Blue Man In A Red State: Montana's Governor Brian Schweitzer And The New Western Populism

A Rising Star in the Rockies A Democrat in a conservative state and an agronomist with an energy plan, Montana's Governor Brian Schweitzer has swum against political tides since his first day in office. He's been called a "prairie populist," and yet he chose a Republican for a running mate. His agenda is largely liberal, and yet he's earned an "A" from the National Rifle Association. How he's managed to appeal to his conservative electorate even while pursuing a populist agenda has intrigued journalists and political strategists across the country. And yet, who is he?
From Montana journalist Greg Lemon comes this essential look at one of the West's most enigmatic and important political figures.
"Brian Schweitzer fits our changing economic and political landscape. Neither all liberal, conservative, nor populist, the governor has been able to stride the fault lines of our changing western landscape."
--from the Foreword, by former U.S. Representative Pat Williams

A gun-toting, horseback-riding liberal Democrat, Brian Schweitzer won the governorship in Montana through a combination of shrewd political maneuvering and old-fashioned grass-roots populism. In a state that elected and re-elected a Republican President, Schweitzer continues to enjoy stratospheric approval ratings. How he's managed to appeal to his conservative electorate even while pursuing a populist agenda has intrigued journalists and political strategists across the country. Floating on a rising tide of western populism, this grandson of Montana homesteaders holds a graduate degree in soil science, speaks Arabic, and could not be more passionate about his program to convert Montana's massive coal resources to gasoline. In a national election year, this first look at the governor and his agenda is an absolute must-read.