"Blue Man in a Red State: Montana's Governor Brian Schweitzer and the New Western Populism" Book Review

Brian Schweitzer is the “agronomist with an energy plan” and the “darling of the Democratic party.” After reading, “Blue Man in a Red State” it is easy to see why. Schweitzer brings a unique set of tools to the table. He has a degree in soil science, a work history that has taken him throughout the Middle East, and boasts of a brighter future for America through renewable energy and “clean-coal” technology. This may sound “big city” but he is 100 percent Montanan. He has humble roots, growing up on a cattle ranch in central Montana. He shares a passion for the outdoors. He’s a family man, religious, and hardworking, often up and at’em by 4am. He has a gregarious, some say “forceful” personality that endears him or raises scorn from across the political aisle. He is the definition of unique, a moderate Democrat from the West that appeals to nearly everyone. Time will tell if the rancher from Whitefish can deliver his vision of the future, but there is no doubt that no man from Montana has burst onto the national stage and given it more time in the political spotlight than Brian Schweitzer.

Author Greg Lemon crafts an informative and entertaining biography of Montana’s Governor. But “Blue Man in a Red State” is not just a bio. Lemon describes the history of the Treasure State, the changing political landscape of the Mountain West, and the struggles facing Montana and America in the future. Like a true reporter, he is hands off, not influencing the narrative with his own bias, except for one chapter that describes his relationship with the Governor. "Blue Man in a Red State" is a wonderful read. You not only gain a greater understanding of the man who is Brian Schweitzer, but of Montana, the state he calls home.