Where The Puck Is Going to Be
Back when Wayne Gretzky focused on hockey instead of MAGA politics and cosmetic surgery, he coined one of my favorite instructional phrases: “A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be.” It’s a wise, straightforward insight into how Gretzky became one of the greatest players of all time. It’s also critical advice to anyone who wants to win elections or save a country, and if Democrats want to do either, they need to start looking out in front, too.
The first hundred days of Trump 2.0 tell us what is coming; the MAGA political puck is speeding toward unmitigated disaster. Despite this reality, the red-hatted team is not adjusting; they’ve given us their game plan nationally and in our state. Here in Montana, despite plummeting tourism, impending Trump tariff-recession, Medicaid and Social Security cuts, DOGE-caused chaos, gutted federal agencies, conservation policy disaster, and god knows what on foreign policy, MAGA cheerleaders like Zinke and Daines keep doubling down. They proudly support every single Trump policy, even though many are sure to wreak absolute havoc on their constituents. National polls are already showing that voters know it.
Even as the MAGA polls dive, Zinke, ever the sychophant, never misses an opportunity to suck up. When he voted with the House majority to give billionaires tax cuts paid for by cutting $880 billion from Medicaid and other critical programs, he celebrated in a social media post parroting Trump, “We passed a big, beautiful bill.” When Elon Musk callously fired thousands of federal employees at the USFS, BLM, and NPS, Zinke celebrated again, offering that DOGE was doing the Montana economy a favor by freeing up federal professionals to begin the search for new jobs because small businesses “can’t find enough workers.”1 These are but two of several dozen more such embarrassing examples demonstrating that even if Trump lit the entire state on fire, Zinke would stand and dutifully celebrate the torching.
For his part, Daines is behind the scenes fanning the flames, too, proudly spearheading Trump-driven dismissal of bedrock conservation laws while demanding massive cuts to critical federal services must happen so that “we can make President Trump’s tax cuts permanent.” As if his complete devotion was not clear enough, just last week, Daines issued public statements touting Trump’s recent “complete and total endorsement.” Even as Trump’s approval rating is falling, Daines dutifully bends his knee and issues fawning acceptance, “I’m honored to have your support.”2
I know what you are thinking, “Am I going crazy? Don’t we have an election coming and aren’t these policies are going to be less popular than a turd in the punchbowl!?” Take a breath, you are not crazy, and don’t drink the punch. Of course, this is going to be unpopular, but this natural self-doubt about the future illustrates why Gretzky’s admonition is more difficult than it sounds, and some of our Democratic institutions are making it worse. Even leading Democratic national hopefuls are having a hard time with the concept.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer is on everyone’s shortlist of leading 2028 presidential hopefuls, and I have been one who sees a lot of promise in her. Still, she’s had a rough couple of weeks of self-induced errors brought on by what looks like a failure to grasp where the puck is going to be.
First, she was lured into the Oval Office after a Whitehouse meeting, only to find herself cornered into embarrassing photos during one of Trump’s executive order press gaggles.3 She could have been a hero and made a considerable contribution to winning in 2026 by publicly walking out, or making a defiant statement about Trump’s attacks on judges, the environment, the rule of law, etc.. But instead, she chose to literally hide in the corner.
This is curious and confusing to voters because in 2024, Whitmer was a fierce Trump critic, stating that he was “deranged” and claiming, “This guy just doesn’t understand what the average woman is confronting in her life in this country, and how could he? He’s not lived a normal life.”4
However, the confusion got even worse last week when Governor Whitmer decided to meet Trump on the tarmac, hug him, and appear on stage with him at a Michigan rally.5 All of this is going to age like a glass of milk in the hot sun and is illustrative of why our political progress in confronting MAGA is slower than it should be. We cannot rightfully claim horror at all the things this administration is doing, and also normalize it with unforced errors that fail to imagine the extent of the damage to our country.
I’m writing this to encourage all of you not to be distracted by mistakes from Democrats who cannot yet see where we are headed. Unlike Gretzky, who had to guess at where crafty opponents were going to shoot, MAGA is telling us exactly what’s coming; it’s obviously horrible, and the sooner we all start acting like it, the better the results will be in 2026 and 2028. Clearly, voters already understand it, even if our Democratic machinery does not.
Back here in Montana, many voters know exactly what is coming and are mobilizing against it. Again this week, there were protests in several Montana cities.6 But even as many voters sense the possibility and urgency of 2026, many Montana advocacy organizations are bending the knee and playing the puck where MAGA wants it to be, handing out made-up awards or appearing in smiling photos with Daines and Zinke, their own version of a tarmac hug that’s are sure to be used in campaign ads. This, even as both men continue to cheer MAGA destruction, attacking everything these nonprofit organizations profess to stand for.
Let’s make things really simple. Here’s an easy guide for anyone struggling to grasp what to do or how to act. Just pretend a group of deranged billionaires has purposefully tanked the U.S. economy, gutted bipartisan conservation laws, drawn up plans to sell public lands, issued orders to dismantle the social security agency and Medicaid, defied court orders, ignored due process, and given billionaires another huge tax cut. Imagine that your Republican representatives think that’s all awesome. Think about how voters will feel as this hits them in their daily lives and then imagine helping fuel a 2026 electoral ass kicking in response. Then act like you believe this is where the puck is going to be… because it is.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-issues-full-throated-endorsement-sen-steve-daines-he-not-let-you-down
https://newschannel9.com/news/nation-world/michigan-governors-folder-fiasco-whitmer-hides-face-as-trump-holds-oval-office-meeting
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/sep/22/gretchen-whitmer-calls-trump-deranged-after-comments-on-abortion
https://apnews.com/article/whitmer-trump-hug-michigan-fd8652c2a515ed356be16d16e875d0ae
https://dailyinterlake.com/news/2025/may/03/kalispell-protestors-rally-on-may-day-to-depose-trump/
Ryan, A great piece...that gave way to a Sunday writing for me to Wyoming's congressional delegation who must have been spawned from the same sludge heap that Montana's minions were.
Sadly, Montana and Wyoming congressional morons are much the same...I follow the quote."You either eat dust or make dust". It's time to start a real dust storm!
Thanks
PS Like you, making dust is preferable
Ryan:
The problem is the Montana we have known for 50 years has changed dramatically in the last 10 years. Unfortunatly 25% of the voters the last 10 years have moved here from other states, especially CA, WA and OR. They move here to escape the liberal politics of their former state. And it is not just Bozeman or the Flathead where they settle. Hell, Sanders County has grown by 2500 - 3000 folks in recent years and they are either grey haired angry old men and women, pro gun, conservatives anti govt or they are younger with kids whom they home school and belong to some whacko fundamentalist Christian group escaping the liberal transgender tolerant west coast . Many Montana Realtors are activley recruiting these folks! Look on U Tube about moving to Montana where they stress Second Ammendment friendly, small govt and independence etc. So they automatically vote the big R just because! Daines, Zinke and Shehey know this as does Downing. I don't know how to get to them, do you?