Are you scared yet?

If I were to take a poll and ask which Montana politician is most like our scary, black, socialist, Muslim President, which names would spring to mind? Well, if you are the Republican Legislative Campaign Committee, evidently you would instantly jump to a young, female, white, Montana native, mother of four, candidate for HD8 who has never held public office.

At least that’s the feeling I got from a recent campaign mailer calling Obama and MacLean “Two Peas in a Pod.” and repeatedly using the hated “Liberal” epithet. Two weeks before the election and the Republican Party feels the need to use racially-tinged, false rhetoric against a candidate who really doesn’t have much chance of winning. Why does the Republican Party feel the need to try to frighten voters and  tie our local politics to the President? Because it works. People who are scared tend to vote Republican and what better way to alarm voters than to claim a voting record that doesn’t exist and ties to that “black guy” from Chicago.

For me it’s a very simple choice. Her opponent, Steve Lavin voted with his Republican colleagues for House Bill 309 in the last legislative session. The failed HB309 would have decimated your fishing access to Montana streams and turned over thousands of miles of our streams to private control. It would declare many of your favorite fishing stretches private land with no public access and Steve Lavin thinks that’s a great idea.

MacLean has a very simple stance as outlined on her website;

I will stand up for Montanan’s constitutional right to access rivers, streams and public lands. I will also advocate for policies that keep our water clean, our open spaces protected, and our habitats improved for hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation.

MacLean is also not willing to jump on the conservative bandwagon to gut our management of fish and wildlife and turn it over to private interests;

I believe the legislature needs to support the important work of the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks wildlife management activity. This department is made up of experienced professionals whose work and expertise should be counted on for the development of effective wildlife management policies.

You decide, will you be voting against the scary black guy in a race that has zero national significance, or will you be voting to actually improve the Treasure State and deny scare tactics?

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