Montana

While we're talking about states, I wanted to mention Montana. It's just about my favorite place in the world. In 2006, we took a vacation to Northwest Montana and Glacier Park. We were expecting to find scores of right-wing nutjobs, and what we found were organic dry-cleaners, fair-trade coffee shops, and organic steaks that we bought in the supermarket and grilled ourselves that are the best thing I've ever cooked in my life. The place was conservative in the libertarian sense, but people also realized that they live in the most beautiful place on Earth and actually give a damn about keeping it that way. Anyway, since we were there, I've always followed Montana politics a little more closely than any other state I haven't lived in.

Point being, I'm rooting hard for Montana to go blue this year. it's just outside Obama's column right now, but one recent poll actually showed Obama ahead and most of the recent ones have shown it close. They've got two Democratic Senators and a Democratic Governor, and they've been at the forefront of the Democratic resurgence in the Mountain West.

An Obama victory on November 4th would be sweet no matter how it looks, but for this Northeastern elitist, it would be that much sweeter if it includes Montana.