Grounded: A Senator’s Lessons on Winning Back Rural America

I wrote a book on the 2012 Senate race, and I got to know Tester and his opponent, Rehberg, quite well during that time. As I read this book, I could hear Jon talking–so it is true to his voice and the person that I\’ve come to know and respect. And, perhaps most importantly, you see Jon\’s capacity to grow–a quality that I appreciate but find to be rare among politicians. The story about the Cadillac is something that stuck with me because it is so Jon–and it is so my own father, a conservative, Goldwater voting Republican. My dad sold Title Insurance for a career and he drove those awful Aries K cars for years. Why? As my dad told me, a salesman should never outshine the car of his client–otherwise, they might not want to do business with you. As I think about my dad (who passed away some years ago)–and Jon\’s own story about his father buying and returning a Cadillac–I think about how these two men would have respected and enjoyed each other\’s company. And, at the end of the day, it gave me some hope for the future because if they could get along, perhaps all is not lost. I disagree with one of the reviewers about Tester\’s ability to win in rural counties. It is true that his 2018 victory did not come from winning rural counties in Montana. But, unlike other Democratic candidates, he pulls a larger number of votes out of those counties. And that is key–without those additional votes, it would have been hard for Tester (or Bullock, when he won reelection to the Governorship in 2016) to win statewide. A refreshingly frank read that enjoyable and, at times, moving.

Congratulations Senator Tester, you have provided the playbook for Democrats to reach rural voters. It’s long past time for Democrats to get back to their roots of conservative rural values. Rural and small town voters have been hijacked by empty republican promises since the Reagan election. They show up in election years and then disappear afterwords. You point out several examples, the same ones I have seen while living in Oklahoma and Texas. The 2020 election in Texas has just proved that Democrats need rural and small town voters to break the republican strangle hold here. I hope the 2022 candidates read your book and implement your lessons.

Where we come from determines where we go. Montanans are unique, like people from every other place. Jon Tester tries to represent the diversity of Montanans, and in this well-written book, he tells the stories of how he came to be in the shoes he wears, as well as how they occasionally pinch, and cause blisters. And he proudly points out – as a farmer, he\’s used to blisters. It\’s a good book.

Grounded is an exceptional book; a must read for anyone interested in the current state of affairs in Montana and our nation. Jon Tester writes with a clarity that is uncommon in politics. He calls balls and strikes on politicians and government programs that work and sometimes do not work as well as they should. These are unusual times. Yet in the midst of all of our challenges, Jon Tester’s voice and the simple goodness of his character give rise to optimism and encouragement. Grounded is a wonderful book. Everyone should read it.

Not since Michelle Obama\’s \”Becoming\”, have I enjoyed another book as Jon Tester\’s \”Grounded.\” We have to make America great again by ridding of Trump and his enablers and bring back trust, integrity, equality, decency and transparency back to this great nation of ours if we are to survive and thrive in the future. Enough damage has been done and now it\’s time to heal our America! We have hope as long as we have decent politicians who took an oath to uphold our Constitution and keep that oath as Jon Tester has done!

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