Scranton was chosen to be an elector and an alternate delegate to the Republican Nominating Convention in Cleveland, which Scranton attended.

Just as the Tea Party renounced Ravndal for the offensive Facebook conversation in 2010, Montana GOP Chairman Jeff Essmann said this week that Scranton’s remarks didn’t represent the Republican Party. He downplayed the suggestion that Scranton was unfit to be an elector.

“It’s a ceremonial function. If people choose to be outraged, I guess they can be. It’s a free country,” Essmann said. “Some people mellow as they age, some people say, ‘I’m over X-years of age and I can say whatever I want.’ Mr. Scranton has taken the second path.”

The Montana Democratic Party executive director said the leadership of Ryan Zinke and Steve Daines was to blame for Scranton’s appointment.

"With Congressman Zinke and Sen. Daines at the top, it's become a troubling pattern for the leaders of the Republican Party to defend small-tent values that hurt Montanans, threaten jobs and our economy, and jeopardize the rights and freedoms we must never take for granted,” Democratic director Nancy Keenan said in a prepared statement. “We need more leaders like Jon Tester and Steve Bullock who are willing to hold folks accountable and stand with all Montanans.”