Are there any Liberal strongholds in Montana?

[pinkpops]

I don't live there (I'm in Austin Texas)

[The Blue Knight]

1. Missoula, MT for sure.

Missoula is by far the most liberal city in the state.

[John Q. Citizen]

2. Historically, the whole state is a liberal stronghold,

with a strong independent bent.

Missoula successfully "held the line" sort of during the dark days of the "reign of mindless privitization" wrought by the Republican scamsters for 12 years of State one party rule from '92 to '04.

The key to winning statewide votes is to hold/turn-out the more liberal Western Cities (Great Falls, Helena, Missoula, and others and to draw some votes from the conservative (and mostly sparsely populated) East. You don't have to win the East, just lose by a smaller margin. And you have to play well in Billings.

In the local elections (mayors, etc,) of 2005, liberals took back the county seat of traditionally conservative Ravali County (Hamilton, MT) and made gains in some other areas as well.

Fast Growing Galletin County seems to be moving left as well.

In the conservative Flathead, a group of traditional Republicans have taken on the radicals/religious fringe for control of the local party creating a fissure in the factions.

[spun_in_montana]

3. Here in Billings, we on the Left tend

to hide in very small circles lest we be overrun... :)
Montana as a whole though, I believe anyway, tends to run Libertarian.

[tom_paine]

4. About goddamned time traditional Republicans stood up to Tyrants

In reality, this is their mess more than anyone else's. If they had policed their own party and held off the Totalitarian Bushevik Scum with even Reagan Republicanism, we would not now be hurtling towards 100% extinction of the Old American Republic (1776-2000, RIP old friend)...though there is always hope that things can turn around.

But they truly made a Faustian Deal with the Minions of Satan (how often they wear religion on their sleeves...it's a shame for they give a bad name for all the good religion has done, too) to win win WIN forever in a One-Party Tyrannous State (but THEY are on top...woo-hoo).

Damn, Montana is one of the finest damned places on this Earth! And you can always count on Montanans to lead the way in independant-mindedness.

[havocmom]

6. Traditional Republicans in Eastern Montana are announcing

they are no longer Republicans, if that is what bush & the GOP members of Congress are!

When folks in the eastern part of the state are saying stuff like this, yer ol pal havocmom is a happy ol cow!

Tom, Tom, I need to send time catchin ya up, lad! The news is good. Hear talk of tar and feathers if Conrad dares drop by! Now you know a bit about where I am and you may need to sit down to hear it, but the times, they ARE a changin! :D

Oh, and I hear nice things said about the Gov!

[confludemocrat]

7. Unfortunately Burns is tolerated because of the pork he brings

and that is the backstory that gives him his viability regardless of of how stupid he sounds and how fed up people are with the asshole. When people get in the voting booth despite the badmouthing in public, that's what gonna give him his chance. It's like a dysfunctional relationship. Come to think of it, it is a dysfunctional relationship.
Do you really think a Democrat between the end of Clinton's time and now would or could have kept Montana as one of the chief feeders at the federal trough- a $1.60 return for very dollar paid in?

But despite the advantages, people may still vote him out simply because he is an embarassment in so many ways. He is that bad.

[havocmom]

8. People where I live are going against him

Here, deep in red eastern MT, folks are saying seniority is not worth keeping a crook!

Trust me, he is in for trouble when folks HERE start being openly vocal against him.

[Ptah]

5. In 1914, Jeannette Rankin led a successful drive for women's voting rights

http://www.rankinfoundation.org/story.htm

in her native state of Montana and in 1916, running in the Republican party, was elected to the U. S. House of Representatives. This was four years before women had the right to vote nationwide

My Grandmother was a leader in the local Dem. party.

And she was an artitst too:

[Wetzelbill]

9. what's a liberal stronghold?

Indian Reservations tend to vote Dem. Other than that Missoula is full of Libs.