I like checking the mail. When I lived in China for 5 years I didn’t get much mail.
What’s more, most of the time it was in Chinese and I couldn’t read it. (Think your power bill is hard to decipher?)
Anyways, I checked my mailbox today and there were 3 political campaign mailers there.
Now, instead of doing what any sensible person would do – chucking them into the nearest rubbish bin without an afterthought – I rushed to my computer and scanned them in.
So what do we got? Well, here we go!
What’s more, most of the time it was in Chinese and I couldn’t read it. (Think your power bill is hard to decipher?)
Anyways, I checked my mailbox today and there were 3 political campaign mailers there.
Now, instead of doing what any sensible person would do – chucking them into the nearest rubbish bin without an afterthought – I rushed to my computer and scanned them in.
So what do we got? Well, here we go!
Dick Haines for Senate District 49
I live in Senate District 49 and House District 98 in Missoula. We were thinking of moving when our 1-year lease was up in August, but we just couldn’t find a decent place closer to where my wife Evgenyia works downtown, or one that wasn’t a complete shithole that wouldn’t be suitable for a 3-year-old (although for college students it’d be great!).
That means I get political mailings from Dick Haines, and here’s what his looks like:
That means I get political mailings from Dick Haines, and here’s what his looks like:
Well, what do you think? First of all, let me say I’ve med Dick Haines once and I liked him.
This was when I went to the Target Range Homeowners Association, where all the candidates could present their ‘vision’ or issues or whatever. It was back in May I think, and I talked to him for a bit and listened to his speech.
Haines has a lot of experience, having served in the Montana State House of Representatives from 1999 to 2005. He was probably one of the big winners that 1998 off-year election, when Republicans really tried to paint Bill Clinton as a skirt-chasing demon.
America wasn’t buying it, and nationally the GOP looked like idiots. It was the tail-end of Clinton’s second term, yet they didn’t gain anything in the Senate and actually lost five seats in the House. Wikipedia puts it pretty damn straight:
This was when I went to the Target Range Homeowners Association, where all the candidates could present their ‘vision’ or issues or whatever. It was back in May I think, and I talked to him for a bit and listened to his speech.
Haines has a lot of experience, having served in the Montana State House of Representatives from 1999 to 2005. He was probably one of the big winners that 1998 off-year election, when Republicans really tried to paint Bill Clinton as a skirt-chasing demon.
America wasn’t buying it, and nationally the GOP looked like idiots. It was the tail-end of Clinton’s second term, yet they didn’t gain anything in the Senate and actually lost five seats in the House. Wikipedia puts it pretty damn straight:
“This marked the first time since 1934 that the out-of-Presidency party failed to gain congressional seats in a mid-term election, and the first time since 1822 that the party not in control of the White House failed to gain seats in the mid-term election of a President's second term.” (1998 U.S. Senate Elections)
But you know a lot of Montana voters fall for that shit, and that’s how Haines got into the legislature. Remember, a lot of that deregulation debacle from the 1997 legislature hadn’t set in yet, so people still thought Republicans were their friends.
I guess that’s what Haines is thinking of now, as you can see from the back of his flyer:
I guess that’s what Haines is thinking of now, as you can see from the back of his flyer:
Montana election flyer
I like this flyer. I liked it when I read the whole damn thing on the curb. It’s simple and easy to read and old folks will like it. It’s those older folks that Haines is counting on voting for him, and I’m sure a lot will.
Personally I would’ve liked it if Mike Hopkins beat him in June, but it wasn’t meant to be (930 votes to 669, or 58% to 41%). I was happy to see that Hopkins was appointed to run in SD 48 after Kevin Blackler dropped out…interesting, huh?
That means Hopkins and Cynthia Wolken will be going at it until November, although I’m not sure what Hopkins finances are like at this point. (The vote was 1,452 Wolken and 810 Blackler in June, both running unopposed).
So what about Dick Haines? Personally I don’t think he stands a chance against Democratic warhorse and juggernaut Diane Sands. She’s mobilized, has the financial resources, and just seems unstoppable.
Ask Doug Coffin, someone I was sad to see go up against her in June, but I’m sure he’ll be back, unless he transfers to another university, which seems unlikely since he had a Missoulian letter about Labor the other day.
So I’m sure Diane Sands will win this race…but we’ll see.
Personally I would’ve liked it if Mike Hopkins beat him in June, but it wasn’t meant to be (930 votes to 669, or 58% to 41%). I was happy to see that Hopkins was appointed to run in SD 48 after Kevin Blackler dropped out…interesting, huh?
That means Hopkins and Cynthia Wolken will be going at it until November, although I’m not sure what Hopkins finances are like at this point. (The vote was 1,452 Wolken and 810 Blackler in June, both running unopposed).
So what about Dick Haines? Personally I don’t think he stands a chance against Democratic warhorse and juggernaut Diane Sands. She’s mobilized, has the financial resources, and just seems unstoppable.
Ask Doug Coffin, someone I was sad to see go up against her in June, but I’m sure he’ll be back, unless he transfers to another university, which seems unlikely since he had a Missoulian letter about Labor the other day.
So I’m sure Diane Sands will win this race…but we’ll see.
Matthew Lowy for Justice of the Peace
Matthew Lowy and family I don’t really know what Justice of the Peace means – I guess it’s some kind of judge, but then why not call it that?
Government is difficult, and Matthew Lowy is trying to make it less so…I guess.
I don’t know a lot of things when it comes to this race, other than the fact that both candidates always seem to be in the news for all the wrong reasons. Either Marie Anderson is sending out $8,000 worth of this shit I got today, or Lowy is being endorsed by a District Court office manager.
Well, I could think of some worse things a candidate might be doing.
Both cases seem like a whole lot of nothing to me, really little more than election year hoo-ha and shenanigans, of which Montana has a long history of. This is pretty tame in comparison.
But they’re judges and they’re not supposed to be political…but they have to get elected. Jeez, kinda makes things tough, huh? I mean, if I get a traffic fine and the penalty is $50 to $100, will I get the low-end if I’d donated to one of their campaigns?
Gosh, when I get up there in front of them in court, are you telling me that’s not going to go through their head. Yeah, Greg gave me $10 that one time when I was a nobody and needed to get elected, so I’m going to give him a break on this one.
I dunno, it’s questionable. But anyone that’s been following our local races here in Missoula this year knows that things are pretty wild, from the Sheriff’s race earlier that saw all kinds of nonsense to the County Commissioner race that was equally interesting.
Seems we got most of that stuff done with the primaries, but there are a few that remain, and that’s why I get flyers like this in the mail today:
Government is difficult, and Matthew Lowy is trying to make it less so…I guess.
I don’t know a lot of things when it comes to this race, other than the fact that both candidates always seem to be in the news for all the wrong reasons. Either Marie Anderson is sending out $8,000 worth of this shit I got today, or Lowy is being endorsed by a District Court office manager.
Well, I could think of some worse things a candidate might be doing.
Both cases seem like a whole lot of nothing to me, really little more than election year hoo-ha and shenanigans, of which Montana has a long history of. This is pretty tame in comparison.
But they’re judges and they’re not supposed to be political…but they have to get elected. Jeez, kinda makes things tough, huh? I mean, if I get a traffic fine and the penalty is $50 to $100, will I get the low-end if I’d donated to one of their campaigns?
Gosh, when I get up there in front of them in court, are you telling me that’s not going to go through their head. Yeah, Greg gave me $10 that one time when I was a nobody and needed to get elected, so I’m going to give him a break on this one.
I dunno, it’s questionable. But anyone that’s been following our local races here in Missoula this year knows that things are pretty wild, from the Sheriff’s race earlier that saw all kinds of nonsense to the County Commissioner race that was equally interesting.
Seems we got most of that stuff done with the primaries, but there are a few that remain, and that’s why I get flyers like this in the mail today:
Matthew Lowy for Justice of the Peace Event
Now I like this one, for several reasons. First, it’s small, just a postcard size compared to that larger one from Haines. Next, this one actually has my name on it:
I don’t know who the hell David C Jones or Current Resident is, but obviously they made the mistake of giving to some campaign in the past. Maybe it was just one of those pesky door-knockers.
I’ve done these mailings before, and they’re not always easy, and they’re sure not always effective. I was happy to see that Lowy or at least his Treasurer, Senator Cliff Larson, put an actual stamp on the damn thing, and not some forever stamp, but an actual 34 center!
It’s even got my complete zip code, something I don’t even know. Yes, it seems if I want quality and care and a touch for detail, Matt Lowy might be the way to go. (I’ve yet to receive a Marie Anderson mailing, even though she sent out a batch of $8,000 worth…perhaps illegally).
But shit, I’m pretty much preachin’ to the converted on this one. I already voted for Sands and Lowy once before and will do so again in November. I guess this is for all of you that still might be getting some of these in the mail:
I’ve done these mailings before, and they’re not always easy, and they’re sure not always effective. I was happy to see that Lowy or at least his Treasurer, Senator Cliff Larson, put an actual stamp on the damn thing, and not some forever stamp, but an actual 34 center!
It’s even got my complete zip code, something I don’t even know. Yes, it seems if I want quality and care and a touch for detail, Matt Lowy might be the way to go. (I’ve yet to receive a Marie Anderson mailing, even though she sent out a batch of $8,000 worth…perhaps illegally).
But shit, I’m pretty much preachin’ to the converted on this one. I already voted for Sands and Lowy once before and will do so again in November. I guess this is for all of you that still might be getting some of these in the mail:
Yeah, a company trying to get me to buy campaign materials and flyers. Shit, I lost my primary – this is sand in the wound!
I certainly know the company that I won’t contact next go-round, after all, they don’t even have someone checking their mailing list post-primary to save them money. They did get my name right, though.
I certainly know the company that I won’t contact next go-round, after all, they don’t even have someone checking their mailing list post-primary to save them money. They did get my name right, though.
