The Democrats' Battle for Montana

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

A long article well worth the read.
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Campaigning in a white cowboy hat and working 15-hour days, Rob Quist, a folk-singer-turned-populist House candidate, has caught fire with the grassroots of the Democratic Party, whose donations are transforming a shoestring campaign into a small-dollar juggernaut. You might assume the national Democratic Party would also be zeroed in: Montana presents a critical test of the party's renewed "50-state strategy" and a crucible for reconnecting with rural voters in advance of the 2018 elections. But you'd be mistaken.

It's the third week of April, days before early voting begins, but party leaders haven't even picked up the phone to call Quist. From across the dinette of a Winnebago that doubles as the campaign's mobile headquarters, now careening toward Bozeman, I ask Quist to describe his relationship to the national party. "I really don't have one," he says with a shrug. "We've been running our own thing here."

Montana may seem an unlikely battleground for Democrats: Hillary Clinton lost by 20 points here; Ryan Zinke – Trump's new Interior secretary whose statewide seat is up for grabs – trounced his House opponent by nearly 80,000 votes. But Montana voters are fiercely independent. On the same ballot, they gave the state's Democratic governor a second term, sending a charisma-challenged tech titan named Greg Gianforte to defeat. The same Gianforte is now the GOP's troubled nominee for the House. Montana is very much in play.

Responding to the threat, the GOP has launched a multimillion-dollar attack-ad blitz, and Donald Trump Jr. is en route to Montana to campaign against Quist. "They're worried," says Nancy Keenan, head of the state Democratic Party. "They know they have a race on their hands."

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/features/the-democrats-battle-for-montana-w482375?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=daily&utm_campaign=052517_11

[leftstreet]

1. Well, so much for the 50 state strategy

Guess it was bullshit after all.

I'm shocked I tell ya

Thanks for posting this

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

2. One point on the reported lack of support

Seems I get e-mails daily asking me to donate to Quist's campaign.

I have given some so the comment about lack of support surprises me. Maybe it's the lack of individual Democrats doing ads and endorsements which some Republicans have done for their candidate.

People I know from Montana tend to be a fairly independent bunch so endorsements from out of state may not be worth that much.

[Blue_true]

4. For political races in some states, the worst thing that we can do is trot

people like Nancy Pelosi in to campaign with the candidate. I would rather see Perez build up strong local committees and let those people vet local candidates and keep the race local. Tip O'Neill said that all politics is local, he was and still is right long after his death. We need to focus on getting strong local candidates and let those people fight it out locally, with support from their local committees and state committees and donations from a local and national small donor network. Although I wish ActBlue would end the default repeat donation choice, the organization is a powerful force in getting adequate money to people like Quist.

Let republicans bring in big dark money, our candidates should counter that by going face to face with voters and answering all questions from voters and local media, that beats dark money any day when done right.

[leftstreet]

6. You're right, and you're wrong

Absolutely he doesn't need a Pelosi in there mucking about

but he DOES need $$!!

Read the article. He hasn't had so much as a phone call from the DNC. And since the GOPers know he's isolated they're spending gazillions on attack ads against him.

Once again, 50 state strategy fail

[Blue_true]

7. His best option is simply to keep working hard, meeting voters.

I love Hillary, but one of the things that broke my heart was her not campaigning 24/7 for the General. Bill Clinton turned around his fortunes in 1992 when local media showed him out in pouring rain shaking the hands of drivers several hours before the polls were to close, voters really respond to that direct, up close approach. Quist seems to have worked hard and allowed access, my argument is that could well defeat the scads of dark money.
I remember vaguely the time that an underfunded candidate walked and drove around my state of Florida. He was given no chance against his well funded and well known republican rival. But "walking" Lawton Childs did in fact win in a big upset, because people appreciated that he came to their towns and small cities and talked directly to them.
I think you are way too afraid of dark money and do not appreciate how powerful going before voters and the Press and sincerely answering questions can be. I think voters like the idea that they can walk into the local office of their representative and talk to him or her when they have an issue they need addressed, or know that person will regularly visit their hometown if elected.

[leftstreet]

8. "dark money" as you call it, got us Trump

You're not wrong. And frankly, if Hillary had campaigned the way you're describing we'd have a different President

The original point was, the DNC promised a 50 state strategy. They've left Quist isolated in MT, where by the way he HAS managed to make the race close by doing just what you've outlined

[Blue_true]

9. We seem to agree on end effect, but disagree on how to get there.

Well, we are Democrats.

The point that I am trying to make is strong local candidates that know local issues and strong local and state Democratic committees matter more than the national party parachuting in to buttress a single candidate. A candidate must take it as a given that during a political race, he or she will have no personal time and must work 18 hours a day meeting people in small and big places. If we focus now on getting such candidates, we will do well in 2018 and 2020. We have a lot of energized people wanting to run, what Perez should focus on is getting people like President Obama to explain to them how hard winning is and how hard they have to work.

[marylandblue]

3. To hell with DNC

The rank and file donors are creating their own 50-state strategy. Let the new generation of Democratic winners owe their jobs to the Democratic base rather than The DNC or Wall Street.

[Blue_true]

5. I completely agree. With organizations like ActBlue, local candidates

really don't need national money as long as those candidates are willing to put in long campaign days and run smart, issues oriented campaigns. Our candidates need to welcome answering any questions from local media, this contrasts with what republicans are trying to do. In the end, my belief is the majority of voters appreciate directness and honesty and will reward people that don't have way out political views.
Groups like DU where smart campaigns can link to nationwide small donations also are valuable in bringing government back to be determined by everyday people.