Montana Democrats and Rhode Island Republicans

Interesting perspective on the Montana governor from a pragmatic supporter.

Here is another Democratic website that discusses the Rhode Island Governor's role in national politics.

Right now, the United States Congress is said to be an increasingly partisan institution. However, this is largely due to the sectional divisions that are beginning to virtually extinguish southern and Western Democrats as well as Northeastern Republicans. This is especially true in the Senate.

However, when it comes to governor's races, both Republicans and Democrats seem to break through the regional blockades that prevent their parties from winning federal legislative positions. The Democratic Party has broken through the Republican stranglehold on the West by getting Democrats elected governor in Montana, Wyoming (wyoming!), Arizona, and Oklahoma. They have also retained vital power in the South by keeping the governor's office in Louisiana, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Virginia. Virginia governor Mark Warner is considered a likely, and popular, presidential candidate.

Likewise, the GOP has successfully made governors out of moderates in Massachussets, New York, Vermont, Connecticut, Hawaii, and Rhode Island. Although the governor's of these states are not necessarily popular within the Republican Party, and I mention that none of them are considered likely nominees in 2008, they have been important components in balancing the political atmosphere of the states, as seen by the recent vetoes of morning after pills in Massachussets and New York.