A Montana Dean Democrat

[RogueTrooper]

The common wisdom would tell you that a man, such a the new Democratic govenor of Montana, Brian Schweitzer is the sort of Red State Democrat who would have nothing but disdain for the politics of Howard Dean.

I have just been reading an article, written by Al Franken show regular David Sirota about his recent electoral victory in the Red State heartland of Montana.

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2004/0412.sirota.html

The similarities between the electoral coalition Dean built in the rural state of Vermont and the coalition Schweitzer won with in Montana are quite startling.

1. The support of Montana's hunters and outdoorsman. Strongly augmented by his Dean-like AAA rating from the NRA.

2. The support he got from Montana's small business community. A coalition group Dean wooed when he was Govenor of Vermont. For those of you who do not know Dean had particulary strong support amongst Vermont's Ski business community. A traditional Republican community who were some of Dean's staunchest supporters throughout his 5 term leadership of Vermont.

Furthermore, Schweitzer also had a strong message that a similarities with Dean's Presidential campaign message.

1. A very strong anti-special interest message. Go read the article to see how Montana's new Govenor shaped that message and that message's strategy.

2. Strong outside message.

I could also repeat the similarites in Dean's Vermont politics. But all I want to say about this is that the evolution of these messages, by Dean, when he went national are apparent in Schweitzer's state run.

People, especially, Democrat "centerists" will say that Dean was nothing but an example of a North Eastern Liberal elitist. I have always believed that, in truth, Dean was an example of a classic red-state Democrat. Whether it be as chair of the DNC or in support of his next Presidential run I believe it is important that we get the truth out about Howard Dean.

[ScreamingMeemie]

1. Agreed. As one who is fighting this "move to the center" logic, I will

do everything I can. It is when we move to the center that we get gobbled up. :hi:

[sonias]

2. Damn good story

I knew about the win Rogue Trooper, because Dean mentioned at the last meetup, but having the link to the story is better. Thanks for the thread, this is absolute proof that we can build those coalitions and get people to vote their issues with a good strong message tailored to them. This campaign strategy can even work in Texas.

The winning strategy:
"But in addition to a winning personality and strong populist convictions, Schweitzer had an innovative, three-part political strategy, one that perfectly fit the current conditions in Montana, but which Democrats across the country could learn from. First, Schweitzer took advantage of public dissatisfaction with two decades of insular one-party rule in the state capital, casting himself as an outsider and a reformer. Second, he rallied small business, usually a solidly GOP constituency, to his side by opposing the deals Republicans had cut in Washington and Helena to favor large or out-of-state corporations over local entrepreneurs. Third, and most interesting of all, Schweitzer figured out how to win over one of the most important, reliably Republican, and symbolically significant groups of voters: hunters and fishermen."
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We have a big group of hunters and fisherman here in Texas and we have the most polluted waterways in the country. I know many of them are already speaking up. It is a group of voters we can win on land stewardship issues. They are vocal and usually very active in protecting their hobby. Most have disposable income as well, so they will contribute to campaigns.

Sonia

[RogueTrooper]

4. I have believed that only Dean

was capable of taking Texas from the Republicans this cycle. Well, I don't know if he would have won the Lone Star State but I know he would have run Bush very close in his home state.

[janx]

3. This doesn't surprise me.

I'm very fond of both of those states. ;-)

[NoPasaran]

5. Great article!

Thanks for posting that.

Right now our strategists and pundits and assorted other gasbags are pretending to analyze our big defeats and explain away their responsibility for them. I think it's more important to study our victories and figure out how to use the lessons learned there in future races elsewhere.

[a new day]

6. I think it has much more to do with the Populist flavor of Dean's message

For instance, Lieberman, Reid and the DLC as much as say that it would be great if Democrats could just take money from the big money groups and let the peasants take whatever crumbs are left.

One of the things that initially attracted me to Dean was that he wasn't extremely liberal. He's fiscally conservative, pro-gun, favors the death penalty in some cases, but he realizes that people who aren't latte liberals need a reason to vote for Democrats. One who will stop the loss of jobs out of the country, close loopholes that favor it, be responsible to those in need, etc.

[ibegurpard]

7. I always said when I first encountered and became familiar with Dean

that I thought he could stand a good chance of being able to connect with the voters here in Montana.

[madfloridian]

8. Have a message, say it clearly. Have your OWN message.

And go into the Southern and red states to get your message out.

That is the bottom line of what Dean's campaign was about.