In a nutshell, Schweitzer’s folksy, gunpowder dusted rhetoric and “Aw, shucks, come meet Jag” style provide cultural reassurance to Bubba and Betty Lou, convincing them that he’ll protect their right to own firearms and pickup trucks, to whoop it up at their favorite saloon on Saturday night, and to beg forgiveness in their favorite church on Sunday morning.
He won’t threaten their way of life, he’ll improve it. That allows him to cut through the gunsmoke, to discuss economic issues, and persuade Bubba and Betty Lou that they’re served better, much better, by Democratic policies. No other Democrat in Montana can do this, let alone do it nearly as well as Schweitzer does it.
That’s why Schweitzer can win if he runs. It won’t be easy, but it will be possible, and in my opinion, probable. If he doesn’t run, Steve Daines will become Montana’s junior senator.