The Republicans’ effort to regain control of the Senate are well underway and Montana will be playing a pivotal role. The only Democrat left standing holding a state-wide office in Montana is Senator Jon Tester who is up for re-election in 2024. He has announced he is running for re-election, but he has a big target on his back and the Republicans have vowed to spend inordinate amounts of money in little old Montana to unseat him.
Two Republicans have now thrown their respective hats in the ring – current House Representative, Matt Rosendale and Tim Sheehy, another carpetbagger from out-of-state, businessman, former Navy Seal and buddy of our other Representative, Ryan Zinke. Rosendale lost to Tester in the 2018 Senate race but now wants a rematch. The road ahead should be interesting because the Republicans preferred candidate in Sheehy but, no doubt, Rosendale probably believes it is his turn and is the candidate most deserving of another shot at unseating Tester. Many believe that Rosendale, if he were to win the Republican primary, is unelectable against Tester. Rosendale’s big claim to fame is that he is another Trump sycophant!
As I stated yesterday, I think 2024 will be a pivotal year in American politics not so much as to who gets elected but rather HOW they get elected. The other reason that 2024 will be a pivotal year will be who ultimately controls the House and the Senate in the next administration. Right now, the Republicans control the House of Representatives, but the Democrats control the White House and the Senate. If 2024 follows history, it is likely Republicans will retake the Senate and the White House. That does not bode well for the country.
It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out how a MAGA president like Trump or DeSantis (or most any of the other Republican candidates) working unchecked by a Republican Senate and House would do irreparable damage to this country. Right now, the House seems to be having a contest as to who can introduce the greatest number of impeachment articles. Given that the current Senate is controlled by the Democrats, these efforts in the House are a waste of time because any resulting trials will be in the Senate and the odds that any of the people the House impeaches would get convicted are pretty slim.
However, think about what would happen after 2024 if the Senate and the House were both controlled by the Republicans and the resident of the White House was someone like Trump or DeSantis! It is quite likely there would be endless investigations and impeachments coming out of the House and an endless series of trials in the Senate which would no doubt result in ‘convictions’ for everyone from the Director of the FBI (supposedly a non-partisan position) to the local dog catcher if they disagreed in any way shape or form with the administration. CSPAN would begin to look like a Perry Mason TV series.
There is no shortage of problems facing this country, but it is difficult to see how such an administration would have the time or inclination to actually govern and solve real problems when they would be so consumed with exacting revenge and putting on shows for Fox News. Instead of being the ‘beacon of light on a hill’ for the rest of the world, we will look more like the Keystone Kops trying to run a country.
It is easy to make light of this situation now but if it comes to pass, it will be no laughing matter. Frankly, I don’t know how this country will recover. I think the damage done will be irreparable. So many people in this country continue to live under the delusion of ‘this is America and that could never happen here’ umbrella it is truly frightening.
Five years ago, it was almost inconceivable that Roe v. Wade could be overturned. It was ‘settled law’ for 50 years and yet, here we are. The question of election integrity in this country was never really questioned and the peaceful transfer of power was a given – until Jan. 6th and the ‘Big Lie’ propagated by Trump and his acolytes. The Supreme Court was thought to be a model of integrity, ethical jurisprudence and apolitical – until now!
If the American electorate is not careful, we will be like the frog happily swimming in the pool as the Republicans slowly keep turning up the heat! By the time we realize we are cooked, it will be too late! Which is exactly why we are looking for a new lily pad in a different pond!
