Bloomberg Businessweek - USA (2020-09-07)

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failedtounseatBullock’spredecessor,

Democratic Governor Brian Schweitzer,

in2008.

DainesgrewupinBozeman,theson

ofa localconstructioncompanyowner

anda homemaker,andgothischemical

engineeringdegreefromMontanaState

University.Hespentmuchofhistime

outofstateshortlythereafter,manag-

ingoperationsforProcter& GambleCo.,

includingbyopeningfactoriesinAsia

fora handfulofyears.(Daineslivedin

China,nowa focusofcampaignattacks.)

AfterhereturnedtoBozemanin 1997 to

workforhisfamily’sbusiness,hemade

a well-timedinvestmentinRightNow

TechnologiesInc.,a softwarecompany

thatbecamea pillarofthelocal econ-

omy,thenwenttoworkthere.

AtRightNow,Dainesmanagedcus-

tomerservice,sales,andthecompany’s

Asia-Pacificoperations,andhemadea

smallfortunewhenOracleCorp.bought

thecompanyin2012.(Hisfinancialdis-

closuresfromthatyearindicateincome

of$1millionto$5millionfromOracle

stockoptions.)Heleftshortlythereafter

andwonhiscongressionalracethatfall.

AfteronetermintheHouse,Dainesin

theSenatehashelpedwina partiallift-

ingofChina’s14-yearbanonU.S.beef

imports,aidforVietnamveteranswith

healthconditionslinkedtothechemi-

calweaponsU.S.forcesusedinthatwar,

andfederalrecognitionofMontana’s

LittleShellTribeofChippewaIndians.

(About7% ofMontanansidentifyas

AmericanIndian,morethanthestate’s

Black and Latino populations com-

bined.)TheaccomplishmentDaines’s

reelectioncampaignmostfrequently

citesisa recentone:Heco-sponsored

theGreatAmericanOutdoorsAct,which

helpedmorepermanentlyfunnelfed-

eralroyaltiesfromoilandgasdrillingto

conservation.Environmentalgroups,

including those that have endorsed

Bullock,cheeredthebill’spassage.

Trumpsignedtheconservationbill

intolawonAug.4,duringa photoop

intheWhiteHouse’sjumboEastRoom.

Thepresidenttooktheopportunityto

praiseDaines,a co-authoroftheSenate

billwhochairsthechamber’snational

parkssubcommitteeandwastherefor

theoccasion,lookingoverhisleftshoul-

der.(Dainesworea mask;Trumpdidn’t.)

“He’sa fantasticman,a fantasticsenator,”

TrumpsaidofDainesjustbeforesigning

thebill.“He’sdonea wonderfuljob.He

loveshisstate,andhelovesourcountry.”

Thebillsigningwassomethingof

anexclamationpointonDaines’srela-

tionshipwiththe president.As with

mostRepublicansenatorswhoaren’t

MittRomney,it’sdifficulttooverstate

theextenttowhichDaineshastethered

hiscareertoTrump.Theleadimageon

Daines’scampaignwebsiteis a massive

photoofTrumpspeakinginfrontofa

crowdoffanswearingMAGAhatswhile

Daines looks on from the side, smiling.

Daines’sstalwartTrumployaltyhasput

himintheawkwardpositionofcham-

pioningthe president’s catastrophic

responsetoCovid-19, whichhas left

theU.S.amongthenationsworsthit

bythepandemicandoneofthefewthat

seemunabletocontainit.“President

Trumphasledboldly,”Dainessaida

fewdaysafterthebillsigninginhisfirst

debate with Bullock,conducted via

Zoomconnectionsfromtheirhomes

because,youknow,Covid.“I’mgrate-

fulforhisleadershipinthisvery,very

difficulttime.”Dainespredictedthata

coronavirustherapyorvaccinewasonly

sixmonthsaway—atestament,hesaid,

toTrump’sabilitytounitegovernment

scientistswiththeprivatesector.

Inthe debate, Dainesalsosought

tocastBullockastherealWashington

insider, a stalkinghorse fornational

Democrats. “Wedon’t need another

personbackinWashington,D.C.,that

givesChuckSchumerthemajoritycon-

troloftheUnitedStatesSenate,”Daines

said. “That gives NancyPelosi truly

uncheckedpower.”Inlessthananhour

hementionedSchumer 10 times,House

Speaker Pelosi5 times, and Obama

3 times.Inresponse,Bullocknotedthat

thosenameswon’tbeonMontanaballots

inNovember.“Unfortunately,”hesaid,

“SenatorDaineshastorunagainstme.”

The debate eventually turned to

○ DAINES (FAR RIGHT) WITH TRUMP AT THE SIGNING OF THE GREAT AMERICAN OUTDOORS ACT ON AUG. 4

ÒWE’VE SEEN GOVERNORS GET MUCH

HIGHER MARKS FOR THEIR HANDLING OF

CORONAVIRUS THAN WASHINGTON HAS” FROM LEFT: TIA DUFOUR/WHITE HOUSE; PHOTOGRAPH BY TAILYR IRVINE FOR BLOOMBERG BUSINESSWEEK