“People want change - it's the thing everybody is talking about right now,” said Anton Pearson, one of six candidates vying for the Republican nomination to challenge U.S. Sen. Max Baucus in November. “I think the change we need is smaller government, less government, so that I can succeed as a businessman,” said Pearson, a St. Regis truck driver.
Stung by losses in key races in both the 2004 and 2006 elections, and feeling more recently sloughed aside by the publicity surrounding last weekend's visits to Montana by Democratic presidential contenders Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, members of the Grand Old Party adopted the rhetoric of change, long a core theme of underdog Democrats in this state.
“It shows that a lot of people have frustrations with both parties, and people want to see change,” said Bushman, a Billings engineer and facilities designer.
Under the stoic gaze of a mixed herd of game animal heads affixed to the walls and vaulting rafters of the Victor Steak House in Victor, approximately 140 Ravalli County Republicans, plus another 30 or so candidates for public office, gathered late Saturday morning for the 2008 Lincoln-Reagan Luncheon, an annual convocation of party faithful. This year's event drew a large crowd, especially considering the fine spring weather that greeted the dawn in western Montana.
“Back when I was in the auction business, the prevailing wisdom was that you never have a sale on a day like this, because everybody's out working on their yards and enjoying the weather,” said Ray Hawk, a Republican state representative for Ravalli County's House District 90 and the master of ceremonies at the event. “So this is real impressive, this turnout.”
The event drew candidates running for offices ranging from county commission to the U.S. Senate. Current Montana Rep. Denny Rehberg attended, and spoke of the surge in interest that he has seen statewide during this election year.
“We've seen record-setting turnout at these events across the state,” Rehberg said .
Every county in Montana hosts its own Lincoln-Reagan luncheon or dinner (Missoula County's event was also on Saturday). Rehberg said he has been energized by the attendance and support shown at the events he has attended this year.
“I've probably done more of these Lincoln-Reagan lunches than anyone else; I've been doing them since '79 and I've been to literally thousands,” said Rehberg, in an interview prior to the luncheon. “I've never seen the quality of candidates and interest and attendance that I'm seeing this year.”
Asked why he thinks that surge in interest has happened, Rehberg offered several interpretations.
“I'm not sure if it's because this is the first pure, open presidential election since the '50s, with no sitting vice president or president running; or if it's because there's an anti-Schweitzer sentiment going around,” said Rehberg, referencing Democratic Gov. Brian Schweitzer. “It could be the fact that we held our caucuses early this year, which got people mobilized earlier than usual in the state.
“But whatever the case,” he added, “I think it's a good indication that Montanans are ready for some change.”
Brad Johnson, the sitting secretary of state for Montana, cut to the heart of the matter when he spoke to the crowd about a poem he recalled - he couldn't remember its name or author - from high school. The poem, he explained, told the story of a general who abandoned the battlefield when his sword was broken by the enemy, and a lieutenant who took up the broken sword and led the troops to victory.
“In the election cycles of '04 and '06, the enemy struck perfect blows,” Johnson said. “It seemed like this was a party ready to throw its sword to the ground. But in '08 Š I stand convinced that you are ready to pick up that sword and Š win the day.”
Republican candidates did not pull punches in discussing various Democratic candidates and elected officials. Public Service Commission member Doug Mood of Seeley Lake referred to fellow PSC member Ken Toole of Helena as “a card-carrying member of the loony left.” Rehberg called Barack Obama an “empty suit,” and referred to Hillary Clinton's health care proposals as “Cuba-care.” Johnson made a joke about how Schweitzer's wife, Nancy, traded her husband for a puppy and “got the better end of the deal.”
Such jabs pleased many in the crowd, including Bruce King, a precinct chairman from south of Hamilton.
“I'm pro-life, pro-family, pro-seal-the-borders,” King said. “I think we need to stop the pork in Washington; and I stand for family issues like traditional family, not all these kinky things on the outside.”
King said he came to Saturday's event to get an up-close look at some of the candidates, to make sure that they really would stand firm on the issues that mattered to him.
“The problem we've had in the past is too many Republicans who get into office and then vote Democrat,” said King. “We call them RINOs - Republicans In Name Only. So I'm here to make sure I'm not just going to vote a RINO into office.”
King sat across a table from Julie and Gary Nelson of Stevensville. King and the Nelsons agreed that they were dissatisfied with the currents of government flowing out of Helena and Washington, D.C.
“The lobbyist issue and the national debt are important to us,” said Gary Nelson. Asked what he thought of the news that former U.S. Sen. Conrad Burns had recently registered as a lobbyist, Nelson scoffed. “We pretty much had given up on him during his last term in office,” he said.
Thus back around to the word of the day: Change.
“I'd say we're very, very dissatisfied with the current government,” Nelson said. “I'd like to see some big changes.”
Yet despite - or perhaps because of - the echoing theme of the day, many at Saturday's luncheon felt confident that this year's elections will fall in their favor.
“I think with Sen. Burns losing in the last (senatorial) election, people have realized that local politics do matter,” said Tim Fox, a Helena lawyer running for state attorney general. “So I'm feeling really good about the elections we have coming up. It's a great time to be in Republican candidate and be in this race.”
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