Daines compares Democrats to Evel Knievel

It's not unusual for politicians to speak in extreme and divisive terms, especially in an election year.  We're used to outrageous claims like Al Gore inventing the internet.  We've heard Nixon claim that he is not a crook.  Well, at least the older among us have.  We're used to extreme analogy and comparisons that may seem a bit out there but earlier today when addressing the weekly Republican Senate Leadership press conference, Montana Senator Steve Daines used a Butte legend as a basis of comparison.  Senator Daines said that President Joe Biden and Senate Democrats are using political stunts to hide what he called failing "the American people in every way from inflation to the border to national security."  Daines then went on to compare their "stunts" to Evel Knievel.

Some of you might remember Evel Knievel. Evel Knievel was a daredevil. He was a stunt artist. He was from Butte, Montana. And he attempted some pretty crazy stuff. Joe Biden, Chuck Schumer and the Dem allies are giving old Evel Knievel a run for his money when it comes to pushing the envelope on crazy. - Montana Senator Steve Daines (R)

Now people in Butte know that while Knievel was a lot of things, "crazy" was not one of them.  Sure, Knievel dreamed big and took risks that few among us would even slightly consider, but would you call what he did "crazy"?

You can clearly see the Butte background and even Naranche Stadium on a few of the earlier clips and notice that as the crowds and the fame got bigger, so did the jumps.  Knievel, of course, gained not only international fame but is regarded as a true American icon.  He is much a part of 1970s popular culture as Burt Reynolds, Muhammad Ali or Disco music.  But were his stunts "crazy"?

Did Senator Daines make a fair comparison?  Do you think he was accurate or off base?  One thing is for certain.  With the barrage of political ads and rhetoric we're going to be seeing and hearing now through November, it's going to be a lot more fun watching old Evel Knievel clips.