Dems Get Red-State Reward for Populism

With Montana having a Democratic governor and Democratic legislature for the first time in years, the pressure was on for the new majority party to deliver. And deliver they did. Far from trying to govern as watered down Big Business Republicans, Democrats passed a slate of progressive populist reforms. For their effort, they are being roundly rewarded in public opinion polls.

According to a new poll by Lee Newspapers, Gov. Brian Schweitzer's (D) 57/33 favorable/unfavorable ratings are far higher than Gov. Marc Racicot's (R) poll numbers at the same time in his term (Racicot was one of Montana's most popular governors). The poll also shows that the 2005 legislature received "significantly higher marks than they did the previous two sessions." 49 percent of Montanans had a favorable view of the recent legislative session, while 45 percent had a negative impression. By contrast, in 2003, 70 percent of voters had a negative assessment of the Legislature, while 27 percent had a positive one. In 2001, 58 percent of voters had a negative evaluation of the Legislature, while 27 percent had a positive one.

This should serve as a model for other "red" state Democrats. Instead of trying to mimic Republicans, the party now has more proof that a strong, populist middle-class agenda can succeed in the heartland. It simply requires political leaders with courage.