27 June 2018 — 0644 mdt

“Maryland Matt” is all over the internet and social media—
but Farmer Jon Tester from Big Sandy is not

Why are Democrats spending so much time and money on internet ads calling attention to “Maryland Matt” Rosendale, and so little promoting Sen. Jon Tester? What is the point of using Democratic money to help Rosendale improve his name recognition?

A better nickname, of course, would be All Hat Matt, in honor of his sans cattle hobby ranch. Westerners would intuitively understand that lighthearted sobriquet, and Montanans born in another state would not be offended by the xenophobia and claim to a cultural birthright that the “Maryland Matt” imprecation represents. But the Montana Democratic Party prefers trying to tar Montana’s state auditor, and former legislator, as a Marylander because he lived there once, and because he signed a document, since corrected, that through a clerical error claimed he was a resident of Maryland. It’s high school student senate Gotcha! politics.

Rosendale supports policies that would make life more difficult for most Montanans. Democrats should focus on that — and they should do so by highlighting Jon Tester’s positions and accomplishments. The more internet ads I see featuring Tester, and the fewer I see featuring Rosendale, the more confident I’ll become that Tester can win a third term in the U.S. Senate.