Actually Montana is more of an agriculture state. The enviro-weenies have pretty much killed the mining industry around western Montana. There's still some mining, but it's nothing like it was 40 or 50 years ago. The railroads don't stop in Montana, they go right through it. Eastern Montana is seeing some benefit from the oil industry in North Dakota.
Yes, that’s why I said “old” railroad/mining/union state.
I phrased it that way intending to describe the roots and staying power of some of the lefty politics here-—because it isn’t just the rich newcomers who elect people like Baucus, Schweitzer, Bullox and, heaven help us, Tester.
But it wasn’t very precise and I apologize.