Obama’s Lead on Clinton May End Montana’s Swan Song

From the Flathead Beacon Blog

By Kellyn Brown, 5-08-08



	This piece is cross-posted from the Flathead Beacon's Beacon Blog.

The chances of Democratic presidential candidates Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton returning to Montana took a hit Tuesday night. After Obama’s crushing victory in North Carolina and Clinton’s narrow win in Indiana, the majority of pundits have declared the race all but over. I hope not. The state press has been blanketed with high-profile attention from each campaign over the last few weeks and it would be a shame to find out that the media was simply used for political gain.

Since Obama and Clinton visited Montana last month, and subsequently opened campaign field offices across the state, the local press has been constantly updated on why each candidate is absolutely great and has the state’s best interests in mind. You see, we’re passed a deluge of daily notes, many with personal touches.

For example, HRC, as she’s often referred to in e-mails, said she would support a Farm Bill being pushed by Congress because it would “provide Montana family farms with priorities like permanent disaster relief.”

The same day, Obama said he opposed a gas tax holiday because “Montana would lose millions of dollars and thousands of jobs” if it was approved.

Montana matters, they both assured us and at once acted like we would be the swan song for the contest. June 3, the last primary day, all eyes on Montana and South Dakota; now, it seems, real attention that may fade before it peaks. The conventional wisdom is that there’s no way this contest lasts much longer than May 20, when Oregon and Kentucky hold elections. I hope that’s not the case.

That would leave the residents of South Dakota, Montana and Puerto Rico the only rule-abiding voters that don’t matter at all in the Democratic nomination. While acknowledging the attention is phony and the campaigns aren’t really hinging on this state, let’s just pretend a little longer. This soap opera deserves a Western-themed ending, complete with exaggerated headlines for the rest of the country to gawk over: “It’s Big Sky Beat Down!” It would be an appropriate final chapter to an absurd nomination process.

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By Kellyn Brown, 5-08-08 | comments (8) | email story | print story

Comments

By holotone, 5-08-08

"The chances of Democratic presidential candidates Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton returning to Montana took a hit Tuesday night. After Obama’s crushing victory in North Carolina and Clinton’s narrow win in Indiana, the majority of pundits have declared the race all but over. I hope not."

So wait - You're saying that you hope the nomination process drags on, further splintering the Democratic party and watering down the chances of the United States getting actually halfway decent president just so Montana can feel like it matters?

Weak. Sauce.

By Brackens, 5-08-08

Obama is trying to make the super delegates choose now.
Hillary wants them to wait till every American gets a chance to vote.
God bless Hillary, fight for her and get your chance to have your vote count as to who gets the nomination, Make your own choice, don't let someone make it for you
GO HILLARY GO

By problembear, 5-08-08

Well, doggone it, now you went and spoiled the barn dance. Does this mean we Montanians won't get the chance to strut our stuff on National TV? I was hopin' ta drag out some Authentic Western Gibberish, by cracky. You whippersnappers and yer persnickity political prognostications make me want to toss my old beat up prospector's hat on the floor and yell jumpin' jeshosophat. Yer durn tootin' we need to stop pussyfootin' around and let old "Sure shot Hillamity" and "Close Shave Obama" know that we are throwin' down with a regular chair bustin' bar clearing donneybrook here in Montana. So don't go turnin' Jack Rabbit on us and headin' for the hills before the fun begins. I won't have no horse blanket thrown over this party. So let's choose up sides and let 'em know we're ready for a real firecracker of a showdown.

By Brackens, 5-08-08

Well Bear
hope you can save your vote
The DNC took this Floridians, Hillary is still fighting for it. And in the meantime she hasn't quit yet, however much Obama would like her to give up.
He named her right during the Penna. primary Annie Oakly, cause she sure is a fighter.Hope you get to meet her at your donneybrook, wish I could be there to Watch.

By flounder, 5-09-08

Have you ever noticed that the pundits are morons? Clinton is going to win the next contest. Even Obama doesn't want Clinton to concede only for her to win WV right after that, it makes for bad optics. The way this race will end is there will be a slow trickle of supers to Obama, but not quite enough to push him over the top. Clinton will get her victory in WV, then voters in either Oregon or Montana/South Dakota will put the icing on the cake. As for the concern trolls who are worried about voters having their say. This is the longest a race has lasted in my lifetime, already more people's votes have counted than ever before.
As for that whiner from Florida. I don't think the DNC were the ones who moved your election up, that one is on your state legislatures. If you are so upset about about it, vote out some of the bums you send to your state legislature. Police your own house.

By Tom, 5-09-08

GOD forbid another 8 years of the Clinton Crime Family.

OOps! Am I allowed to say GOD on a liberal whacko blog?

By Dave Skinner, 5-09-08

The bright side is Walter Schweitzer will need a new job.

By Joe, 5-11-08

Get to know your next President

http://savagepolitics.com/...