Election a Wild West free-for-all

Inter Lake editorial

Come Tuesday, Montana will be in for some interesting electoral outcomes, from the top of the ticket to the bottom.

That's because it has been an unusually active primary election season, and because Montana voters have a way of throwing curveballs. Remember this is the state that voted twice for George W. Bush and then in 2006 ousted his strong supporter, Republican Sen. Conrad Burns, in favor of Democrat Jon Tester.

And there is the wide-open nature of Montana election rules. Odd things are possible with cross-over voters.

Montanans were fortunate enough this year to be part of a protracted Democratic presidential primary battle that has actually lured the top candidates, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, to the state multiple times. Former President Bill Clinton has also been stumping around Big Sky country in recent weeks, along with former "first daughter," Chelsea.

That's good news for Democrats, who see their choice as between "good" and "better." But less sympathetic Republican voters may be lured to cross over and vote in the Democratic primary, too. The question is: What do they do? There's certainly plenty of hostility left over from the Clinton years, but some conservative voters who swore they'd never see another Clinton in the White House may now be having second thoughts about that vow. Obama, after all, has been rated as even more liberal than Hillary.

Of course, that kind of cross-over voting is mostly based on emotion. Other Republican voters may wish to focus on their own party's race for county commissioner, an office which probably wields more direct influence on people's day-to-day lives than does the presidency. This spring there has been a heated contest between former sheriff Jim Dupont and incumbent Commissioner Gary Hall.

If conservatives do decide to stay in the GOP fold, one has to wonder if there will be some form of protest vote against John McCain. He is the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, but his positions have many in the party grumbling, and the other Republican on the Montana ballot, Ron Paul, could do surprisingly well.

Voters will also be sifting out their top candidates in some competitive legislative races. There are some lively primary races, with four Republicans running for the Bigfork area's House District 9 and four Republicans seeking the Libby area's Senate District 1.

And although they are considered second-tier races with lesser-known candidates, there should be stiff competition in the runoffs for secretary of state, state auditor, attorney general and superintendent of public instruction as well.

All of the races matter, from top to bottom, so don't forget to vote.