Yesterday I gave $25 to Pat Noonan.
Noonan is running for one of Montana’s 5 Public Service Commission (PSC) seats. Here’s a map:
Noonan is running for one of Montana’s 5 Public Service Commission (PSC) seats. Here’s a map:
Pat Noonan was a member of the Montana House of Representatives from District 74 out of Butte. He’s term-limited out and decided not to go for the Senate. I dunno – maybe those seats are full.
I have a feeling that someone higher up in the Party might have given Noonan the green light to run, however. Maybe even Bullock encouraged him. After all, Noonan carried the governor’s Medicaid expansion bill last session.
I mentioned Democrats and the 2016 PSC races way back in April.
I profiled Bob Lake and Roger Koopman. Those men need to go. I’d like to get rid of Brad Johnson as well, but he’s not up this year.
So I’ll support Noonan. I suppose I could have supported Caron Coonan, who’s also running.
That was the angle that two Twitter harpies took today after I let it be known I gave Noonan some money. You can check out #mtpol to see the exchange.
Twitter harpies are nuisances, but not dangerous by any stretch of the imagination. Kinda like gnats.
The whole argument is that Noonan is a stooge for Northwestern Energy.
That case hasn’t been made to me. Noonan even addressed that question when Lee Enterprises had the story on him. Here’s the Bozeman Gazette’s take, from October 12.
What does it mean when Greg Strandberg gives you money?
Well, not a whole lot on the financial side. After all, $25 isn’t much.
What it really says is that I’ll support you, and that’s pretty good. I have a platform here – one of the few in the state – and I can use it. Even more, I can not use it.
Political commentary cuts both ways, and if you get some money from me you can bet I’ll not attack you.
I gave Jesse Laslovich some money back in April and look how well he’s done – raising about $100,000 to his opponent’s $900.
Clearly, if I support you you’re going to do well.
Will Pat Noonan do well? I’m not sure. We’ll see what happens. I will say that getting rid of the racists that are on the PSC would be a good idea.
Yeah, when you block the Indians from getting a dam that’s on their land – and after we’ve already screwed them over for centuries – then I think you’re a racist.
Our PSC is pathetic. It’s utterly pathetic that these mongrels on that commission are getting away with this. Well, if I have my way they won’t – let’s talk about this!
Let’s remember something else: the National Democrats are going to discount Montana except for the governor’s race. Because resources are so thin at the state level, all candidates will be on their own.
I think that’s just fine. I won’t be using the DLCC for my campaigning next year – it’s a waste of money. I know that from 2014.
Other candidates know that too, or at least will. I’ll have some great election strategies coming up soon, just like you saw in my book Social Media Politics.
Until then, find the people you support and let them know it. Like their Facebook page, follow them on Twitter, or just ask your neighbor what they think of them. It gets the conversation going.
We can’t count on the national party to do shit here, and we can’t count on the state apparatus to do much either.
You can do this, and if you support candidates you like then maybe we can start seeing some meaningful change in this state.
