As I get ready to list the Biggest Assholes in American history, I thought it only fitting I bring back the popular Working Class Economist segment “Asshole of the Month.” And I couldn’t think of anyone more deserving of that title than Montanta congressional candidate Greg Gianforte.
You may have heard about the race for Montana’s lone congressional seat since it’s taken on national significance as being the first definitive congressional election since Trump took office. [No wimpy-primaries like Georgia’s 6th congressional district which essentially ended in a “to be continued…”] It’s become a referendum on the Clown-in-Chief, and Gianforte has embraced Big Don wholeheartedly in this campaign despite barely saying his name in his own November election for Montana Governor when it looked like Trump would lose.
In a way, Gianforte is even worse than an eternal-fool like Jeff Sessions–who’s been on the Trump train since the beginning and won’t hesitate to commit perjury to protect the man–since he knew Trump was bad news in the Fall, but has now snuggled up to him as an incumbent President he believes may be popular in Montana. He’s changed his style, his rhetoric, and is even using Trumpisms like “Drain the Swamp” in a shameless move that ignores Gianforte is a billionaire carpetbagger who’s run for office just six months ago. His Democratic challenger Rob Quist has also never held office before and since Republicans control both branches of congress, wouldn’t Quist be draining the swamp?
He’s even had Don Jr. stump for him on the campaign trail, admitting a vote for Gianforte is a vote for Trump at a time when you’d think Trump had become so toxic most sane politicians would be afraid of associating with him too closely. [It’s no coincidence Democrat Jon Ossof almost won the Georgia 6th congressional district outright, and the person he’ll face off with is a Republican noticeably cool towards Trump.] Don Jr. said “like my dad, Greg is someone who doesn’t need to run for office.” Then why does he keep running for it? Someone taking on two statewide campaigns for office in six months is a tough sell for the label of “doesn’t need to be a politician.” You can practically see him, “I’ll be Governor, Congressman, Senator, whatever, just as long as I can pretend to be better than a politician.” People like he and Carly Fiorina think they’re better than career politicians because nobody will elect them to a career in politics.
And Don Jr. usually finishes his stump speech remarking on the similarities between Gianforte and Trump. For once, I agree with Don Jr. completely. Gianforte is another billionaire asshole from the tri-state area who’s moved into rural America to pretend to be “one of them,” and makes up outlandish smears towards an opponent like “Rob Quist will take your guns away” or “he’s Nancy Pelosi in a cowboy hat.” Although I hope Greg Gianforte never becomes Governor, Congressman, Senator, State Senator, or Dog Catcher of Montana, I can’t think of a better job for him than “Alabama Liberal’s Asshole of the Month.”