Former Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer and the Democratic Future

[Larkspur]

20. The article said that he prefers the executive branch

If he is serious about running for the Democratic nomination for President, then being in the US Senate from 2014-2016 could hogtie him with controversial votes, like on guns and Keystone. By staying out of Washington DC right now, he can still claim being a Washington outsider and a popular ex-gov who won re-election by 32 pts, which is more than what Christie won by. And he can mostly control his own destiny; whereas, in the Senate, he would be 1 among 100.

He also can take the time to develop answers to his controversial stands on guns, Keystone, clean coal that could satisfy the Progressive base while promoting his progressive positions on healthcare, corporations, civil rights, etc. I'd like to see what his position on TPP would be. If he takes a bold stand against TPP's policies that would destroy our Democracy and reduce us to corporate serfs, then I can see him moving the Democratic Party more to the Left than Senators Bernie Sanders or Liz Warren, who I don't think will run for Prez in 2016.

For most of his Congressional career, Bernie Sanders refused to consider running for President. He knows that he would be the Don Quixote of the field, but he is seriously considering doing in in 2016 to thwart the pull to the right in the Dem Party. If Schweitzer runs in the 2016 Democratic Primary and pulls the Dem Party to the Left, than Bernie may not have to run himself.

Schweitzer's weakness will be fundraising. He's going to have to find a cadre of aides and donors who are willing to support him over Hillary but also be shrewd enough to accept a VP slot should Hillary win the nomination.