The Bobcat Nation

Its official, who right now are you most likely to vote for

Lets see, Pearl Jam is contributing free of charge music toward Tester's campaign, he's actually a third generation farmer from the middle of the state, has one of those goofy sixties haircuts and appears to be cut from the same progressive vein as our governor versus the geriatric, anti foreigner mentality (even though Burns is not from Montana)...heck, I'll keep my ballot secret

Cat Grad wrote:Lets see, Pearl Jam is contributing free of charge music toward Tester's campaign, he's actually a third generation farmer from the middle of the state, has one of those goofy sixties haircuts and appears to be cut from the same progressive vein as our governor versus the geriatric, anti foreigner mentality (even though Burns is not from Montana)...heck, I'll keep my ballot secret

Pearl Jam and haircuts???

Ponycat wrote:

Cat Grad wrote:Lets see, Pearl Jam is contributing free of charge music toward Tester's campaign, he's actually a third generation farmer from the middle of the state, has one of those goofy sixties haircuts and appears to be cut from the same progressive vein as our governor versus the geriatric, anti foreigner mentality (even though Burns is not from Montana)...heck, I'll keep my ballot secret

Pearl Jam and haircuts???

Pony Whats the matter!? I always choose my congressmen by "Favorite band" and "Hair cut". Back, in the eighties I was thinking of voting for Regan, because I thought he had "Presidential Hair" but once I heard he was an REO Speedwagon guy I could not do it.

Haircuts?
Don't look now, but Mike Taylor won the GOP primary for the PSC.
I know Pony remembers what I'm talking about....anyone else?

mslacat wrote:

Ponycat wrote:

Cat Grad wrote:Lets see, Pearl Jam is contributing free of charge music toward Tester's campaign, he's actually a third generation farmer from the middle of the state, has one of those goofy sixties haircuts and appears to be cut from the same progressive vein as our governor versus the geriatric, anti foreigner mentality (even though Burns is not from Montana)...heck, I'll keep my ballot secret

Pearl Jam and haircuts???

Pony Whats the matter!? I always choose my congressmen by "Favorite band" and "Hair cut". Back, in the eighties I was thinking of voting for Regan, because I thought he had "Presidential Hair" but once I heard he was an REO Speedwagon guy I could not do it.

mslacat--is your hairline starting to resemble James'

HelenaCat95 wrote:Haircuts?
Don't look now, but Mike Taylor won the GOP primary for the PSC.
I know Pony remembers what I'm talking about....anyone else?

That's it I quit, wait no I don't. You homophobe

Ponycat wrote:

HelenaCat95 wrote:Haircuts?
Don't look now, but Mike Taylor won the GOP primary for the PSC.
I know Pony remembers what I'm talking about....anyone else?

That's it I quit, wait no I don't. You homophobe

Who needs a haircut

How would you guys handicap this race right now? What are going to be the major issues for each guy, and what attacks are going to be used by each? Most importantly, do you guys see this being a positively or negatively campaigned race?

Bay Area Cat wrote:How would you guys handicap this race right now? What are going to be the major issues for each guy, and what attacks are going to be used by each? Most importantly, do you guys see this being a positively or negatively campaigned race?

Its going to be close. Most pundits thought Conrad would have to get 80% in the primary to win...he got 72%. Tester will have to hit him where it counts to make people forget the "pork". Considering groups like "Move On" have targeted this race as one of the cheapest to win and Conrad always slings mud, it is going to be an interesting pol. ad season.

I see Tester in a runaway as long as he stays on the high ground. Burn's ads have upset many of us who left the state for several years for opportunities elsewhere and brought mates back from those other states--especially California. Jack Abramhoff is the obvious weaklink in the Burns bag and I don't see Tester throwing it out until Burns begins mudslinging which there doesn't appear to be anything in Tester's background that is negative other than inexperience. Burns will attempt to show how his seniority has him on several key committees that have supposedly funneled huge pork projects to Montana, but several of these projects may in fact backfire because they are not long-term solutions to Montana's economic well being. I think, out of desperation late in the campaign, Burns will bury himself by starting the negative ads rather than concentrating on any positives he may have been able to present, in other words, he'll lose the race on his own...but these are just the issues I see and what do I know about politics?

I see the democratic party starting back up the Abramoff attack ads they ran a couple months ago, and while Tester will try to distance himself from them, it will be a very negative campaign. Meanwhile Burns will run out ads saying Tester is in tune with Hollywood and liberal extremists (video showing Tester on stage with Pearl Jam juxtaposed with Eddie Vedder stomping on a Bush mask). Throw this in with ads showing Dean and other democratic leaders who sell this election as the only way to impeach Bush (what we do for the country isn't important, it's what we can do to Bush that matters).

I think it will be a very close race in the end. I don't believe in the end the Abramoff issue will be a big deal, except that people are sick of hearing about it (NEWSFLASH - People donate to your campaign to get you to vote they way they want - shocking ), but there is some fatigue of Burns. IF Burns can successfully paint Tester as being in the Howard Dean/Micheal Moore/Hollywood Elite camp, primarily through the Pearl Jam link, I think Burns will win.

grizbeer wrote:I see the democratic party starting back up the Abramoff attack ads they ran a couple months ago, and while Tester will try to distance himself from them, it will be a very negative campaign. Meanwhile Burns will run out ads saying Tester is in tune with Hollywood and liberal extremists (video showing Tester on stage with Pearl Jam juxtaposed with Eddie Vedder stomping on a Bush mask). Throw this in with ads showing Dean and other democratic leaders who sell this election as the only way to impeach Bush (what we do for the country isn't important, it's what we can do to Bush that matters).

I think it will be a very close race in the end. I don't believe in the end the Abramoff issue will be a big deal, except that people are sick of hearing about it (NEWSFLASH - People donate to your campaign to get you to vote they way they want - shocking ), but there is some fatigue of Burns. IF Burns can successfully paint Tester as being in the Howard Dean/Micheal Moore/Hollywood Elite camp, primarily through the Pearl Jam link, I think Burns will win.

Man, I hate it when I agree with a Fizzlie--about anything Well said, but I kind of see the Pearl Jam thing appealing to the same farmers and ranchers that made fun of Jon Bon Jovi music being played at rodeos ten to fifteen years ago Maybe we'll hear Pearl Jam blasting some Chris LeDoux stuff at Tester rallies and this will paint him as being even more progressive than our governor

Although, in defense of Pearl Jam, at least one of its member is actually from Montana ... and rural Montana, at that. I wonder if that will lessen the negative impact their influence could otherwise have on those voters who think about PJ in a negative way.

I don't see how Pearl Jam hurts Tester. As BAC said not only is one of the members from Montana, I think his home town is Big Sandy and he may have been a student of Testers. I'd think it would hurt Tester if he tried to distance himself from them, not if he recognizes them.

One thing I heard the other day, and this may be a huge stretch, is that Burns may get in enough trouble for the Abramoff issue that he ends up being removed from the race and that Racicot would take his place.

I don't think it'll matter either way. Tester seems to be becoming a bit of folk hero and if his wave of popularity continues he's going to be tough for anyone to beat. He seems to have all the bases covered. A farmer (organic), from Montana (liberal), and the flat top makes him Mr. Everyone.

I think Tester has made enough votes in his time in the State Legislature that Burns will be able to paint him as a liberal. Tester will accuse Burns of slinging mud even though it is his record, and Burns will also attack Tester for not saying how he will vote on major issues (notice I didn't say important issues.) Tester will continue to say "Conrad Burns type of coruption" in every commercial and the out-of state money will flow like the Salmon of Capastrono. The best thing that could happen to Burns is that Howard Dean keep his promise to come to the state to campaign. (As for my handicapping ability, I would have bet a fair amount of money that Morrison would win and we all know how that turned out.) Right now I think Tester wins, and Pearl Jam effects how exactly 17 people in the state vote.

On a side note, I have major issues with Tester and think he will represent MT fine if he beats Burns but I will be voting for Burns. Also on a side side note what are the progressive things that Schweitzer has done that everyone is talking about??? just curious.

Although not a prediction how about this scenario, Burns drops out in a month or two, Rehberg takes over in the Senate race and beats Tester easily, the Republicans pick almost anyone and beat Lindeen.

Bay Area Cat wrote:How would you guys handicap this race right now? What are going to be the major issues for each guy, and what attacks are going to be used by each? Most importantly, do you guys see this being a positively or negatively campaigned race?

From the Billings Gazette:

Shortly after Tester was declared the winner, Burns fired off a statement calling on Tester to say how he would vote on some hot-button issues coming before the U.S. Senate such as the proposed constitutional bans on gay marriage and flag burning and the repeal of the estate tax.

"These are all important issues, and Montanans deserve to know how you would vote," Burns said.

In response, Tester spokesman Bill Lombardi said, "Voters across Montana have spoken loudly and clearly tonight. They want to end Senator Burns' kind of corruption in Washington, and we're looking forward to that kind of debate."

Well, that's not a good sign. Two of the first three things that Burns wants to debate are the pointless wedge issue items as opposed to any real issues.

It will be interesting to see if they have live debates.

Burns spent $3.6 million on the primary, 77% of which came from out of state sources.

His main opponent in the primary race, Keenan, spent $60,000.

G.W.Bush wrote:Burns spent $3.6 million on the primary, 77% of which came from out of state sources.

His main opponent in the primary race, Keenan, spent $60,000.

Yes, but none of the money spent was to win the primary, it was damage control and was directed at Tester and Morrison. At no time was the Burns camp concerned with Keenan.