Our Governor is a redneck

Our new governor seems intent on living out a country song.

Hardy’s recent hit “Rednecker” comes to mind whenever Greg Gianforte makes the news.

“My town’s smaller than your town/And I got a bigger buck and bass on my wall”

A New Jersey transplant, Gianforte long ago gave up the silk shirts and gold chains of the Jersey shore for boots, jeans, and big belt buckles. Some might call him a poser, but the software developer seems to be doing everything he can lately to prove he’s just a regular guy.

The governor trapped and shot a wolf last winter outside Yellowstone Park. And if that wasn’t cool enough, Gianforte was cited by the state wildlife agency for failing to complete a training course before doing the deed.

There was some suspicion that the guv hadn’t actually set the trap himself, but Gianforte reassured doubters, telling them he has been hunting and trapping since he was a “tot.”

Wolves have been a divisive topic in Montana since their reintroduction to Yellowstone in ’95. Reviled by the ag community, elk hunters, and Republicans, wolves are the darlings of the media and the liberal left.

Gianforte had already whupped a reporter during his election campaign, so tipping over a wolf only further solidified his standing as a card-carrying redneck. Who cares if he didn’t follow the rules? Hell, he’s the governor.

“My truck’s louder than your truck/And my collar’s a little more blue”

Killing the wolf and thumping the reporter garnered national attention for Montana and its good ol’ boy governor. Until Gianforte took that redneck route, however, he was headed down a different trail: that of wealthy elitist. In 2009 he filed a suit against the state to block public access to the Gallatin River near his streamside mansion.

Following public outcry, he dropped the suit, saying it was all just a misunderstanding.

Montanans are apparently much more likely to vote for a guy who exhibits stupid redneck behavior than a rich guy telling them to “get off my lawn.”

Gianforte quickly realized that and has since assumed a new persona. He’s trying very hard to convince us he’s just as dumb as we are. It’s certainly something to aspire to.

“You might think you’re redneck/But I’m rednecker than you.”

Parker Heinlein is at [email protected]