May we think of freedom not as the right to do as we please but as the opportunity to do what is right. ― Peter Marshall

Welcome to “Caught My Eye” (CME)!

CME is the once a week column that is posted here every Friday morning. This is when I take a look at some of the stories I did not have time to write about during the week. There may be some sarcasm and pointed independent commentary so be warned!

Here are the topics that “Caught My Eye” this week:

• UM Big Sky Poll
• D.C. Statehood
• Lone Ranger
• One More Thing

UM BIG SKY POLL:

The University of Montana Big Sky Poll results were released this week and it caught my eye! They asked 517 registered Montana voters if the election were held today how would they vote. In a series of head-to-head matchups, participants were asked to pick their preferred candidate. The poll was conducted online from June 17 to 26 and has a margin of error of +/- 4.31 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.

President:
Trump (R) 52%, Biden (D) 38%. 10% are undecided.
One interesting thing is that the Big Sky Poll says these results indicate a 4% decrease in support for President Trump from a February 2020 poll.
No matter, Trump should win Montana. He will need to worry about the battleground states.

U.S. Senate:
Bullock (D) 47%, Daines (R) 43%. 10% undecided.
This would be a major upset if Bullock beats Daines. It’s still a long way until November.

U.S. House:
Rosendale (R) 45%, Williams (D) 37%. Undecided 18%
The thing that stands out here is the undecided voters. Both candidates should have good name recognition.

MT Governor:
Gianforte (R) 46%, Cooney (D) 36%. Undecided 18%
Again, the undecided folks stand out, but Cooney being 10 points behind should concern his team.

Overall I expected the races to be closer this far out. Those like Williams and Cooney have much work to do to overcome their deficits. As I said, it’s still a long way to November.

Check out the Big Sky Poll by clicking HERE.

D.C. STATEHOOD:

Many Republicans are against statehood for D.C. for various reasons and a few of them held a press conference to vent their anger.

With all the crap happening in the world, I think talking about D.C. Statehood at this time is silly.

One U.S. Senator made some remarks that some found racist. That Senator is none other than Steve Daines (R-MT). Daines is up for reelection and is trailing his opponent. Here is what Daines said:

“You get outside the Beltway and the craziness here of Washington, D.C., the American people agree with us,” said Daines, citing a 2019 Gallup poll that showed nearly two-thirds of Americans oppose statehood. “Sometimes I think it’s important for senators and congressmen, in fact, most of the time, [to] get out of this city and go out to where the real people are at across the country and ask them what they think.” (WAPO)

“…go out to where the real people are…”

Seriously?

Daines was so serious that on Thursday his campaign sent an email to subscribers repeating what he said and asking for donations.

LONE RANGER:

Several sources reported this week that President Donald Trump, after long resisting wearing a mask in public, said Wednesday he thinks it makes him look like the Lone Ranger – and he likes it.

Market Watch reported that Trump’s comments raised the hackles of many people online who pointed out that a face mask worn to prevent the spread of the coronavirus covers one’s mouth and nose, while the Lone Ranger’s mask covered his upper face.

Beam me up, Scotty!

ONE MORE THING:

Have a safe and happy Independence Day!

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