4.23.2013

first election 2016 post

Don't worry, this won't become a habit. I promise.

But it is worth noting the news today that Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) is retiring at the end of his current term. At first glance, this looks like a seat that could be an easy pickup for the GOP in '14. However, if you've paid any attention to Montana politics in recent years, you might know that its massively popular and recently term-limited Democratic governor Brian Schweitzer is an early odds-on favorite to run for the seat, and very likely to win it.

The Democratic bench for 2016 is rightly derided for being bereft of promising candidates that aren't named Hilary Clinton. Personally, I think Schweitzer could make a fine president: he had a successful governorship, he's served in the Executive Branch, he's done international development work (in the Middle East, no less), AND he's worked in the private sector.

The only thing really holding him back is that most Americans don't know who the hell he is. But if recent history has told us anything, a two-year stopover in the Senate is really all it takes to fix that...

1 comment:

Mr. D said...

I think Schweitzer will win the Senate seat if he chooses to run. He's very good. But I don't think a Montana Democrat is going to get a lot of traction nationally. You can sell him in Missoula, but can you sell him in Georgetown?

I could see him running for president in 2020. But not in this cycle.