Steve Bullock’s choice for Lt. Governor, retired Brigadier General John Walsh, looks more like a topkick than a one-star. That’s no handicap in Montana, especially in our blue-collar precincts. Neither is his service as a career national guard officer. He’s a capable guy.
That notwithstanding, he’s an unusual choice for Lt. Governor. When I learned Bullock had tapped him, my first thoughts were of Vice Admiral James Stockdale, Medal of Honor recipient and Ross Perot’s running mate in 1992, and General Curtis LeMay, former chief of the Strategic Air Command and George Wallace’s running mate in 1968.
Neither Stockdale nor LeMay worked out well. Stockdale was a duck out of water. The cigar-chompin’ LeMay’s bellicosity led to the slogan, “Bombs away with Curt LeMay,” which was not helpful to the dark and glowering Wallace.
Walsh likely will fare better in politics than Stockdale and LeMay — but why did Bullock choose him?
Now, Bullock will say he chose Walsh because the retired general has the command presence to be an effective governor from the gitgo should Bullock die in office or otherwise find himself no longer governor. All candidates for governor say that. Some even appear to mean it. But every candidate for governor expects to live forever, so a running mate who can mind the store is not a high priority. No, the highest priority is finding someone whose presence on the ticket will lose the lowest number of votes.
I think Bullock chose Walsh for two reasons:
Most important, Walsh carries no traditional political baggage. Legislators and elected officials lug tons of political baggage — bills they’ve introduced, votes they’ve cast, decisions they’ve made, policies they’ve proposed or attacked. Political records are fair game, military records less so. Bullock’s opponent in the fall will not win votes by accusing Walsh of fighting for his country.
Equally important, Walsh, like so many military men, projects an image of strength, of being a can do guy who takes charge of a situation and efficiently brings it to a successful conclusion. That complements Bullock’s reputation as a no-nonsense attorney general.
Still, knowing how to avoid land mines in Iraq is not the same as knowing how to avoid them on the political battlefield. The chaos of politics can make the fog of war seem like a clear day. Walsh is leaving a world in which there’s a reasonably clear chain of command for a strange land where the levers of power are limp noodles, and the need for consensus means some decisions are never made. And if he does become Lt. Governor, he’d better have the ability to suffer fools gladly, for he’s going to meet a lot of them when the legislature convenes.