For years, Democrats have failed to harness the anger of Montanans contending with out-of-state wealth driving up costs. This year, a smokejumper thinks he can succeed.
Page F2From§Eachthe breakfast edition — 2 September 2026
Democrats promise healthcare if they win as billionaires send Montana prices soaring
Democrats promise to make healthcare their top priority if they take the House in 2026, but Montana’s prices are already set by billionaires who bought the land, the homes, and the market. The party’s platform comes with a price tag that ordinary Montanans didn’t write, and the receipts show the gap: a healthcare fix offered for tomorrow, in a state where today’s bills are already out of reach. The joke is the sequence—promise after the price hike, never before. The line lands on the reader’s wallet: the cost of care is determined by the cost of living, and the party’s plan is only as good as the numbers under it. The ordinary person sees the precision: the fix is offered, but the price is set at the top of the ledger. The outcome is measured by who can afford to get sick, and who can afford to stay. The punchline sits in the gap between the platform and the prices—one is an ask, the other is a bill.
“Democrats say they’ll fix healthcare after the election, but the billionaires already fixed Montana prices. The promise comes with a price tag that’s set by someone else. The stakes: who can afford to get sick, and who can afford to stay.”
“It’s simple—Democrats have a plan for healthcare, and rising prices in Montana are just, well, market forces. Did I say 'just'? Maybe they're more complicated. Still, everything’s under control.”
The receipts
Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said his party would unify around undoing Trump’s Medicaid cuts and reviving ACA funds that the GOP ended. Some Democrats want to go bigger.
This page is a back-issue: the story as it ran, receipts as they were. The current edition is at the front.