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Political notes from Free Press staff writers Terri Hallenbeck, Sam Hemingway and Nancy Remsen


5.15.2007

 

Presidential backwater

Four years ago presidential politics was a growth industry in Vermont, thanks to former Gov. Howard Dean's surge to the front in the months leading up to the election year primaries, when the Dean train went off the tracks.

This year, we're back to being a backwater when it comes to the presidential sweepstakes. Our primary is in March as usual, but because so many other states have moved their primaries to February, whatever happens here will be entirely irrelevant.

So far, what whisps of on-the-ground activity there are in Vermont amount to a grassroots operation by supporters of Democrat Barack Obama. They're planning on sending canvassers to New Hampshire this weekend. Tonight, they're staging a fundraiser at the Burlington home of Sarah Muyskens and Michael Green, with Obama' New England finance chairman, Alan Solomont, as the prime atttraction.

As for presidential candidate campaign visits, we're about to get our first. On May 23, Republican Rudy Giuliani will speak at 7:30 a.m. at the Hotel Coolidge in White River. It's a breakfast fundraiser for GOP committees in Orange and Windsor County in Vermont and Grafton County in New Hampshire. ΒΆ

Hey, maybe if enough people complain about the time, Rudy will pull a Peter Welch and move the time to later in the morning so more can attend.

Not.

-- Sam Hemingway

Comments:
Can someone tell me what makes Obama so popular - other than his dynamic speaking ability?
 
He is so stupid that when asked how he would react to another terrorist attack, said he would do better than Bush and Katrina! (In other words, terrorism is just another "accident" that FEMA can handle)He allies himself with the anti-WalMart crazies, then it turns out his wife has made big bucks dealing with them. He has had his hand slapped because of a sleezy land deal with another crooked Chicago pol (of course nothing will happen to him) and is probably one of the most left-wing reps in Illinois (no small feat). How would YOU like him for President?
 
So long as Obama isn't caught reading 'My Pet Goat' upside down for a full 7 minutes after getting word of attacks, then he's doing better than our current president.
 
Bubba doesn't like him, so Obama must be okay.
 
Forget what Bubba thinks...I don't like BO either
 
Bill Richardson is the man!
 
It's clearly going to be Hillary of Obama. I'll talk Obama over Hillary any day. I don't like it that Hillary voted for the war. I don't like it that Hillary supported International Paper's tire burn (even Douglas came around on this). And I even don't like her moving to NY to join the Senate.
 
Bill Richardson is a democrat that turned New Mexico around through tax cutting and all-around fiscal conservatism. For that reason he is totally unqualified to be a democrat Presidiential contender. He has reportedly been seen shopping at a Wal Mart.
 
Maxine Waters for VP!
 
I guess you missed the story about 27 Vermont legislators signing on to the McCain campaign earlier this month. But that's not as interesting as a house party for Obama. Criminy.
 
Dennis Carver for Governor!
 
Only 27 of 180 signed on for McCain?

That's pretty embarassing for Barnett -- almost as embarassing as his huge losses in the Vt House and Senate.
 
" Only 27 of 180 signed on for McCain? "

That's sort of a stupid comment. It's more like 27 of about 57.

WRT Richardson, I'd like to see him become a top-tier Dem candidate but it's not going to happen. Not enough people know about him yet.
 
Well there are 180 legislators in Vermont.

One reason there are only 57 Repubs is that Barnett did such a crappy job as director of the VT GOP.

Any way you slice it, Barnett isn't worth much as a political mind.
 
Barnett may be partly to blame (I don't know a whole lot about him), but he's not entirely to blame. You may not remember this but Republicans throughout the country didn't do very well in the last elections. I've got a feeling the strong democratic majorities in the VT legislature are more a result of Iraq than Jim Barnett.
 
In truth, Republicans did better in Vermont than in any other New England state this last election. Not to say they did well, but everything is relative.

The point was that Hemingway suggested there was nothing going on more notable than a house party for Obama. Give me a break. Lining up roughly half of the GOP legislators in the state is at least as newsworthy as a Democrat's house party.
 
I still say Bill Richardson is the only decent candidate.
 
I agree with BarreBoy. The fact that McCain can't even get half the R's in the statehouse to support him is big news. I mean, McCain won Vermont in the 2000 Presidential Primary. Now he can't even get half of Republican legislators to support him -- even when the former state republican party leader is leaning on them.

That's weak.

The fact that McCain cares how Steve Adams and Dunkin Kilmartin vote is even sadder.

Next McCain will be calling Vermonters personally to beg for our support.

Sad sack.
 
Somehow I don't think McCain really cares about how pathetic Vermont feels about his chances.
 
I don't think McCain cares enough and I think Obama just loves his Rock Star status!
 
Dennis Carver??????????????????
 
Well, who the hell is running the Democratic Party in Vermont? Where is the leadership?
 
The dims are led by Lippert and his merry men.
 
God help us all.
 
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