Maybe Greg Gianforte is testing the public’s attitude about news media.  This is one of the strangest political stories I’ve heard in decades.As a young reporter, I was grabbed, pushed, shoved, spat upon and shrugged off foul language.

Thirty years ago, a pugnacious Mayor of Buffalo, New York was answering reporter’s questions outside a ballpark when he saw a former staff member across the street.  The two had parted on poor terms.  The Mayor raced over and pummeled the guy as cameras rolled.  He got re-elected.  Different time and place and from a two-fisted town and I’m not at all sure Montana has the same culture.

Honestly, most people working in mainstream media are to the left of Karl Marx, however.  From witness accounts, I can’t see where the Guardian reporter did anything out of the ordinary.  As a young reporter, I was grabbed, pushed, shoved spat upon and shrugged off foul language.  Usually when someone told me there was someone else in line ahead of me, I persisted only for another moment and then waited my turn.  I don’t know from details I’m reading if things got that far with candidate Gianforte.

Nobody ever punched me and I’m not sure how I would’ve responded.  Maybe after the initial surprise, I would’ve thrown a few of my own punches.

With 30 percent of the votes cast in advance, the outcome in Montana is quite unpredictable, but I think Republicans will be taking a write-off.

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