There is nothing like watching your
worst enemies go down for the count … again and again.
And again. Gianforte’s gigantic
victory was heart-warming and invigorating.
But honestly, I was worried about
the Big Sky State’s special election for the at-large seat, since the
Democratic-Republican rumblings in this state are more diverse than most people
realize. Since 2006, Two Democratic US Senators represented this rural, conservative-leaning
state. Who can forget Max Baucus, who had unwisely announced that Obamacare was
turning into a “trainwreck” heading right toward the American people? Baucus
played the right cards throughout his overextended tenure, but with that Obamacare
vote, he knew his days were numbered. Obama appointed Mad Max as Ambassador to
China. Democratic governor Steve Bullock appointed military veteran Joe Walsh
to the US Senate. Anyone could see that the Democratic Party was looking for
any way possible to hold onto this long-held Democratic seat. Walsh turned out
to be a plagiarizer, and thus a left-wing ding-bat state senate candidate
jumped into the US Senate race.
Republican Steve Daines, the
at-large Congressman at the time, won the seat in 2014. Since then, the future
has brightened for Montana Republicans, even though Governor Bullock ended up
winning re-election anyway. Can someone please tell me how this happens in this
red state, which has only gotten redder over the last eight years? Perhaps it’s
the third-party spoilers, or the archaic campaign finance laws. Who knows?
Anyway, to many political operatives
throughout the country, Montana’s special election (Ryan Zinke was confirmed as
Secretary of the Interior! Dogs may roam in national parks!) was no slam dunk.
To the Republicans’ clear advantage, they relied on the seasoned incumbent
candidate Greg Gianforte. A multimillionaire businessman from New Jersey (take
that, Chris Christie!), he had the money and the support, and he had run for
Governor against Bullock last year, coming short of the victory.
Campaigning a
second time gave him an advantage; Gianforte was polling well within days of
the seat opening. Still, the MT GOP warned that intra-party fighting could
inadvertently throw the House seat into Democratic hands. For the tumultuous
times we live in, a seat flipping into Democrat hands would add momentum to the
desperate Democratic Party looking for any kind of hope, opportunity and win.
Gianforte ran a strong campaign. He
was polling in the double-digits at one time. Reports exposed that the
Democratic challenger, a progressive cowboy with a penchant for nudism and bad
singing, and a staunch defender of Obamacare, was facing more headwind than
expected. The race got closer and closer. Then came the day before Election
Day, and the embattled Republican “body-slammed” a UK Guardian reporter. Then
new reports indicated that he was trying to stop the Fake News freak from
getting in his face. He tried to take the phone away, and they tumbled to the
ground. More Fake News erupted all over the Internet. I couldn’t believe I was
reading “Montana” and “Gianforte” all over the Twitter trending columns. Three
major newspapers pulled their endorsement. I was getting really worried. But a
good ending prevailed, and Gianforte won by six points—and in 2018, he will win
again.
There are takeaways from this race,
to ensure more opportunities for Trump and Republican candidates.
1. This race was all but decided at
least two or three weeks prior, since Montana residents had been voting by
mail. Republicans fighting to hold onto special election seats in South
Carolina and Georgia would do well to focus on strong vote-by-mail campaigns.
2. The Incredible Shrinking
Marginalized media is doubling-down on their blind hatred of President Trump
and the Republicans in Washington DC. The earned media is still good media for
Republicans.
3. Losing is become the new
“winning” for The Democrats, and that’s real winning for the GOP and the
country. Savvy politicos here in California and throughout the country are
convinced that history will repeat itself in the 2018 off-year election. How
quickly they forget that Election 2016 was as unconventional as it gets. The
Democratic Party is a limping communist front group, and the populist-Tea
Party-Middle America-Real World wing of the Republican Party is taking over.
Expect Republicans to gain more seats, especially as Trump fulfills more of his
promises and health care premiums start going down.
4. Close election victories are good
for Republicans, since they keep them accountable, active, and aware. Every
elected official needs to feel the heat to see the light. They need to remember
that voters, not nice feelings, political parties, and big money, get them
elected. Knowing that every seat is a battleground fight will ensure that
Republicans stick to their campaign promises to the American people.
5. The demoralization of the
Democratic Party is just plain awesome! Yes, I had to write that again.
6. The media are losing power.
Endorsements? No endorsements? Republicans with principles will travel to
victory. We can only savor how the media feel seeing their liberal agenda
crashing and burning.
7. Republicans have fewer reasons to
worry about making mistakes. Presidential candidate Donald Trump was a cascade
of crazy ideas, vulgar statements, and unfiltered campaigning. Everyone jumped
on him: Republicans, Democrats, the press, the Big Business phalanx, labor
unions. They couldn’t stop him. Newsflash to Republican candidates: Did you
lose your temper and shout at somebody? No biggie. Wait it out a few days. The
rest of the media—alternative and conservative—will find out that the lying
liberal press was just stretching the truth … again.
Republicans are shutting down
Democratic hopes all over the country. Gianforte’s victory is a bigger win than
most realize, no matter how much the press claims it's not. The Democratic
candidate did better than Hillary did, but he lost - and that’s the point.
Let’s hope that Republicans keep these principles in mind for Georgia’s 6th District
as well as South Carolina’s 5th District. With the dismal
record the Democrats have racked up already, we should expect more handwringing
and declining liberal influence for Election 2018.
