Tuesday's presidential caucus, the first in more than two decades, has given Missoula Republicans their voice - and a vote in one of the most hotly contested presidential primary races in recent history.
“In the past, people were cajoled” to participate, said Will Deschamps, chairman of Missoula County's Republican Central Committee. “This is Missoula. It's difficult for people who consider themselves right of the spectrum to speak out. They are concerned about exposing themselves.”
“I was confused,” she said Friday at the meet-and-greet event. “They must not know Missoula very well.”
But Matt Romney didn't have to visit the Garden City to know the number of Republican votes here.
Missoula has the third-highest number of Republicans in the state voting in Tuesday's caucus, with 104 people casting ballots. Only Yellowstone and Gallatin counties have more.
Missoula County's Republican Central Committee grew its membership by 57 people during the past year.
Suddenly, Missoula's importance to Republican presidential candidates has increased, albeit ever-so slightly.
“Democrats don't vote in the Republican primary,” Romney said. “Republicans vote in the Republican primary. Regardless of the (political) environment, if we do a good job getting my dad's message out, he can do well anywhere.”
Often, caucuses tend to draw out the most ideological party members, said University of Montana political science professor Jim Lopach. It maintains a party's political purity.
In a closely-watched presidential race like this one, though, Lopach wonders why the Montana GOP decided not to open the caucus to everyone - why to limit voting to party leaders, elected officials and precinct representatives.
“It seems to be a closed event,” he said. “I think they missed an opportunity to broaden their base.”
That, of course, is what Democrats have been saying in criticism of the caucuses. Montana Democrats opted against a February caucus, staying with their traditional June primary election.
Carol Minjares, 59, wishes Tuesday's caucus was open to everyone in the party, but takes comfort in the fact that Republicans can still vote in the June primary.
“I hope they don't feel alienated,” said the local conservative blogger, who was rooting for Fred Thompson before he dropped out of the race. Now the precinct representative is leaning toward Romney, but probably won't decide until Monday or Tuesday, she said.
Not every Republican in Missoula will stay active after the primary, Deschamps said. At the same time, there may be a future legislator among the bunch.
A diverse group of Republicans are voting in Missoula County's caucus, which begins with a 6 p.m. social hour at the DoubleTree Hotel, then commences in earnest with speeches for each candidate at 7 p.m., then voting.
About half the county's credentialed electors are 50 years and older and roughly 15 percent are under the age of 30, Deschamps said.
Local singer-songwriter David Boone, 26, thought politics were generally dishonest and was never interested in getting involved until he began to listen to Ron Paul's message.
“It was the first time I thought politics crossed over into the realm of being able to help people,” said Boone, who stops short of calling himself a Republican, preferring instead “truth-seeker.” “I think (Paul) is the only person I see that doesn't have an element of politician in him. The others are out there because of money or clout, and I feel that's somewhat of an empty message.”
He felt the only way to truly have his voice heard was by voting at the caucus.
“Everyone's vote should count,” he said. “I understand that they are trying to build the party, but on the surface it doesn't seem right.”
Some people took straw polls among residents in their precinct to decide who to support, and others just decided for themselves.
Allie Harrison, 20, grew up in Missoula and is president of the University of Montana College Republicans. The political science major represents parts of the university district and has been trying to talk with as many people as possible.
“My personal preference is (Mike) Huckabee, but you aren't elected to represent your own voice,” said Harrison, who has been surprised by the number of John McCain supporters she has come across. “You are supposed to bring others into it. If everyone votes their personal opinion, it doesn't tell you very much. It doesn't reflect the broader population.”
Not everyone feels that way, however.
“That's my personal preference,” said former Missoula City Councilman Jerry Ballas, when asked how he was deciding who to vote for. “I don't have to discuss that with anybody.”
There are no hard-set rules, and many are feeling their way through this for the first time. So it's understandable that things may go awry - like accidentally allowing a Democrat to vote, for example.
Deschamps suspects one of the 104 people voting in Missoula's caucus Tuesday is actually a Democrat.
The names of new caucus members are checked against a national voter database operated by the Republican Party, Deschamps said. It shows which way a person tends to lean politically.
“I did the best I could,” he said. “Maybe the person is a convert. These databases are not always 100 percent correct, by my inclination is that this guy is (a Democrat). With a gigantic influx of folks, you don't know who they all are.”
Another suspected Democrat in Missoula applied to join the Republican ranks, but Deschamps said the person withdrew his name after he was confronted.
Montana Republican Party executive director Chris Wilcox seemed shocked by the news.
“It never occurred to me that a Democrat would want to sign up as a Republican precinct committeeman,” he said. “Most Montanans respect the process and the duty of that process. If that's what happened, I think that speaks to the openness of this process and the big tent of the Republican Party.”
To Wilcox's knowledge, there have been no other incidents of Democrats attempting to vote in the Republican caucus elsewhere in the state.
Reporter Chelsi Moy can be reached at 523-5260 or at chelsi.moy@missoulian.com
Missoula GOP
Missoula County's Republican Central Committee will conduct a presidential caucus for qualified electors on Tuesday, beginning at 6 p.m. at the DoubleTree Hotel in Missoula. The caucus will start with a social hour, followed at 7 p.m. by a speaker for each candidate. Ballots will then be distributed. All qualified electors must bring a photo ID. For more information, contact Will Deschamps at 544-4344.
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