GOP Chairman: Support candidates with Montana values

Montanans work best when we work together. However, recent calls for the President’s impeachment, from Montana’s own Steve Bullock and other Democrat state leaders will deter progress and invite more gridlock. And even though Montanans of all political stripes expect our representatives to roll up their sleeves and work to deliver results for their constituents, one political party’s primary strategy is to actively work against progress ahead of next November’s election. A purely political decision, and the American people will suffer as a result.

You see, rather than recognize that many constituents feel abandoned by the left’s lurch toward socialism, Democrat leadership chooses to spend its time focused on undoing the 2016 election to appease its radical base. Most concerning for us is the Montana Democrat leadership seems to blindly follow in this march to catastrophe.

Montanans want our values reflected by the people that represent us: protecting rugged individualism, ensuring responsible management and conservation of our landscape and resources, promoting fiscal sanity, and defending the rights of law abiding gun owners. These values used to be recognized by all political parties; now they are vanishing from the Democrat party entirely.

Even with a robust economy, record low-unemployment, and a renewed optimism among Americans, leftist politicians are more interested in fighting the president and pacifying their fringe supporters than they are in working on behalf of the American people. That is simply not what Montanans, and Americans, were asking for when they voted to elect the president in 2016.

Sadly, the reluctance and gamesmanship from supposed “moderates” like Governor Bullock to acknowledge any success under this president further prevents elected officials from delivering results for all Americans. This political sideshow has effectively blocked Congress from ratifying the USMCA trade agreement, which would be a boon to our Montana farmers, ranchers, workers and small businesses, and is acknowledged as a better deal than NAFTA. Why the holdup? Because Democrats can not stand the idea of giving the president a “win.” Seriously?

For the next election, we would be wise to recognize that Montana is benefiting from this administration as government revenues, at both the federal and state level, increased more than expected. Credit should be given when earned. Individual tax cuts and corporate tax reform provided the economic growth that grew revenues for state and federal treasuries; free-market thinkers foretold of this event, but were dismissed by the president’s political opponents. The end result means more jobs, more resources for essential services, and a better outlook for all Americans. In the end, the economy is growing, jobs are being created, and the American people are benefiting.

Bottom line: Look past the sideshow and focus on the significant gains made since 2016. When it chose to embrace socialist policies and discount Montana-based values and issues, the Democrat party abandoned Montana. By continuing to elect representatives from the center-right, Montanans will ensure the people who represent us SHARE OUR MONTANA VALUES and WILL WORK TOGETHER to deliver for Montana.

Don Kaltschmidt is chairman of the Montana Republican Party.