Governor Brian Schweitzer of Montana

mikemac1

I never heard of him until a few weeks ago
He was in Ireland on the Pat Kenny Show and then he did some presentations and speeches in Waterford for Thomas Francis Meaghar, the favourite son of Waterford and the second governor of Montana

I think Schweitzer's grandmother is Irish, there was some connection too anyway

He was very impressive on Pat Kenny show, a few people texting in and asking him to stay and be our leader

I've been reading about him and finding youtube videos on him

Strongly against gun control, to be expected in Montana where it's important to locals.
Strongly for renewable energy, he seems to talk about energy more then anything else.
He made a Republican his lieutenant-governer
Owns a ranch and comes across as an aw-shucks guy but he's sharp and widely travelled, spent several years in the Middle East and Africa on farming and irirgation projects. Speaks fluent Arabic

Anyone heard of him before?
Seems to be pegged as a rising star and that was some achievment to be elected a Democratic governer in Montana
Montana is doing better then most states, the first assumption would be because they have oil and coal there and could ramp up production but it seems to be only a small percentage of the economy.

A lot of youtube clips of him on Fox, that's to do with energy and he seems to get support from them too.

Youtube comments [I know, I know :rolleyes:] calling for him to make a run at the Presidency in '16




Anyone else notice him in Ireland and do you think this is a man we'll hear a lot more about in the future?

InTheTrees

mikemac1 wrote: »

Anyone heard of him before?
Seems to be pegged as a rising star and that was some achievment to be elected a Democratic governer in Montana
Montana is doing better then most states, the first assumption would be because they have oil and coal there and could ramp up production but it seems to be only a small percentage of the economy.

Nope. Never heard of him. And I'm in the US and try and keep up on current affairs. I'll certainly pay more attention.

I just went through northern north dakota and northern montana a few months ago.

The east of the state is the high plains which blend into the Rockies to the west. Its absolutely beautiful and so remote.

I think most of the oil is in north dakota. Its a continuation of the oil fields that the Canadians to the north are exploiting so diligently.

matthew8

I know him from a computer game, president forever. He was on the shortlist of democrats to run in 2016 so he can't be bad. The whole great plains area is in great shape. I see he's a typical mountain west democrat. Generally liberal but opposed to gun control. Seems like a guy who I could vote for if the republican was bad. I hope he gets the nomination in 2016. He could cause a realignment. His brand of liberalism would sit very well all across the west and could turn Montana, Idaho the dakotas and all into democratic states.

Manic Moran

matthew8 wrote: »

I know him from a computer game, president forever. He was on the shortlist of democrats to run in 2016 so he can't be bad. The whole great plains area is in great shape. I see he's a typical mountain west democrat. Generally liberal but opposed to gun control. Seems like a guy who I could vote for if the republican was bad. I hope he gets the nomination in 2016. He could cause a realignment. His brand of liberalism would sit very well all across the west and could turn Montana, Idaho the dakotas and all into democratic states.

He's on record as having "more guns than I need, but not as many as I want." He's also on record as supporting gun control: "You control your gun, and I'll control mine." That single issue is huge for Mid-West voters in particular, and though it's not often appreciated, nationwide. It's also seriously off-putting for the men and women in the cities who have strong opinions on guns. That's reflective of his big problem as a candidate, much like Romney is facing right now. It's all very well being a viable candidate for nationwide elections, but they have to get past the party base, and a number of his policies aren't well appreciated in the cities.

He also has a good chance of getting the military vote. He was a fairly enthusiastic supporter of Bush Jr for the Afghanistan op, and started the Yellow Ribbon program which every soldier who has deployed in the last five years or so has gone through.

Another point in his favour, he's seen no particular reason to increase taxes. There is no sales tax in Montana. Income tax rates are about half those of California. Yet look at the battles being waged across the country right now between Ds and Rs over the tax issues. He's actually proposed reducing some taxes. That may not go over well in a State like California, where the question of how much more to tax the rich and increase sales taxes is one of the big deals Jerry Brown is facing. In the meantime, unemployment is reasonably low, and the State's in fairly good financial condition so it does seem to be working out.

As regards the environment, he's somewhat softened his stance recently. He's now pro-oil-and-coal, back in 2007, not so much. He has stated that his numbers 1, 2, and 3 priorities are 'jobs', and in the event that jobs and environment clash, the writing is on the wall.

On the other hand, people have also been taking note of some of the more interesting proposals he's made. For example, his budget proposal this year has a significant little clause in it removing current restritions on funds allocations, and it's questionable as to whether or not it's even balanced to begin with. He is also in favour of privatising portions of Medicare, that's not exactly going to go over well on the Left Coasts.

So would he be a viable Presidential candidate? Yes. Would he be a viable Democratic candidate? I'm not so convinced.

NTM