I am still a little annoyed that former Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer decided not to run for Max Baucus’s senate seat, although I can hardly blame him for not wanting to join that hapless organization. I welcome, however, the news that he is seriously considering a presidential run. I do not think he can win the nomination for a couple of reasons. While he has a very progressive streak, his record on guns and coal probably places him far enough out of the Democratic mainstream that progressives will not unite around his candidacy. And he doesn’t have enough of a money-base to compete with the Big Dogs without colossal progressive backing.
Nonetheless, I think he would bring an important populist voice to the debate and could easily distinguish himself enough to be a very attractive running mate. Among the names that are being tossed about, only Martin O’Malley strikes me as a more natural progressive choice.
Montana only has three electoral votes, but you can say the same thing about Joe Biden’s Delaware. If Brian Schweitzer has some coattails, it will be less as a regional player than as a political flavor. There’s an atrophied part of the left-wing coalition that is still represented somewhat by Minnesota’s Democratic Farmer-Labor Party. It isn’t really a crucial part of the coalition for the purposes of winning the Electoral College, but bolstering its appeal can really put the Republicans on the defensive.
The Democrats real national strength comes through a combination of growing power in the southwest, including Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, and (soon) Arizona, along with their recent competitiveness in Virginia, North Carolina, and Florida. As long as the 2016 Democratic candidate is strong in those areas, they almost cannot lose the contest. But, bringing in a degree of prairie populism will add strength to their efforts in the Upper Midwest, particularly in Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, and will release some of the tension that has built up from the party taking on such a strong coastal character.
A lot of people who feel culturally estranged from Obama and Biden will not feel the same way about Schweitzer. So, I think Schweitzer can pull in some support from the far left and some support from the middle, and also have significant crossover appeal. He strikes me as an almost ideal running mate.
If Hillary Clinton is the nominee, picking Schweitzer as her running mate would be a mostly reassuring choice to progressives that wouldn’t alienate the middle.
I hope he runs.
