Big Sky Blog

With all the attention that Montana has been receiving lately re: the 2008 Presidential campaign, some people might think that it is normal for candidates to hold multiple rallies in many Montana communities and for a presumptive candidate to spend Independence Day in Butte…but 2008 is not a typical election year. According to Montana: A Contemporary Profile by Michael Malone back in 1996:

The state has only three electoral votes…not surprisingly, Montana sees few presidential campaigners; for, as The Almanac of American Politics rather dubiously puts it: “Only Alaska, Idaho, Utah, and North Dakota are farther out of the national political jetlanes.” The state does have a presidential primary, but weather conditions force it to be late. It parallels the much bigger New Jersey primary in June, and thus it attracts little attention. Most observers agree that a regional primary in the Rockies, like that in the South, is probably our best hope in that regard.

Maybe this election year, with demographics and primaries not behaving as predictably as in years past, will shake up the political landscape just enough to keep presidential nominees on their toes in future campaigns, and not take Montana – even with only three electoral votes – for granted.

By the way: most of the above concerns the Democratic party nominees…um…John McCain, do you even KNOW where Montana is? You’ve probably got my vote, as a semi-Republican, but it sure would be nice if you would acknowledge our statehood.