"Out here, we prefer blue collars to blue bloods"

True. Yewell's op-ed piece in the Salt Lake Tribune explains the electoral success of Montana's Democratic governor last November:

How did a pro-choice Democrat win in a state where Bush beat Kerry by 20 points?
Part of the explanation has to do with the lingering stench from the scandals of Montana's outgoing Republican governor, Judy Martz. But there was more to it: People liked Schweitzer's straight talk and Montana roots.