It’s hump day – and that means we are just about on the downhill side of another week!  Hang in there – the weekend will get here soon.

Today I comment about money in Montana politics, campaign loans, frontrunner, and I close it out with my thoughts (as a veteran) about the war in Afghanistan.  So read on…

Montana Money Race:

When I look at the “non-federal” races in Montana (Governor, Secretary of State, etc.) and see the amount of money raised, I sometimes catch myself wondering how they can afford to pay the rent.

But then I remember this is Montana and campaigns can be run pretty cheaply.  Of course, the one who raises the most money does not always win.

According to reports, Democratic Governor candidate Steve Bullock has the most money in the bank (about $440,000) and Republican Governor Candidate Rick Hill leads the GOP Governor candidates ($295,000).  The Associated Press (AP) puts it all in one nice little story HERE.

But, several campaign folks will tell you that the way to look at the races are to see how much money has been spent by the campaigns – has the candidate purchased airtime, flyers, signs, newspaper and web ads, paid for staff, travel, etc., starting backwards from Election Day.  In recent years, with absentee and voting by mail, the “Election Day” window is weeks long instead of concentrating on one day.

Of course, the money has to be spent wisely.

Loans:

One quote that caught my attention in the AP story about the fundraising totals is the one from Rick Hill’s spokesman Brock Lowrance who said, “As other candidates bail out their own campaigns with borrowed money, Rick’s campaign is driven by the support of over 2,200 individuals making a financial investment in his campaign.”

I’ve never thought too highly of candidates throwing their own money into their campaign as it shows me (and those who watch campaigns) that there’s a problem connecting with people.  Of course, sometimes the people advising the candidate to throw some of their riches the campaign’s way are the very same people who would benefit from it (via a paycheck).  On the other hand, the candidate will say something like it’s an investment…I believe in this…blah, blah.

I imagine there’s a study documented somewhere that tells us that most of the candidates, who put their own money into a race, end up losing.

The Frontrunner?

Presidential candidate Mitt Romney is supposedly the frontrunner for the GOP nomination for President, but the core members of the Republican Party do not care for him.

The Associated Press just posted “Analysis: Romney losses show disgruntled GOP base” after Romney had his hat handed to him in two southern states (Mississippi and Alabama) last night.  You can read the “Analysis” HERE.

Sometimes in politics a candidate is considered a frontrunner if he’s rich and organized, but Romney is not clicking with the core members of the party – they are not excited.  Plus, some folks are talking more openly about Romney’s religion now – like Alabama Governor Robert Bentley who said Romney’s Mormon faith could be a problem for him in the primaries.

Barack Obama can excite his core members.  People may not agree with some of his views, but overall people just like Obama and his family.  No matter how many e-mails Jim Messina (Obama’s Campaign Manager) sends saying, “If the general election were held today, President Obama would lose to Mitt Romney — according to the latest poll from Washington Post-ABC News,” Obama has to be liking his chances – and that the GOP nomination process may go to the convention.

Afghanistan:

The war in Afghanistan has been the topic of many news cycles this past week, so I thought it was time to give my comments about the war.

October 7, 2001, seems like a long time ago.  That’s the date the war in Afghanistan began.

For those who have been deployed to this area two, three, four (or more) times, it has taken its toll not only on the servicemember, but on their families.

Every time a military member heads to the war zone, it’s like rolling the dice on the table of life.  According to the Department of Defense (DOD), about 1,900 U.S. servicemembers have been killed there or in support of the war.  Over 15,000 people have been wounded.  Family members cringe when the phone rings or they read or see that a servicemember has died in Afghanistan.  The family waits for the next call or e-mail from their loved ones so they can relax…just for a little while.  Then the fear and anxiety starts building again.

The Afghanistan war has been going on too long.  Way too long.  It’s time to wrap it up.  Accelerate the withdrawal – let’s bring em home and we don’t need to make a big deal about the withdrawal – but we do need to make a big deal and congratulate the heroes who served there.  I wrote about a withdrawal back in May 2011:

“…we should never let anyone know those plans ahead of time.  A seamless and quietly completed transition out of the country is best for our troops and for Afghanistan.”

As a veteran of over a decade of active-duty military service, if our leaders decide we are going to war, I want us to use everything we have to get in, complete the mission, and get out.  We signed our name on the line to serve our country – for a few years we are property of our country and we count on our leaders to make the right decisions.

The problem is that politics enter the debate of war.  Politics have always entered into war decisions and there’s too much attention paid to election dates instead of mission completion dates.

When we hear that a military person is accused of killing innocent civilians, the cries to get out and bring the troops home grow louder.  We when see a video of troops desecrating dead bodies we hear calls for an end to the bloodshed.

The calls die out in a few days and we go on with life.  While the wars of Afghanistan and Iraq will fade from the memories of most people, our servicemembers and their families will be feeling the effects of our leaders’ decisions for the rest of their lives.

Follow Jack on Twitter @TheWesternWord.