On the surface, Saturday night’s gubernatorial debates epitomized the uncommon crossovers of Montana politics, with Republicans saying things like, “We need to lower the cost of prescription drugs” and “I will not play politics with people’s health care,” while Democrats talked of shooting guns with “Uncle Bobby” and the need to live within one’s means.

But beyond the nontraditional rhetoric, the usual partisan divisions were evident during the two-hour virtual debates hosted by the Montana Broadcasters Association and the Greater Montana Foundation.