Schweitzer: Obama's VP or Democratic Savior?

Governor Brian Schweitzer of Montana has been one of the names thrown around in the VP rumor mill, and given the recent discussion about potential VP choices for Barack Obama I figured this piece was worth another look. 

I originally posted it on a now defunct blog of mine, but it is still accurate today.  So from way back on April 19th, here’s another look at Brian Schweitzer’s roll in the veepstakes and in the future of the Democratic Party:

Barack Obama is the presumptive nominee in the Democratic Party right now. 

The only way Hillary Clinton can steal this election away from Obama is to continue fighting until the convention and then somehow convince a large number of superdelegates and pledged delegates to break their pledges to support Barack Obama and cross over to her Dark Side.

The thought of the above scenario is not a pretty picture for Democrats, even for Clinton supporters.  Although it is a remote possibility it still is a possibility.

In the past when I thought about the above scenario I have envisioned myself marching down to city hall the day after it all went down and changing my voter registration from Democrat to Independent.  I would then write a brief piece which a few hundred people would read, I would read all the other bloggers’ posts that said the same thing and I’d temporarily feel a little bit better.

I recently changed my mind though.  No, I am still not going to vote for Hillary Clinton even if she does become the nominee, but I will remain a Democrat.

The man who has caused me to reconsider this hypothetical party change is Montana Governor, Brian Schweitzer.  And not just because I have a theory that he is actually just my Uncle Steve in disguise.

Over the last couple of months I have argued that Schweitzer may be a good running mate for Barack Obama.  There have been some rumors that it may happen and no situation in this race would make me happier.

The qualities that would make Schweitzer a great running mate are the same qualities that would help keep people like me in the party.  Obama’s appeal has attracted hundreds of thousands of new democrats during this campaign, but people like Schweitzer are capable of convincing them to stick around. 

Yes, Obama has plenty to offer and he provides much to be excited about, but there are others who share his vision for America, and his approach.  Schweitzer, like Obama, is a New Democrat. 

What is a New Democrat?

I’ll start by describing an Old Democrat.  An Old Democrat is the Hillary Clinton, Terry McAuliffe, Evan Bayh and Ben Nelson-style Democrat, the look-as-much-like-a-Republican-as-possible Democrat. 

The problem with these types of Democrats, aside from being worthless to Democratic voters is that they’re also worthless to Republican voters.  The Republicans already have their candidate.  They don’t need another one. 

For the past decade voters have gone to the polls on Election Day with a choice: Do I vote for the Republican or do I vote for that other guy who acts like he’s a Republican?  Clearly the Republican has an advantage.

The truth is the battle ground in American politics is only for the 20% in the middle. 

In 2002 I lived in Nebraska and I was heavily involved with the Nebraska Democrats.  On one warm Nebraska night back then I was speaking with a Nebraska State Senator and he told me “40% of the population will vote for the Devil himself if he has an (R) following his name and another 40% will vote for him if he has a (D) behind his name.  The Republicans are killing us on that remaining 20% right now.”

He was right, and Gov. Schweitzer has made an effort to fix things by reminding Democrats that “The independents decide these elections and I might also add that the least informed decide these elections.”

When Schweitzer began campaigning in Montana he knew that finding a way to win that 20% was his only hope. 

The uninspired McAuliffe Plan on the other hand was and is “energize the base.”  In other words completely ignore the 20% in the middle and focus on turn out.  The problem with that is that people don’t turn out to vote unless they’re inspired.  And people aren’t inspired by bland, play-it-safe, poll driven policies.  America craves inspiration. 

Why do you think we still look back to JFK for inspiration?

Kennedy challenged Americans to make this nation better and those challenges led him directly to the White House.

Gov. Schweitzer has not only challenged Montana, but he has challenged the whole nation as well.

Montana recently passed a measure which requires 15% of Montana’s power to be supplied by wind power by the year 2015.  He has also challenged the nation to get on board the 25 by 25 plan, 25% of the nation’s power supplied by alternative power sources by 2025.

He has set some ambitious goals, but goals that are very obtainable and which almost everyone agrees would be good for us.

Schweitzer has also gone out of his way to take a stand on issues that many on both sides of the spectrum agree with, but are scared to confront. 

The Real I.D. Act is just one example.  Schweitzer stood up to the big, bad federal government and said, and I’m paraphrasing here, “No. You will not do this to my citizens.  We want to keep our autonomy as a state, we want to issue our own I.D. cards the way we want to do it and if you’re going to make me change, you’re going to have to come to Montana to do it.” 

Schweitzer is right.  He is right on the issue and he is tough about it.  He doesn’t cave and he doesn’t hide from what he believes.  Instead he makes a public spectacle about it and says I’m fighting for my people. 

Finally, Schweitzer knows how to connect with people, especially regular people from the Mountain West, his constituency.  He wears a bolo tie and looks like a rancher.  He talks to normal human beings like they are normal human being and like he is one too.

Schweitzer would never pull a John Kerry and show up in Philadelphia and try to order a Philly Cheesesteak with Swiss cheese. 

What it comes down to is that Governor Brian Schweitzer of Montana is a prime example of a New Democrat and a new direction for this country.  He is a reminder that Barack Obama is our best hope to take back this country and set a new course, but Obama is not our last or only hope. 

Brian Schweitzer reminds us that we have people like him, we also have Gov. Kathleen Sebelius in Kansas and we have Howard Dean as the DNC chair. 

The Old Democrats are dying and the new breed will no longer ignore the middle of the country or the middle of the political spectrum.

So if Hillary Clinton does manage to steal this election from Barack Obama I will still be able to call myself a Democrat.  I’ll just have to write in Obama/Schweitzer and then patiently wait for the 2012 Schweitzer for President Campaign.