Election coverage puts me in 'Jeopardy'

Dome Lights
Phil Drake

From the dome to your home. Ramblings, mutterings, keen observations and things you ought to know out of Helena from the mind of Phil Drake.

STATE IN JEOPARDY: I took a week’s vacation earlier this month and returned to work Monday.

By Thursday I was exhausted and my head bobbed in and out of consciousness as I sat at the keyboard.

Man oh man, Helena Mayor Wilmot Collins announcing his run for Senate and Gov. Steve Bullock announcing his presidential campaign darn near sent me eagerly running into the arms of the Grim Reaper. What a whirlwind week this has been. And it will get worse (or should I have said “better”?).

It seems like the 2020 election is far away but yet in full gear.

I thought the Tribune offered several stories on what was happening: It was history in the making. A Liberian refugee seeking higher officer and a governor taking aim at the White House.

Great Falls Tribune reporter Phil Drake

So what was the big story of the week on the Trib’s website?

Montana Jeopardy.

Yep, some little quiz about all things Montana smoked my election coverage. You’d think people would care, and I thought I worked hard to make them care. But it was Montana Jeopardy that came out on top.

So for $400 I am going to name a story that I’d wish would die a slow and agonizing death: What is, Montana Jeopardy.

Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, Democratic presidential candidate, officially announces his campaign for president May 14 at Helena High School in Helena. THOM BRIDGE/INDEPENDENT RECORD VIA AP

And for my vacation I went to Des Moines to visit my sister and her family.

I had an old family desk that I love. But it was driving me nuts in that I figure I am going to die any day now and that family desk would get tossed out as fumigators tear my house apart.

So I rented a big car, shoved the desk in the back, drove to Iowa and gave the desk to my sister, who does not love it nearly as much as I do.

It was sort of a business trip as I took my nephew out to breakfast one morning and we drove around Des Moines looking for “Bullock for president” signs. We didn’t see any.

I guess I was a week early.
 
NOT SURPRISING: As old as I am, I learned a valuable lesson this week: I will never take up Bullock on an offer to throw me a surprise party.

Wow, his announcement of a presidential run did not likely come as a shock to many Montanans who have heard the speculation for months, if not years.

It seemed to not be a question of if, but when.

And I know many got antsy, including me, as to when it would officially be announced.

There were tweets by him jogging with the coy little remark of “Seems like a good season to run” or his kids discussing his upcoming “big announcement.”

I wanted to flail my hands and scream “Oh for the love of Pete, just say it!”

I’ve heard some say they hope he abandons the presidential run, switches gears and goes for U.S. Senate. I doubt it, but you never know. What’s the saying? “Dance with the one that brung ya.”

It will be interesting to see how it all turns out. I’ll try to act surprised.

EXIT, STAGE LEFT: I had kind of a fun moment with Helena Mayor Wilmot Collins and his family on Monday. He was getting ready to make his announcement to run for U.S. Senate and the Collins family was standing with him in a street off to the side from where his campaign announcement was to take place.

I waddled up to say hello, but I couldn’t see the park area and the crowd awaiting him.

Helena Mayor Wilmot Collins speaks to nearly 100 people Monday in Helena about his plans to run to a U.S. Senate seat in 2020.

So basically I was backstage with the mayor and his family and graciously greeted. I then asked if we were the only people attending or if more folks were there. They assured me we were not alone and pointed me to the park.

STAND IN THE PLACE WHERE YOU LIVE: I am navigating through some of the pitfalls of reporting a story with national and international media interests: You have to play nice or you could get kicked out of the sandbox.

The campaigns seem to be coordinating coverage that works for all media, which sometimes means stories are released at 4 a.m. or some such other nonsense. I guess we were trying to accommodate the world press from little ol’ Montana.

I had some trouble hiding my frustration.

It reminded me of a scene from my favorite newspaper movie, “The Paper.” An editor from a rival paper screams at Michael Keaton that he blew a job offer and his chance to “cover the world.”

Keaton, an editor of a spunky, gritty, hard-luck rival daily, replies, in a profanity-laced tirade, that he doesn’t live in the world, he lives in New York City.

You can sub the word “Montana” for “New York City,” and you will catch my spirit.

Oh, and keep the profanity.

DENNISON IN A BIND: I am sure many of you are familiar with the work of Mike Dennison, a former print reporter who now graces TV screens reporting for the Montana Television Network.

Well, he’s written a book: “Inside Montana Politics: A reporter’s view from the trenches.”
It goes on sale July 8 and will be available in bookstores.

I can’t say I know Mike very well, but I know him well enough to know it will be a great book, terrific read and worth its $21.99 price tag. I found it online at Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com.

The only way I would be mentioned in the book is if there was a chapter titled: “The worst reporter I ever met” or “Who ate all the doughnuts?”

There is some politico holding a giant scissors on the cover so I would describe it as a horror book, only in that I hate giant scissors, giant checks and groundbreakings with shovels.

I'll try to give you more information closer to July.

SESSION TRIVIA: I am told by the governor's staff that 483 bills became law this past legislative session. Of those, six became law without his signature and 36 were vetoed. There were 1,309 bills introduced.

So, if the math checks out, about 37 percent of the bills introduced became law.

There were 270,131 floor votes during the 87-day session.

Dome Lights appears Sunday, unless the villagers catch me. Email me at pdrake@greatfallstribune.com or call 406-231-9021. I’m based in Helena. Mail me at P.O.Box 1601, Helena, MT 59624. To support my work, subscribe today and get a special offer.