow the right-wing lock on the Republican Party then he is complicit.

[pepsi]

6. because...because

"As for Bollinger not being a neo-con, if he doesn't disavow the right-wing lock on the Republican Party then he is complicit."

I would say that him running on a Dem ticket shows he is not complicit with the right-wing lock of the Repub party. After all, if "his" ticket wins, the Repubs lose the lock.

[stevedeshazer]

7. Answer: You might try reading post #3

Your ideology seems to be blinding you. I read a book by this Brock fellow a while back about this. It works both ways.

on edit: since you live in the same town, maybe you can tell us why this is such a bad choice. Is Bohlinger really evil? And, how will him being Lt. Governor affect Montana in such a negative way?

[ibegurpard]

8. No, Bohlinger's not evil

And he actually has a good environmental record, I understand... I also do NOT think all Republicans are evil. My point is this: How does it engender confidence in the agenda of the Democratic Party (whatever that may be... who knows these days) to show that the only way they think they can win is if they put a Republican on the ticket? Have we internalized the stigma of "liberalism" so much that we cannot CONCEIVE of trying to seize the debate instead of such pathetically obvious displays of political pandering as this? If Mr. Bohlinger feels enough simpatico with the Democratic Party platform to feel comfortable running with a Democrat why is he remaining a Republican? I'm sorry but with the right wing nuts running the show in the Republican Party these days, the only Republican I can respect and/or trust is an ex-Republican.

[stevedeshazer]

3. Very smart move.

Smart move in Montana politics. The Lieutenant Governor doesn't do shit anyway. Plus, it takes him out of the Legislature.

Beats the hell out of Judy Martz, the current governor. She should be in prison for her coverup of the death of her policy adviser, who killed another man in a drunk driving accident. Martz actually went to the hospital and washed the driver's clothes to cover up his involvement. Shades of Bill Janklow! Check this out:

Martz revises story of fatal crash night

Gov. Judy Martz understandably doesn’t want to be reminded about the accident late on Aug. 15, 2001, when her policy adviser, Shane Hedges, while legally drunk, drove his silver 2001 Ford Explorer down the winding gravel road from the Marysville House northwest of Helena.

The vehicle went off the road and rolled, ejecting House Majority Leader Paul Sliter, R-Somers, who died as a result. Although Mr. Hedges initially denied he was behind the wheel that night, he subsequently admitted it, pleaded guilty and was convicted of negligent homicide, and served six months in a Helena pre-release center.

<snip>

Gov. Martz told reporters last week at a Capitol press conference that she doesn’t appreciate that recent news stories about her decision not to run again also brought up that incident and the fact that she had washed Mr. Hedges’ clothing, which she stressed were not “bloody clothes” but had just a small tear and a “smear of pink.”

The governor also reportedly noted last week that she didn’t wash the clothing for three days. Police reports say the clothes were already washed when officers returned for them the next day (sometime before 11 a.m. Aug. 17). In a newspaper article published in January 2002, she reportedly said she didn’t wash them for two days.

link: http://www.billingsnews.com/story?storyid=6705&issue=168

Montana really needs a Democratic governor.

[ibegurpard]

9. I can see the ads now:

Vote for us! We have a Republican on our ticket as well!

[stevedeshazer]

10. Thanks for both your answers

I'm not from Montana, but I've spent a lot of time there and have relatives who live there, however I won't pretend to highjack the politics of a Montana resident as you are.

Where we disagree is on the polarization of politics.

You seem to have a guy, Schweitzer (I got glad-handed by the guy in Great Falls last summer, BTW) who stands a really good chance of winning the governorship in what is a majority Republican state with a big independent streak. To be purely ideological about it is, in my opinion, a mistake.

If Schweitzer wins and becomes a good governor, no one will remember the other guy, unless he's caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy. In addition, they can work on stuff they agree on together and get something done.

This is incrementalism, to be sure, but I happen to like honest, bipartisan government. There was a time in this country when that worked really well, especially in my home state. Now, the D's and R's all hate each other and nothing gets done. Gridlock.

I see your point of view, I just disagree. :-)

[tom_paine]

11. Damnit, have you ever BEEN to Montana?!?

Well I lived there for quite some time. And I would like to make a couple points.

1) Montana is one unique state. And Montanans are one unique people. Not like Wyoming or Idaho or anywhere. Sure, they have their share of Freepers (what place doesn't?) but the people in the politics is different than anywhere else.

(no, I don't think it's 100% clean and pure and perfect. Every place has it's corruption and shady dealings)

2) Montana is so isolated and cut off and HUGELY spread out that also changes things. Because they are at the front end of the resources extraction industry, they know well the dangers of letting the environment be despoiled. Many of them are very pissed with Bush.

3) Montana Republicans, and Montanans in general are independant minded. The Yankees of the West with a touch of the Swedish/Norweigan of Minnesota. Now, of course there are good and bad people everywhere, but you can't lump Montana in with the rest of the West. I wouldn't be surprised if Montana went narrowly for Kerry (unless they have Touchscreen Voting, in which case they'll go narrowly for Bush).

I understand your point ibegurpard, and if it were just about any other state I would be much more upset. but Judy Martz is a train wreck of comical corruption, as I understand. Montana has gone through rough patches before. The Anaconda Company ruled that state for a long time.

I wonder if any actual living-there-right-now Montanans would be kind enough to give us their take on the subject.

[ibegurpard]

12. Yes, I've been there. I LIVE here.

Why the hell would we want to waste the opportunity that Judy Martz has given us by CAPITULATING TO THE REPUBLICANS AGAIN? No confidence in our own ability to SHOW that we can actually govern BETTER? Montanans are indeed independent and many of them will see through this pathetic display of political pandering.

[tom_paine]

18. My apologies

And you know...now that I think of it, Rehberg carried a big stick when Racicot was Governor, may his pious hypocritical thieven' soul have a suite right down the corridor from the Imperial Family he served in hell.

[jsw_81]

13. That might be a good strategery in "red" states like Montana

Conservative voters might be more likely to vote for a Democratic governor if there will be a Republican lt. governor keeping an eye on him.

Kerry/McCain anyone? I think that ticket would kerry thirty or forty states.

[ibegurpard]

14. This attitude is a great example of why I'm going to bail

on the Democratic Party.

[jsw_81]

15. And your "all or nothing" attitude is why your man Dean is toast

[Product of Evolution]

16. How dare you...

McCain has shown his true colours over the past few weeks. He's a Bushita through and through.

[tom_paine]

17. No, he's a patriot, loyal to what he sees as the good of the nation

When the Lewinsky scandal broke...McCain said "I pray this is not true."

Yes, he's a conservative, but I think that he is mostly honorable. And that's the best you can hope for. By comparison I would call Clinton mostly honorable and Bush thoroughly dishonorable.

He's protecting the image of the nation (I don't agree with his priorities, but I understand them), right or wrong.

I would vote for Kerry/McCain, and I do agree that's a LANDSLIDE ticket.

Even the Busheviks couldn;t erase and stuff enough votes to steal THAT ONE!

[eileen_d]

19. I was wondering if anyone had posted this

As a Montanan I say - why the hell not. :bounce:

(Edit: sorry about the two-day kick!)