Posted on 10/02/2006 10:18:54 AM PDT by BigSkyFreeper
Vice President Dick Cheney is scheduled to be in Billings today for a brief visit including remarks at a reception for Rep. Denny Rehberg and Montana Republicans.
Earlier in the day, Cheney will be in Casper, Wyo., to deliver remarks at a luncheon for Rep. Barbara Cubin, R-Wyo. The event, which starts at 12:30 p.m., will be at the Casper Event Center.
Both Cubin and Rehberg are seeking re-election on Nov. 7.
Cheney is scheduled to leave Casper at 1:15 p.m. and arrive at Billings Logan International Airport at 2:15 p.m. At 5:30 p.m., he's scheduled to speak at an event for Rehberg and "Montana Victory 2006." The event is at the Billings Hotel and Convention Center. * He is scheduled to fly out of the Billings airport at 6:15 p.m.
Later in the week, Cheney is scheduled to make appearances in Texas, Florida and Michigan in support of other Republicans.
Stumping for Rehberg?
Isn't Rehberg's seat considered SAFE?
Why isn't he campaigning for Conrad Burns? Or has the White House written off Burns?
I've been getting the feeling they've written him off on the national level unfortunately. Seems those outside of Montana are either disinterested or feel that seat is unimportant.
---"Or has the White House written off Burns?"---
Actually, this is at least the second time Cheney has visited Montana recently, making a point of touting Conrad Burns both times. Elizabeth Dole was in Montana at the end of September, too.
The problem is, "about 7 points behind" seems to be the standard result in every poll of the last few weeks. Montana isn't a highly populated state, so polling tends to be fairly accurate when done properly. It just might be that there is not enough time for Burns to close the gap.
He has run some pretty damning ads about Tester and how Tester stated in one debate that he wanted to repeal the Patriot Act. I'm not sure it has the same effect in Montana, where most of the legislature also condemned the Patriot Act. It's hard to measure.
The one positive in this race is that even though Burns consistently trails in the polls, many of those same polls have Burns slightly up when considering "registered voters." So I guess it is possible that a completely flawless GOTV effort might eke this one out for Burns, but I think most people know that this is a highly-unlikely-to-succeed reelection effort.
There is a slight hope of retention here, but it is fading. Conrad Burns has shown no effective closing yet in the polls. I think that the only real hope would be record turnout.
Remember, Montana is a state with a history of electing Democrat Senators. Max Baucus is a Senator, the Governor is Democrat, the Senate is Democrat, and the House is 50/50. Although the state tends to vote GOP for President, it is in reality a Democrat haven in the mountains these days. Sadly.
Burns' debate performances were actually quite strong, considering he was in enemy territory during the most recent one in Butte. Some Montana FReepers out in the western part of the state say he's getting great support there, and I know alot of folks on the eastern side of the state that I've talked to support Burns. I do know that many FReepers who reside in the western part of the state have stated that Burns may as well write off any support in Missoula. Missoula is a bastion of liberalism, and a college town.
Jack Kemp and Karl Rove have been on the trail this past summer with Burns as well.
MT turned sharply to the GOP in 1990's due to Clinton's appeasement to the Enviro-wackos. However in 2004, MT turned its back on the GOP. Is the MT economy really bad?
Why couldn't Burns just call it a career and had a conservative groomed for this year's election.
Ever since the enviro-whacko's set foot in this state, the state's economy has suffered. Saw mills shut down, mining operations either regulated or forced to close because of regulation, and farmers suffering under strict regulation.
Montana, unlike many of it's neighbors in the west hasn't learned after all these years how to diversify into other areas of the economy. Both Republican and Democrat legislatures haven't realized that raising taxes won't spur an economy. During the "dot com craze" there were small businesses trying to get off the ground, only to be chased out of state by higher small business taxes. In fact, one of the more successful ones based in Bozeman, forced most of their workers to physically relocate to Texas.
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