Campaign 2012

Rehberg-Tester race for U.S. Senate gets national attention

Posted: Oct 22, 2012 11:50 AM by Beth Beechie - MTN News
Updated: Oct 22, 2012 11:51 AM

The race between GOP challenger Denny Rehberg and Democrat incumbent Jon Tester for the U.S. Senate has been at the top of Montana headlines for many months, and many political observers and pundits have tagged it as one of the key races across the nation.

CBS News dispatched senior correspondent Barry Petersen to Great Falls to take a look at the race.

Petersen noted, "Either party that wins here, wins big. It's out of proportion."

He added, "It's a big race. It's interesting that most of it is fought over, 'Do we like President Obama's policies or not?'"

Petersen says Montana voters are made up of an older population as opposed to other swing states. He says Montanans will tend to care more about Medicare and overall healthcare as opposed to social issues.

Since both candidates have significant experience in D.C., Petersen says they've handled the national spotlight like pros, and that his news segment about the Senate race in Montana aims to depict their points of view to voters in Montana and the U.S.

Petersen said, "The effort that we try to bring to this is to listen to what they say and look for the kinds of moments in there that'll give us a good sense of not just what they're saying, but how the people are receiving the message. And of course, the ultimate answer to that is election day."

CBS Evening News plans to air the Montana Senate race segment this week.