Tracking Schweitzer for President
I think its a good idea, just not a likely one.
But, here it is, the un-official, let's get Brian to run for President website. Actually there are two of them, (Holy Crap! Now Three), still the first one is just better.
Crazy idea, but the first site is worth exploring. Here's a little intro from the good one:
Brian Schweitzer is easily the smartest, most inspiring Democrat I've ever heard. And in my opinion, Democrats have had enough of mediocrity in the past few years. It's time we decided that only the best will do for the highest office in the land.And so this site aims to do what Aziz Poonawalla's DeanBlog did for Howard Dean (and is attempting to do for Hillary Clinton in 2008): serve as a meeting place for organization, chatter, and action regarding the ballooning movement to draft Brian Schweitzer for President.
Stick around -- more features going up shortly.
Emmett O'Connell | June 14, 2005 | Comment on This Post (12 so far) |
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Comments
Thanks for the positive press on my site, Emmett! I've just gotten started, but hope to have much more stuff going up in the near future.
My view is that even if we can't convince the Governor to run in 2008, it's still a good idea to raise his national profile for a future run, and also because it promotes the kind of Western Democrat ethos Kari's talked about lately.
Posted by: Jeremy Young | Jun 14, 2005 11:40:34 PM
If you recall the most recent season of West Wing, Matt Santos (played by Jimmy Smits) won the Democratic nomination as a three-term Congressman from Houston, a position not usually considered a sufficient launching pad for the White House. He won because he was more charismatic on a bad day than his opponents on a good day. By 2008 Brian will have been in office four years in a state with three electoral votes, but he may be leading in the charisma race already.
Posted by: Leo Brown | Jun 29, 2005 12:26:20 PM
Hard to stop thinking about this. Consider an all Western ticket: Schweitzer/Richardson or vice versa. Two Governors. Neither is particularly vulnerable to the GOP playbook attacks against elite Eastern latte liberals. Richardson has special appeal to Hispanics. Schweitzer has an appeal to ranchers. Richardson has a lot of experience. Schweitzer has a lot of charisma. Both are Catholic, which won’t help in most of the South except possibly Florida or Texas, but it will help in the big Northeastern states and in Illinois and California.
Let’s do the numbers. Start with states that went for both Gore and Kerry in 2000 and 2004. A credible Democrat shouldn’t do worse than that in the current political climate. That yields 248 electoral votes. Add the home states of the candidates, New Mexico and Montana, and we are up to 256. Add two blue-trending Western states, Nevada and Colorado, and we hit the magic winning number of 270 electoral votes. Add Arizona (like Colorado, a neighbor of New Mexico) and the total is 280. If Schweitzer can contest neighboring North Dakota or Wyoming, or if the battleground states of New Hampshire, Iowa, Ohio, and Florida, are in play, then another 64 electoral votes are up for grabs. Winning any of these would add a margin of comfort to the above calculation.
Can we get there from here? Not easily, but Schweitzer might have an easier time than Richardson. There are not many Hispanics in Iowa and New Hampshire, but lots of farmers, and lots of ethanol fans in Iowa. Brian might have a special appeal in Iowa to start the ball rolling.
There are variations on this theme for either part of the ticket. Salazar has some of the same appeal as Richardson (Hispanic) and Schweitzer (farmer/rancher). Reid has experience and is arguably the de facto standard barer of the party, doing a tough job in the Senate very well.
Posted by: Leo Brown | Jun 30, 2005 6:54:46 PM
http://schweitzerforpresident.blogspot.com/
has a draft petition
http://www.ipetitions.com/campaigns/DraftSchweitzer2008/
I signed.
Posted by: Leo Brown | Jul 6, 2005 5:43:32 PM
Reality-check time about Brian.
Brian's "big" idea has been "The Big Sky on the Big Screen Act." Who's idea was this? Well, the head of the film office Sten Iverson put ALL of the legwork into the bill, had drafted more than a dozen versions of it, DURING THE MARTZ ADMINISTRATION! He was rejected numerous times, and as Brian was lobbying for support, he proposed it to then gubenatorial candidate Schweitzer, who took it from said commissioner, and promised to support it . And support it he has.
It was always written as a governor-sponored bill, but Iverson has received no credit AT ALL. Brian essentially co-opted the entire bill, called the press in, and slammed the door on Iverson. In fact, Brian created the Film & Television Advisory Council (FTAC), without Iverson's knowledge, and now this huge committee is looking to replace Iverson. How's that for a thank you?
The film economy in Montana, according to the Governor's Office is less than .5% of our overall economy. WOW...what a BIG idea.
Posted by: Angry Dem | Jul 29, 2005 6:04:25 AM
Reality check time for angry democrat:
Your petulant, ill-informed, and anonymous attack upon Governor Schweitzer and his film incentive program is very misguided.
Please have the courage to identify yourself, either on this blog, or call me at 406-582-1841, and I will explain in great detail how the film bill originated, who was responsible for it and the future it holds for Montana's economy, if it is marketed and executed professionally.
A proud Democrat,
Patrick Markey
Posted by: Patrick Markey | Oct 13, 2005 10:13:34 AM
A Richardson-Schweitzer (or vice versa) ticket makes me drool, but I worry that the milions and millions that Hilary, Kerry and even Evan Bayh already have banked will knock a Western candidate out of the box early. Send money, folks!
Posted by: Michael Zungolo | Jan 31, 2006 5:29:05 AM
Hey Patrick, nice job. Your thumb-sucking rants managed to get the entire film council fired. Or maybe it was that little thing about taking your own movie to Canada, eh?
Face it. You are a political neophyte. You have no clue. Trying to solve the film industry's problems by promoting this bill is like trying to solve world hunger by giving people food. Wow! Thanks, genius.
Good luck on your next gig at Del Taco.
Posted by: Bye Bye Patrick | Apr 16, 2006 8:42:02 AM
I agree that Montana needs to send someone to the White House and I will never understand why it could not have been Mike Mansfield years ago. But just think of it "Schwietzer/Hackett for America!"
Posted by: Andrew Gilbert | Aug 25, 2006 1:05:21 PM
Why Schweitzer? What's he done that's so special? Been a governor for a whole year and a half? Whoop-de-doo!
Dave Freudenthal would make a far better western Democratic gubernatorial presidential candidate.
Posted by: WyoBlueDog | Aug 27, 2006 9:21:32 PM
Hello,
The same could be said for Freudenthal. What's he done that's so special? Nothing! Because he is popular and likeable? That just means he tells good jokes. The republicans in Wyoming have even worse candidates, but thats not to say that he is the best gubernatorial presidential candidate out there.
Daniel Cardenas
Posted by: Daniel C. Cardenas Jr. | Aug 29, 2006 3:07:10 PM
here is a site to draft Dave Freudenthal for President in 2008!
Also you can sign a petition!
go to http://dave4president.blogspot.com/
Posted by: Brandon Rosty | Oct 20, 2006 3:52:02 PM
Ads by Google
(and yes, we know that sometimes they're very, very wrong. Other times, they're right on.)
