Why is Dem Senator Jon Tester so popular Montana ?

It's Montana. Probably the fewest number of people in the entire country for Dems to pay off to vote Dem for a seat in the Senate. Compare that to the cost of trying to land a seat in Texas.

These heavy red states that have Dem Senators blow my mind.

Incumbency is hard to beat and most people just don't pay attention like most of us do on here.

He had been an even-keeled presence in Washington and talks a lot about wildlife and agricultural issues in the Senate. I think he, and many like him, appeal to the "compassionate conservative" bloc that wants a robust welfare state sold by a man in a flannel shirt.

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I guess Montana is more in the mold of Colorado.

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It's getting there. Idaho still kicks arse though.

My brother and sister-in-law live in MT. They say Rosendale is really awful and they are die hard MAGA. They say proof of how awful he is is that the generic R candidate polls better than Tester but Rosendale is just a shitty candidate. Previous R was much better choice they said but still going to vote against Tester anyway. One reason I know is because of Kav vote because this is when I had the convo with them

Whether its Tester in Montana and ag interests, or Landrieu in Louisiana and oil interests, or Nelson in Florida and ag interests, etc., you have Democrat incumbents who convince local business interests that they are the only persons who can take care of them and they focus on those business interests and otherwise vote like Schumer and the leadership tell them on all other issues. Even Schumer takes care of Wall Street. It takes a bit to convince these landed gentry that they can vote for a Republican who will also protect their special business interests and vote the way the like on everything else as well.

I travel to the Flathead Valley for skiing, fishing, golf quite often.
There was, is, and always been a lot of California transplants living in the State

Montana has always split its ticket at a state and national level. Republicans at a local level, Democrats at a national one.

Don’t know why.

Could be the mining and ranching money.

The republican candidate is a dud though. He’s a developer from Maryland who calls himself a Montana rancher now.

He shot a campaign ad in front of a barn to help sell that, problem was, it’s his neighbors barn.

I’m voting for Rosendale but it’s just partisan math for me.

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Is he a rancher?

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