Why is Montana more blue than other Rocky Mtn. states?

[BluegrassDem]

I'm just curious. I know Clinton carried Montana in 1992. It seems that it's the only Rocky Mountain state besides Colorado where Dems can actually win. But there really is no major urban area there and not much population, but they appear to be more receptive to Dems than Wyoming, Idaho, etc. Montana appears to be more blue than even Nevada, despite them having Las Vegas. Anyone care to enlighten me?

[onehandle]

1. Less stupid people.

More blue. Less stupid. It's the circle of life.

[HereSince1628]

2. Mining? Mebee?

[GreenPartyVoter]

3. Unions were my first thought

[montana500]

4. Missoula. Bozeman.

and a sprinkling of hard nosed outdoorsmen who didn't like what the GOP was trying to do to public lands.

[htuttle]

26. Bingo!

Go Grizzlies!

(2 semester alumni...)

[Ediacara]

5. Several disparate reasons

1) Mining and unions. Butte is an old mining town with a long union history. Butte-Silverbow is about as Democratic as Hennepin Co Minnesota (Minneapolis).

2) General urban-rural dynamics. Like all states in the United States, the real red-blue divide is urban-rural. Urban areas are highly Democratic, rural areas are highly Republican. The urban-rural population is actually just about even, so things balance out.

3) Native Americans. Native Americans are the largest ethnic minority in Montana (about 7.5% of the population) and vote heavily Democratic.

4) Lack of strong religious influence. That is not to say that religion is uncommon in Montana, but unlike the South or Utah, religion is only mildly involved in politics rather than synonymous with politics.

5) Influx of west-coasters. This draws the most ire from "old timers," but does increase the Democratic vote.

ALSO: Dems had two House pickups in Arizona this year, and New Mexico has always been seen as the most Dem Rocky Mountain state. It's not just Montana and Colorado

ALSO #2: Idaho and Wyoming are similar in almost all respects to what I just described for Montana except in two areas: Idaho has a more significant Mormon influence, and Wyoming is much much more rural. Additionally, the Native American population is at 3% or less.

[JudyM]

6. Thanks - this is interesting info for this easterner. nt

[Ignacio Upton]

13. I'm disappointed with Idaho and Wyoming

ID elected that lunatic Bill Sali, even after the freakin' Republican Speaker of the State House openly said he was a douchebag and that the reporter could put his quote in the paper. I'm pissed off that Wyoming re-elected that bitch Barbara Cubin after what she did to the Libertarian candidate after the debate. I'm not giving up hope in those states, but seeing Grant and Trauner lose (even if only narrowly) is discouraging.

[danimich1]

28. I'm disapointed in Wyoming, too, and I live here

The day after the election I was speaking with a few locals about Cubin. All agreed that they didn't like her, but they didn't really know enough about Trauner to vote for him. All Trauner needed was 400 people voting for him, instead of against him, and he would have won! People here can't see past the party label. I don't know why they're afraid of the dems, since here a dem is the same as what a moderate republican used to be...

[Ignacio Upton]

15. West-coasters have been making Idaho MORE red

I think that the west-coasters coming in are Reaganites from places like Orange County and San Diego.

[Arugula Latte]

17. Yes -- Idaho attracts rightwingers. It's like their little white sanctuary.

Scary.

Still, Idaho is doing the rest of us a favor by containing the freaks and diluting their power in the states they came from.

[janx]

23. I know a few very liberal people who live (in all places)

Sandpoint, Idaho. Not so fast, Oregonian! ;-) Oregonians are known for pride in their liberal status (I have family there), but don't be so hasty to judge. You might be surprised in just a few years.

[Arugula Latte]

25. No, of course there are plenty of cool, liberal Idahoans.

But I do think that there is a certain element that is attracted to the hardcore rightwing towns there. Idaho and Utah have the highest Bush approval rate in the country.

[GOPFighter]

20. Excellent analysis, DB

I'm another easterner who finds politics in the mountain states as inscrutable as the beauty of its landscape.

[sandnsea]

30. Only elected 2 Republican Senators

in its history. I kind of see Montana returning to its roots. I also think there were as many Orange County Republicans that moved to Montana as there were liberals, and confused the vote for a while. I haven't been back in a while, but it would be interesting to see the locals take after some of these people ended up on their school boards and county commissions.

I like that you added Idaho's Mormon influence, I always thought that was important. Montana's religious influence is more Catholic, from Father De Smet to Butte. It does seem to make a difference, all these years later.

[greendog]

31. Those Orange County Republicans...

...and all the other west coast conservatives moved to the Flathead. They're still here. Their numbers are increasing.

Tester got 40% of the vote in Flathead County. Two years ago Schweitzer got 42% in the Flathead (his home county).

For the last few years, the State Representative from Kalispell was a good Democrat. He was term limited out, and despite a vigorous campaign with lots of cash from the State Democratic Party, his seat was filled with a far right extremist.

Flathead County is growing very fast and it sure isn't getting any more liberal here. In just a few years this could have a serious negative effect on statewide races for Democrats.

[blondeatlast]

32. Having lived there for some time, I think you've got it; plus

it's that pioneering spirit, which implants a strong libertarian streak.

I'm an Arizonan now, and I see a lot of it here again, too.

Rural areas (where I've gron up almost exclusively) tend to be socially conservative but despise "nanny" government at the same time.

[mtnsnake]

7. Tester is the "new style" Democrat & Montana is the new kind of melting pot

From what I've heard, Montana is getting to be a unique blend of hippies, rednecks, and folks in between.

Jon Tester, the Democratic winner there, is a blend himself. He looks like a redneck but he talks like a Democrat. He's an organic farmer and he's a gun lover. He's pro environment and I also think he's pro choice.

I heard him speak on TV for the first time the other day and when I first saw him I thought holy shit, this can't be our new Senator from Montana. Then he started answering the reporter's questions, and lo and behold he sounded very very good. He's smart, and I think he's gonna go places.

With people like Tester at the helm, I think you can expect Montana to get even bluer because it's the type of state that's going to attract more "blue" voters to it when they retire or for whatever other reason people are drawn nowadays to the open spaces of the West.

[TheJollyNihilist]

8. It has a strong libertarian undercurrent.

The current GOP is anything but libertarian. It's turned far authoritarian, which many individualists don't like.

[karlrschneider]

9. Good point and true. Welcome to DU!

:toast:

[TheJollyNihilist]

11. Thanks!

Glad to be here.

[janx]

24. I second Karl's comments on both counts.

And I like libertarians. :toast:

[TheJollyNihilist]

29. That's me!

nm

[Ignacio Upton]

14. Economic conservatism has also moved the state Democratic

Wasn't Enron involved in the energy deregulation of the state?

[codjh9]

10. Not just Montana - NM has a strong Dem. senator and 1 out of 3 US Reps are Dem.

And they ALMOST got 2 out of 3 US Reps this time. However, NM *is* schizophrenic, because although they keep re-electing Bingaman to the Senate, they also keep re-electing Dominici, who's a dick.

[stevedeshazer]

12. Brian Schweitzer, plus

The leftovers from the progressive farm movement.

[Codeblue]

16. Colorado

It sure is too bad that no Democratic nominees for PRESIDENT can ever carry Colorado.

[Ignacio Upton]

18. Well, Colorado did vote for Clinton in 1992 along with Montana

albeit with Perot's help in both states. However, just because Perot helped, didn't make his influence by itself the reason for why Clinton won in those two states. CO and MT were already more liberal than the rest of the Mountain West.

[Codeblue]

19. Sorry

I was 7 in 1992. Regardless, we haven't voted for a blue candidate since. That "scandal" really did a number on the Democratic voters in this state.

[Lurking Dem]

21. Better weed?

[janx]

22. The Rocky Mountain states comprise a large area.

Colorado has not been consistently red, for instance (think Roy Romer), and New Mexico is by no means red. Come to think of it, Wyoming and Idaho are probably the only true "red" Rocky Mountain states, and even that is changing.

It would be interesting to take a long historical look at the Rocky Mountain states with an eye to their political leanings. I love it here in the Rocky Mountain west, having lived here since 1994.

Montanans are very independent. Don't assume that just because a state doesn't have a huge city, its people are uneducated or inferior. Some of us educated people LIKE being away from squabbling crowds and appreciate a gorgeous, clean environment and good country people. When it comes to those, it's hard to beat Montana.

[Major Hogwash]

27. It's not more blue - they hold their politicians accountable there - a novel idea.

They will elect Republicans that can get the job done.
But, if they don't get the job done, they will throw them out of office.

They treat Democrats that way, too.

They call it "holding politicians accountable".
No one is immune from being voted out of office.

[skipos]

33. I think having Schweitzer on the 08 ticket would do wonders for us

in the west and south. Schweitzer is what Bush wished he was. I think progressives would like Schweitzer too. Still Bush won that state by 20% in 2004.