Trego's Mountain Ear

I hadn’t thought about how the Greens and Libertarians affect my primary voting strategy.  I’m looking at my four potential ballots – and knowing that the only ones with a realistic chance of winning are the Dims and the Repugnants, yet there’s another choice affecting my ballot.  Do I want one of the small parties to continue?

Of course I do.  In 1856, James Buchanan beat Republican John Fremont and Know Nothing Millard Fillmore. It was the first time Republicans fielded a candidate for President . . . and the next time around they won.  Ignore the fact that a bunch of Democrat pols were so aggravated they seceded.  Third parties tend to replace established parties once in a while.

So I carefully examine the Democrat ballot.  Nobody is running against Slow Joe.   If I wanted to vote against John Tester, I could vote for a guy named Hummert – but I’ll get a chance to vote for or against Tester this Fall.  The Dems have two candidates for governor – but while Ryan Busse is worth voting against, I figure if he can beat Jim Hunt, I’ll get another chance in the Fall.  With a ballot otherwise filled with unopposed candidates, it’s time to examine the Repugnants.

No choice at the top of the ticket.  For Senator I have 3 choices – the Republican Tim Sheehy (I have a fertilizer spreader that has been in Montana longer than Tim has . . . just saying), Charles Walking Child (He’s a tribal member of the Anishinaabe), and Brad Johnson (long-term republican politician, not the actor or the football player).  Zinke is running against Mary Todd (I think she married Abe Lincoln – “Besides that, Mary, How did you like the play?”)  Yep.  I have a lot more choices on the Republican Ballot. 

The Greens have two candidates running for Senate (Michael Downey and Robert Barb)  I know of nothing good or bad about either candidate.   The Libertarians have two running for the House of Representatives  (Ernie Noble and Dennis Hayes).  Noble’s paused his campaign to let Hayes win.  Dennis Hayes – spelled with 2 N’s – should not be confused with the single N Denis Hayes who founded Earth Day.

It looks like it’s time to cast a Republican ballot in the primary – I can vote against so many more candidates.  I’ll leave blanks alongside the unopposed Neil Duram and Christi Jacobsen – ideally, unopposed candidates will win with a single vote.  Remember, if a candidate is unopposed, don’t vote – it only encourages the bastards.