Democratic candidate for governor Brian Schweitzer surprised everyone with his recent choice of a Republican for his running mate. Cynics suggest Schweitzer's choice of state Sen. John Bohlinger of Billings is a political gimmick intended to seduce independent and wishy-washy voters. Those cynics miss the point, however. Offering the voters something they find pleasing is the whole idea of running for election. It's something every politician tries to do. It's a good thing. Representative democracy depends on leaders serving the interests of the public, not the other way around.
The interesting question here is whether Schweitzer, who knows something about partisanship, has correctly identified what Montana voters are looking for. Will they choose a political amalgam over pure partisans?
Considering only gubernatorial elections, Montanans have gone with Republicans since 1988. That certainly suggests a preference for Republican leadership. At least, Montanans have consistently chosen Republicans over Democrats for governor. This fact can't be lost on Schweitzer, even though the latest poll commissioned by the Missoulian and its sister papers in Montana showed him leading in hypothetical contests with the Republican contenders. Candidates for governor generally seek to broaden their appeal by choosing running mates who balance the ticket โค" men team up with women, women with men, urban candidates with rural ones.
Schweitzer's decision to team up with Bohlinger is an extreme form of ticket-balancing. The choice of running mate can be a factor especially in primary elections, when candidates of similar beliefs must compete for votes from like-minded voters. Schweitzer seems a shoo-in for his party's nomination, however, and that undoubtedly gives him freedom to balance his ticket with a lieutenant governor with appeal extending beyond the Democratic faithful.
Now, lieutenant governors are the Maytag repairman of politics. Electing Schweitzer would guarantee Bohlinger a nice office, not necessarily much say in government. Enlisting a Republican running mate suggests open-mindedness, but doesn't prove Schweitzer's policies will prove as bipartisan as his ticket - or, in any event, that Schweitzer is the man for the job. But this pairing certainly promises to make the coming election campaign more interesting. And it's encouraging to see at least one politician searching for what so many voters say they want - an alternative to excessive partisanship in politics.
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