In it to … well … lose it
Guest Cartoonist, John Moore
August 13, 2026
In the Pocket
Guest Cartoonist, John Moore
August 11, 2026
If an idea seems too cute by half, it is probably a bad idea.
Guest Post By Joe Hancock, Chair of Gallatin County Democrats
This election year, four candidates garnered enough support from Montana voters to earn a place on the ballot for our U.S. Senate race: Kurt Alme, Kyle Austin, Alani Bankhead, and Seth Bodnar. Every demand for one of these candidates to withdraw from this election is an attempt to disenfranchise Montanans who participated in the nominating process.
I’ve read two meandering letters in the past month from liberal lawmakers and lawyers with conclusions that seem to be informed by self-interest rather than common sense. If an idea seems too cute by half, it is probably a bad idea. This isn’t the first time this year that I’ve seen lawyers argue a novel legal theory meant to undermine the electoral process established in Montana Code Annotated.
While I’m frustrated by these privileged few squabbling over a senate campaign, I’m truly angry that this feckless infighting has insulated Montana Republicans from criticism as they promote dangerous new policies and fundraise on a platform of social exclusion. Working Montanans continue losing economic ground because of state and local government policy failures while these people waste time and political capital on a fight nobody wins.
The GOP put red meat on the table when their flat-tax proposal hit the front page, but so-called Democrats are digging for gristle in the dumpster. We have data, history, and experience that can inform a strong message in opposition to a flat income tax, but the loudest voices in our party have gone hoarse from screaming into the void.
A declaration of support for Alani Bankhead from a member of the Montana Democratic Party is simply a reminder of the written mission to elect Democrats to local, statewide, and federal offices to ensure a government of the people, by the people, and for the people of Montana. It is no more controversial than the MSU president announcing support for the Bobcats football team.
My role as the chair of the Gallatin County Democrats is to pursue this mission to the best of my ability, and my commitment is fueled by my belief in that mission. As a leader, I owe my fellow members my judgment, and as a person, I owe myself a faithful adherence to my code of ethics. My approach has been forged by a life of service and my sworn oaths as an airman and an engineer, committing my skills and knowledge to the public good and in support of democracy.
I expect all four candidates in this race to be on the ballot following the withdrawal deadline of August 10. Should a surprise vacancy occur on the Democratic ticket, I will ensure another qualified candidate is nominated so we can continue our mission to serve the people of Montana and give our opponents the lumber in November.
“You Literally Have No Idea Who Is “Electable”
Guest Post From David Sirota, Editor of The Lever
You literally have no idea who is “electable”. Stop pretending you do, and stop thinking you should calibrate your vote on who is “electable” rather than on who is pushing good policies that would help you and your community.
A flippant note from a political science professor reminds me of something I want to reiterate now and basically in every election cycle for the rest of my angst-ridden life: There is now an entire cottage industry of media elites, academics and aspiring online “influencers” who market themselves the all-knowing Understanders Of Electability™ — and who work to convince you, the Democratic primary voter, that you should condition your votes on candidates’ “electability”….when in reality, literally nobody knows who is “electable” and who isn’t.
Most of these purveyors of “electability” have never in their entire lives deigned to once do the difficult unglamorous work of actually toiling in politics or on a political campaign — and yet they waive around polls and pitch themselves as modern-day oracles. They are the political version of Jim Cramer, often flagrantly wrong and yet indefatigably confident.
That’s actually what they are selling – confidence, or really, a con game. They sell the idea that Democratic primary voters should be pundits who vote not for their own interests, but who vote for some mythical idea of “electability” that these elites alone determine…even though we’ve been shown over and over and over again that nobody has any idea who will be “electable.”
This class of geniuses told us that a freshman senator named Barack Hussein Obama could never be an “electable” candidate for president.
They were so convinced that Donald Trump wasn’t “electable” that they cheered when he won the Republican presidential nomination, and insisted there was no possible way he could win a swing state like Michigan.
Most recently, they sold the idea that Kamala Harris was the only “electable” choice for president, that she was running a “brilliant” campaign — and that her corporate centrism was working to win her the White House.
David J. Sirota is the founder and editor-in-chief of The Lever, a reader-supported investigative news outlet focused on exposing the negative influence of corporate corruption on American society. He was a speechwriter and senior adviser for the Bernie Sanders 2020 presidential campaign. Sirota served as a senior strategist for Brian Schweitzer’s unsuccessful 2000 Senate campaign and successful 2004 gubernatorial campaign.
For more biographical information check https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Sirota
Seth Bodnar . . . Teaming Up With Joe Manchin?
Just when you thought Montana’s U.S. Senate race was about as strange as it could get, we find out Seth Bodnar is now working with former West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin. Manchin is best known as a hostage-taker and dealmaker during his years in the U.S. Senate. Over the years, he angered many in the Senate by holding up legislation and cutting deals to get what he wanted. Among other things, he faced scrutiny over his financial ties to the coal industry. Manchin owned a coal brokerage business that paid his blind trust $500,000 per year while he was serving in the Senate. He resigned from the Democratic Party and became an independent shortly before leaving the Senate in 2024.
CNN is reporting that Manchin is forming a group to promote independent candidates across the country. The new group, the Independent Leadership Council, held its first meeting on July 23 in West Virginia. Manchin says he will head the group along with his daughter. Seth Bodnar attended, along with only two other independent candidates: Kevin Kiley, a former Republican now running as an independent in California, and Iowa congressional candidate Michael Bridgford.
Manchin’s daughter, Heather, a former pharmaceutical executive, will be leading the effort alongside her father. In 2023, she founded a group called Americans Together, which has also been promoting independent campaigns. Also in attendance at the meeting with Bodnar was Adam Brandon, a former Tea Party leader and president of FreedomWorks, a conservative political organization that closed in 2024. Another person attending was Seth Cohen, former Chief Impact Officer at Forbes Media and now working for the Independent Center.
As a clearer picture of Bodnar emerges, there is plenty to be concerned about. Taking his cues from someone like Joe Manchin is definitely a warning sign.