Last week’s Question of the Week asked whether Lt. Gov. John Bohlinger should have been allowed to vote in the Republican caucus.

Two-thirds of respondents said yes.

Among 1,011 voters in this unscientific poll, just 332 agreed with party leaders who said Bohlinger was disqualified from voting according to party rules, while 679 said he should have been permitted to vote.

We received four comments on the question, all with a similar point of view:

- Yes. It is an affront to all reasonable people that Lt. Gov. Bohlinger, a “confessed” Republican, was not allowed to participate in the Republican caucus. It is just such a narrow-minded definition of what it means to be a Republican that is negatively impacting the party, our state, and the country as a whole. There needs to be room at the table for all voices. If not, you’re left with a small group of fundamentalists who want to define and dictate policy and politics for all.

- Yes. Since when do the high priests of the Republican Party dictate who is and who is not a Republican? Their treatment of Bohlinger is absolutely unbelievable. Anyone else probably would have said “Heck with that” and turned their back on the GOP. That Bohlinger has not shows the depth of his commitment to Republican principles. He certainly has my respect.

- Yes. The Bible thumpers that took over the party in Montana will see a huge loss in November. Bohlinger will be avenged.

- Montana Republicans’ snub of Bohlinger may rally the party’s “true believers,” but it clearly demonstrates to independent voters just how small-minded the “EX-clusive” our state’s Republican Party has become. Instead, we really need the kind of bipartisanship Bohlinger represents if we are to solve the many problems facing our state and nation. Substituting Burns for Bohlinger in McCain’s campaign will certainly turn off independent voters in the general election, just as Burns did.