U.S. Sen. Jon Tester and his wife, Sharla, at a Bozeman rally on Sept. 5, 2024 (Photo by Darrell Ehrlick of the Daily Montanan).
Politics, especially campaigning, has never been about reality. Instead, it’s about a politician’s ability to sell his or her version of reality.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has his warped view of reality, with a country doomed by a swarming of immigrants from prisons and asylums that threaten to overrun every American city and state. Yet, when I go to the grocery store or walk around the block, I see the same wonderful people, neighbors and friends, and feel no more threatened than I ever have while roaming the streets of Billings.
So, color me doubtful on that one.
Just like I am equally weary of the political theater of U.S. Sen. Jon Tester playing coy about presidential endorsements. It is not only political theater without purpose, it’s a great example of an internal logic that makes perfect sense in the vacuum of political strategy, but looks ridiculous to average folks. I would argue it has the potential to even backfire on Tester, who has made his career by being unflinching, blunt and embodying a what-you-see-is-what-you get approach.
Tester has been the first to say that every Senate race he’s run has been close, and that’s not an opinion, but a mere reflection of how hard a Democrat has to work in a place like Montana to get elected. That is even more true in this race, as Montana has recently turned a brighter shade of Republican red, and the power balance in the U.S. Senate is microscopically thin and may hinge on the Treasure State.
Yet his reluctance, with barely a month-and-a-half left till Election Day, to endorse any presidential candidate is undermined not only by the D (Democrat) by his name, but also the millions of dollars pouring into his campaign by Democrats from across the country.
Recently, MTN News tried asking Tester the question: Who does he endorse in the presidential election? The reply by Tester was deft, and a great example of not answering the question. He said that he’d work with whomever is elected, regardless of political party.
On one hand, bipartisan work has characterized Tester’s tenure in the Senate. In fact, I think I can name more Republicans who have passed legislation with Tester than other Democrats, although if you haven’t seen the videos of Tester frequently body slamming Cory Booker in various Senatorial sporting contests, I’d highly recommend those.
The question, though, wasn’t who Tester would work with, or if he’d be open to working with Donald Trump again. The question was who would he endorse?
Tester was a no-show at the Democratic National Convention, and was the only delegate from Montana not to cast a vote for Kamala Harris, leaving the vote undecided. He has repeatedly refused to endorse Harris, the Democratic nominee.
But as sure as I am ornery, no one believes Tester is undecided. Even more doubtful is that the dirt farmer from Big Sandy would cast his vote for Donald Trump, the Republican.
The real reason for this charade is because Tester believes that as soon as he voices or even shows the slightest support for the Harris-Walz ticket, the Sheehy camp, along with the other Senatorial Republicans will pounce on the message, trying to tie Tester to Kamala Harris, that C-word in Montana, “Californian.”
Every Democrat running for office is attacked in the same unimaginative way: Trying to tie them to any politician outside the West, especially in that Marxist paradise of California. Lame-duck Rep. Matt Rosendale’s favorite insult is to try tying anyone he doesn’t like to Nancy Pelosi’s “agenda” or other perceived coastal interests, even though Rosendale’s background and fortunes were made on the Maryland coast. And Sheehy lived most of his life outside Montana. And Greg Gianforte came from Pennsylvania and New Jersey. And Steve Daines was born in California. You probably see the pattern.
As much as it may be clever political strategy to remain silent about the national scene and establish that Jon Tester is a Montana Democrat, not to be confused with coastal liberals, there is something gallingly disingenuous about the whole thing.
Democrats have not nominated a repeatedly charged felon, who is liable for sexual assault, as their candidate. They haven’t spread misinformation about immigrants eating pets. They have stood for reproductive rights, something that nearly 80% of Montanans support in some form.
But for a Senate candidate who rightfully brags that he still uses the same meat grinder that took several of his fingers because it’s still a good grinder, this seems uncharacteristically timid.
I doubt Harris will be fretting much just because her former Senate colleague hasn’t endorsed her, and everyone understands the political game that’s being played here.
But can you imagine if Sheehy didn’t pledge loyalty to Trump or if Trump didn’t give him an endorsement?
That, more than anything else I can think of, tells me everything about how both major political parties are operating.