Terry Zink is a man who likely cannot conceive of voting for a Democrat. He is an archetypal Republican — an outdoorsman, a third-generation hunter of mountain lions and bears, who owns an archery target business. He lives in Marion, a hamlet of 1,200 in northwest Montana, nestled in the heart of the Flathead National Forest, surrounded by the Rocky Mountains. It is an area that voted 2-to-1 for Trump in 2024.
Zink was one of those Trump voters. Yet he now bitterly regrets his choice.
In doing so, he joins the farmers, SNAP recipients, beneficiaries of the ACA’s enhanced subsidies, federal employees, and others who voted MAGA and are now feeling the injurious effects of the policies they voted for.
In Zink’s case, his frustration stems from the arbitrary, extensive, and ill-considered DOGE cuts to the National Parks. He made his politics and position clear to Politico when he said:
“You won’t meet anyone more conservative than me, and I didn’t vote for this,”
The media outlet added:
“This” is the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) deep cuts earlier this year to federal public lands agencies’ funding and to the staff at those agencies who administer that funding and steward public lands and wildlife.
Zink voted for Trump but said he doesn’t agree with everything the president does. Zink clarifies he calls himself a “conservative” over calling himself a “Republican.” He doesn’t like Trump’s inflammatory rhetoric. “I prefer common sense in the middle,” he said.
Let’s parse Zink’s thinking. He is a ‘true’ conservative in the Teddy Roosevelt mold. He is both a traditionalist and supports the literal conservation of natural resources. This political alignment makes Zink’s shortsightedness understandable.
Republicans have long sold themselves as stewards of the nation’s founding heritage. An ethos that resonates with citizens like Zink, who see themselves as a link in the continuation of America’s Northwestern European heritage. (Note: The name Zink is Germanic.)
On the other hand, Republicans are the Party of resource exploitation over all consideration for the environment. They are biblical dominionists who believe God provided nature to be used and abused by humanity without regard to preservation or esthetics.
It may not have occurred to Zink that that was what he was voting for. However, despite saying he prefers “common sense in the middle,” Zinc did not show common sense by voting for an extreme party.
Politico explains:
He believes wolves need to be hunted to manage their numbers; abortion should only be legal in cases of rape, incest and to protect the mother’s life; and he’s an ardent Second Amendment supporter. He’s also a passionate advocate for public lands and wildlife. And the cuts have, frankly, ticked him off.
He is vocal not just about protecting public lands but also about protecting the staff at those agencies. “We have to listen to our wildlife biologists. We have to be strong advocates for those people,” Zink said.
Hunting season had yet to open when we spoke, but Zink was already hearing from fellow hunters who had to cut their own way into trails to hunting camps after Forest Service trail crews were laid off en masse. He worries about wildlife management with agency scientists also terminated.
Zink’s worries point to an inconsistency frequently expressed by the small government crowd. (And here, for the sake of argument and because of the odds, I assume Zink is a proud member of that club.) They want the government out of their lives, except when it's doing what they want. I suspect Zink has not thought much about the effects of DOGE on urban populations, but his radar is extremely sensitive when it hits closer to home.
In addition, while he is certainly entitled to his position on abortion, he again betrays his beliefs when he says the federal government should enforce it. Liberals believe that the government should provide national healthcare, a higher minimum wage, paid parental leave, free pre-school, and fund a myriad of other social programs. I suspect Zink would think that was overreach. Which, if he does believe that, can be dismissed as trying to have your cake and eat it.
If Zink were open and non-reflexive in his thinking, he would consider voting for a Democrat. Especially one like Jon Tester, a fellow native Montanan, who served as one of the state’s US Senators for over three terms — until he was ousted in 2024. I wonder who Zink voted for in that race?
If he were open to a Democrat, Zink won’t find one who will support his anti-choice position. However, as for the rest of his wish list, no Democrat is going to take his guns away. But every Democrat would fund the programs and people he feels strongly about.
If Trump keeps up his insanity, maybe people like Zink will come to their senses.
