[Wallace T.]

Historically, hasn't Montana's Democratic strength been in the union dominated mining areas in the western part of the state? With the decline of mining, the weakening of union power, and the shift in liberal philosophy from emphasizing labor issues and union rights to causes like abortion access, euthanasia, and homosexual rights, it would seem that Democratic strength in Montana is bound to decline. Montana may never be as conservative as Utah or Wyoming, but it should be moving to GOP dominance.

[AuH2ORepublican]

I agree. 1988 was pretty much the union Democrats' last hurrah, allowing Dukakis to carry WV, Western PA and Eastern OH and doing well in MT and SD despite his extremely liberal social views. It would take a very different Democrat Party to win back those areas.