Interesting history. We certainly hope to make gains at the state legislature level in spite of probably solidly losing the Senate and Gov.
Haley Barbour would have been an ideal candidate, BTW — but indeed the Dems would have done their anti-Southern bigotry routine on him.
Just as W was the most conservative guy around that that Republicans could elect in 2000, Thompson appears to be about the most conservative electable candidate in this cycle. And it will be an uphill battle to elect him.
The election is 16 months away, a LOT will happen by then. The MT dems, true to their mouse-nature, gobbled up all the excess in the budget/pantry that the reps had saved up; paying off their education buddies. But if we hit a financial downturn nationally or statewide, these dem-mice will find themselves in mouse traps and dumped outside for the ants to feast on. Remember, MT is next to the bottom of 50 states as to annual wages. Going still LOWER on the pay scale w/a dem gov, state senate, split house, and 2 dem senators= HELL to pay in nov ‘08; this is a CERTAINTY.