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.
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?
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!
Mr Busse, you have, in a way, given an example of Gretzky's admonition. I'm thinking particularly of the chart you reprinted of Donnie's sagging popularity. That's where the puck is. The problems Dems have, and why they're polling worse than Donnie, is that they're not structuring a platform based on the public's concerns, and what they propose to do about them. "We're not Donnie" is where the puck is. "What we'd like to see happen, and here's how we plan to get there" is where the puck is going. It's where Dems think it's going, or where it should go, or where they want it to go. It's what they think would be best for Americans. And Gretzky may be "one of the greatest players of all time," whose "admonition is more difficult than it sounds," and didn't always lead to a steal or a goal, but those are the commitments, and the risks, Dems need to take. Dems won't get every vote if they're assertive. Some people won't vote for them because they're Dems, or because the voters don't agree, or don't see it that way. But they need confidence. Look at what has been happening when Sanders, and Ocasio-Cortez, and Khanna, hold town halls in the unlikeliest of places. They get a very enthusiastic reception. Sure, some of that is because every is already disgusted with Donnie. But some of it, probably most of it, is that people who self-acknowledge to be on the Progressive end of the scale have a message in which they have confidence, and they deliver it with confidence.
And could they think, as Gretzky thought, the puck seemed likely to end up in one place, but it ended up in another? Sure. Or, as Jerri Swenson quotes Gretzky, if 100% of the shots you don't take don't go it, does that mean that 100% of the shots you do take will go in? No.
I have said very consistently, and I still say, that Harris' biggest problem, apart from the delay that was imposed on her, was that when she was asked repeatedly, and publicly, what she would do different from Biden, she said "nothing." She thought that where the puck was was good enough. I have had this conversation with a friend who thinks Harris was right, and would have appeared "disloyal" if she had said she would do anything different. Biden never had good polling. Harris had to know that, make her own plan, and take her best possible guess as to where the puck was going. Or where she would have liked it to go. All the people who gushed in admiration over the Emperor's new clothes were focused on where the puck was.
I'm going to take the liberty to take that as a compliment. If it is one, thanks. The alternative is that you're asking me in a nice way to butt out. You don't have to be gentle about it. Just tell me to butt out.
Very inclusive of her. You, or she, is welcome to my participation. And I wouldn't bother if your posts in general, and this one in particular, weren't so captivating. But I don't want to come across as criticizing or raking muck. If I didn't, then I'm delighted to continue to take this ride with you.
Wayne Gretzky also famously said, “100% of the shots you don’t take, don’t go in”.
That appears to be trumps strategy!
I am reading “The Project” by David A Graham, a staff writer at the Atlantic. Highly informative about the Heritage Foundation and Project 2025. Also highly frightening!
Vought, one of the main architects of 2025 is
now deeply imbedded in the Trump administration, as are hundreds of Heritage Foundation employees.
In trumps first term, he enacted 66% of the Heritage Foundation’s recommendations! He is now following their agenda to a tea!
Folks pray for tRump’s death or other serious consequences. What they don’t realize is that the Heritage Foundation has a closet full of trumps set to replace him!
Here’s a hint: neither the staff nor the congressMEN read them. That’s why you have to check the box that says what issue you’re writing about. Then they can send you a boilerplate answer. (Sheepy sends one saying how much he’s in love with Donny baby.)
To be counted, make a phone call. You’ll still get a boilerplate answer but at least your vote is counted and reported to the CongressMAN.
I do realize that the Congressman do not read their mail. And I’ve gotten the boiler plate responses! However, they do “count” them! Short sweet and to the point. (I did a lot of work with Senator Harkin’s office when he was an Iowa Senator.)
Man, do I dislike Zinke, he's everything that's goofed up in Montana politics. Wishing you and Lander the best
Everyone should watch this You Tube about the people of Germany in Nazi times - very much what we are going through now with Trump. https://youtu.be/7-UaeS1L0HU?si=BeaAg_hxsOuZ_SdY
Reminds me of my childhood, Pat Simmons
Are you going to run for something?
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?
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
Mr Busse, you have, in a way, given an example of Gretzky's admonition. I'm thinking particularly of the chart you reprinted of Donnie's sagging popularity. That's where the puck is. The problems Dems have, and why they're polling worse than Donnie, is that they're not structuring a platform based on the public's concerns, and what they propose to do about them. "We're not Donnie" is where the puck is. "What we'd like to see happen, and here's how we plan to get there" is where the puck is going. It's where Dems think it's going, or where it should go, or where they want it to go. It's what they think would be best for Americans. And Gretzky may be "one of the greatest players of all time," whose "admonition is more difficult than it sounds," and didn't always lead to a steal or a goal, but those are the commitments, and the risks, Dems need to take. Dems won't get every vote if they're assertive. Some people won't vote for them because they're Dems, or because the voters don't agree, or don't see it that way. But they need confidence. Look at what has been happening when Sanders, and Ocasio-Cortez, and Khanna, hold town halls in the unlikeliest of places. They get a very enthusiastic reception. Sure, some of that is because every is already disgusted with Donnie. But some of it, probably most of it, is that people who self-acknowledge to be on the Progressive end of the scale have a message in which they have confidence, and they deliver it with confidence.
And could they think, as Gretzky thought, the puck seemed likely to end up in one place, but it ended up in another? Sure. Or, as Jerri Swenson quotes Gretzky, if 100% of the shots you don't take don't go it, does that mean that 100% of the shots you do take will go in? No.
I have said very consistently, and I still say, that Harris' biggest problem, apart from the delay that was imposed on her, was that when she was asked repeatedly, and publicly, what she would do different from Biden, she said "nothing." She thought that where the puck was was good enough. I have had this conversation with a friend who thinks Harris was right, and would have appeared "disloyal" if she had said she would do anything different. Biden never had good polling. Harris had to know that, make her own plan, and take her best possible guess as to where the puck was going. Or where she would have liked it to go. All the people who gushed in admiration over the Emperor's new clothes were focused on where the puck was.
Fred, looks like you need your own Substack.
I already have one.
I'm going to take the liberty to take that as a compliment. If it is one, thanks. The alternative is that you're asking me in a nice way to butt out. You don't have to be gentle about it. Just tell me to butt out.
Please don't butt out!!!
Thank you, Michael. Appreciated. But the comment I was concerned was ambiguous came from Ryan Busse. And it's his post in his account.
Hey Fred. That was from my wife Sara. And she’s not wanting anyone to butt out, don’t worry. Thanks for participating!
Very inclusive of her. You, or she, is welcome to my participation. And I wouldn't bother if your posts in general, and this one in particular, weren't so captivating. But I don't want to come across as criticizing or raking muck. If I didn't, then I'm delighted to continue to take this ride with you.
Wayne Gretzky also famously said, “100% of the shots you don’t take, don’t go in”.
That appears to be trumps strategy!
I am reading “The Project” by David A Graham, a staff writer at the Atlantic. Highly informative about the Heritage Foundation and Project 2025. Also highly frightening!
Vought, one of the main architects of 2025 is
now deeply imbedded in the Trump administration, as are hundreds of Heritage Foundation employees.
In trumps first term, he enacted 66% of the Heritage Foundation’s recommendations! He is now following their agenda to a tea!
Folks pray for tRump’s death or other serious consequences. What they don’t realize is that the Heritage Foundation has a closet full of trumps set to replace him!
Tell me, Ryan, how do I find any hope?
I’m still sending emails to our delegation on issues facing Montanans!
Here’s a hint: neither the staff nor the congressMEN read them. That’s why you have to check the box that says what issue you’re writing about. Then they can send you a boilerplate answer. (Sheepy sends one saying how much he’s in love with Donny baby.)
To be counted, make a phone call. You’ll still get a boilerplate answer but at least your vote is counted and reported to the CongressMAN.
I do realize that the Congressman do not read their mail. And I’ve gotten the boiler plate responses! However, they do “count” them! Short sweet and to the point. (I did a lot of work with Senator Harkin’s office when he was an Iowa Senator.)
Ah. Thanks, Suzette.