Concerns About Rob Quist

It is with a sense of civic obligation, due to the extremely important nature of the office of United States Senator from Montana, that I write this letter. My concern about the upcoming election to fill Ryan Zinke’s vacant seat centers on candidate Rob Quist.

I have worked with a non-profit entertainment presentation group in the Flathead Valley for many years. While we have primarily secured our artists through a national booking agent, we have also always booked a few “local” artists. In the very early spring of 2016, we were contacted by Mr. Quist about the possibility of booking one of the bands that he performs with as a part of our 2016 – 2017 season. Knowing the huge popularity of this group, we contracted with them to perform for us Feb. 19, 2017.

Ten days before the scheduled performance, we received word from Mr. Quist that due to the uncertainty of the timing of the Montana Democratic Party’s nominating meeting, it was eminently possible that he would be unable to perform. At that late date, it was impossible to re-schedule the show into our remaining season for several reasons, the foremost being: the availability of our venue and the availability of the other band members (who had many other professional obligations outside of performing with this particular band) and also the lack of time for a stand-in to learn the music in case Mr. Quist could not perform.

Because of all this, and due to the impossibility of determining exactly when the nominating meeting would be held, the show had to be cancelled. We were forced to refund money or exchange those tickets for tickets to one of our two remaining shows in the season.

Some will say there is no comparison in the choice Mr. Quist was faced with. However, I believe his willingness to even consider backing out of keeping his word on an engagement he had agreed to a year earlier speaks volumes. Several well-worn but completely true clichés come to mind: “The show must go on,” “A man’s word should be as good as his bond” and probably the most pertinent, “Which side is your bread buttered on?”

With this information added to other first-hand knowledge of the candidates, I leave it to the common sense of the voters of the great state of Montana to consider everything they know when choosing who they will vote for as our next U.S. Senator, rather than relying on hearsay, a brief meeting with a candidate or advertising.

 

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