According to the Public Policy Polling group’s year-end rankings, Brian Schweitzer is currently the most popular Democratic Governor in America and the second most popular governor in the nation.
What strikes me as interesting about this ranking is that Schweitzer is a darling of the progressive movement, and yet is popular in a right-wing state. He was the headline speaker at the Daily Kos convention this year, and brought the house down with his cowboy cacophony. And yet in Montana, Republicans control the legislature by almost 2-1, presidential candidates rarely get more than 40%, and 65% of the population oppose health care reform.
So I’ll open the floor to commenters. How do you explain this unusual high standing among both conservative and progressive voters?
This diary is cross posted at the Montana Cowgirl Blog for those who wish to communicate directly with Montanans on this topic.