In Montana, as everywhere else, the Left gins up oodles of freaks to descend on the capitols and make things as openly, obnoxiously unpleasant as they can. None of the advocacy — “I am trans. I am a big gay baby. My pronouns are they/them. What are yours?” — is aimed at persuasion. It’s aimed at intimidation, of a sort.

There’s an implied message: bring bills we don’t like, bills the public favors, and we will bully you. We will make you miserable. We will make you sit through hour upon hour of inanity, disrespect, contempt, and aberration.

And while it comes off as emotionalism, that isn’t what it is. It’s strategic. It’s calibrated to generate a perfectly reasonable response. It’s intended to make ordinary Republican legislators, the ones who didn’t sign up to fight the culture wars, throw up their hands and gripe at Gabe Firment and the others willing to take on this fight.

“I came here to build roads and do economic development. I just want to make the schools better and the taxes low. Why am I being subjected to this?” is that reaction. “Don’t bring any more of these damn bills and the freak show that comes with them.”

And this is how they win, without persuading a soul. Because disorder, chaos, violence, and filth … works.