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


3.07.2008

 

Tortoise or hare

I'm sure many politically tuned-in Vermonters are surprised that we are sitting here in March without a known Democratic candidate for governor, but it indeed we are.

Peter Galbraith is, of course, considering running for governor. He has been laying low of late, however.

What should the good voters of Vermont make of that? "You're to make nothing of it," Vermont Democratic Party Chairman Ian Carleton said.

Yes, party officials and Galbraith have all heard from nervous Democrats who think that a candidate needs to get in there yesterday if he/she wants to have a stab at it, but there's another theory that Vermonters' attention these days is not on the governor's race, Carleton said.

To wit: Those who are paying attention to political affairs are paying attention to the Legislature. When that's done with in May, they'll turn their attention to the governor's race. That will be the time to catch the momentum.

Do you buy it? There is some logic to the notion that a quick sprint to the finish line can be more effective than a long race with lots of ebbs and flows.

Here are some other theories I've heard in recent days:

- The lack of a Democratic gubernatorial candidate means the Legislature has less power against the governor. He knows he's the cat and they can't muster a dog to chase him.

- That there is a plan B if Galbraith doesn't run. Your guess is as good as mine as to who that is. Pure speculation: If Barack Obama ends up being the Democratic presidential candidate, Senate President Pro Tem Peter Shumlin jumps into the race in hopes of coat tailing the call for change.

- That Dems will use polls such as the recent one from WCAX, which showed non-candidate Galbraith comfortably leading Progressive candidate Anthony Pollina, to persuade Pollina to yield the right of way to the Dems.

- Terri Hallenbeck

Comments:
They don't have a candidate. If they did, they'd be announced. Shumlin would go down in flames. Not a popular politician in Vermont which is understandable. He's a bit of a screw up. It's pretty weird how he encouraged Pollina to run and then said he didn't. Galbraith isn't going to run. If anything he's in this to sell books. Early polls mean nothing. There's been very little campaigning. The Dems know that Pollina is a strong candidate and what they hope to do is to keep things up in the air long enough to keep Pollina from winning and they can ride their white horses to the rescue come 2010. What a pitiful party.
 
Let Jimbo get re-elected this fall against Galbraith, Pollina, or whoever.

Howard Dean says he's coming back to Vermont when his term as DNC Chair ends in January 2009.

Dean for Governor in 2010!
 
"Dean for Governor in 2010!"

Yeah. Just what we need. Another Republican governor. Vermonters know the truth about Howie.
 
The "change" Vermonters are looking for is fewer Democrats in Montpelier, not more. This current crop with their "super" majority have been absolutely useless and it's not because of Jimmy Douglas but their complete lack of direction and leadership.
 
Yes, a lack of Dem. leadership and certainly a lack of leadership from Douglas. He's gotta go. Vermonters need help.
 
Douglas is doing a good job for Vermont. Shumlin would be more of a joke than Galbraith. He's divisive and no one trusts him. Not even his own party.
 
We are sitting here in March without a REPUBLICAN candidate for CONGRESS !!!

We are sitting here in March without a REPUBLICAN candidate for CONGRESS !!!

We are sitting here in March without a REPUBLICAN candidate for CONGRESS !!!

We are sitting here in March without a REPUBLICAN candidate for CONGRESS !!!
 
We're sitting here in March without a DEMOCRAT candidate for GOVERNOR!
 
I have to say I'm amused by the thought of a Shumlin/Douglas race. That's one scenario I never envisioned.

But it seems to me that the "Anybody But Bush" crowd came out big last time, and it didn't help the Democratic candidate that much. What's different this time around?

A generic call for change against Douglas doesn't hold a lot of water with the voters in the middle, in my opinion. Lots of people are pretty content with him, and their situation hasn't deteriorated to the point where they're going to vote against the guy they've supported before.

Maybe some additional young voters are inspired to go to the polls, but I don't see it being enough to swing that race, whether it's Shumlin or Pollina.

And I don't see the Dems clearing the field for Pollina the way they did for Bernie. His tone has been too sharp with them in the past, and regardless of how calculating you might be, you'd have to be Machiavelli to forgive some of that.
 
Well said and on target.
 
WORKING Vermonters want lower taxes, more jobs (the REAL kind, not government "make-work"), accountability in education spending, and a crime-free environment. What they get from the dims/progs is (1) tell youth that drugs are really OK in small amounts (2) let's have an impeachment party (3) let's shut down our main source of power in the state (4) let's repeal the tiny step made last year to contain education spending (5) let's keep driving businesses out of state (6) let's spend most of our time legalizing gay marriage. We need a Republican governor just to rein herd on these liberal idiots.
 
Exactly!
 
Douglas hasn't reined in anything, but people are too stupid to understand it. Oh wait, he reins in a hefty salary and better benefits than ANY Vermonter.
 
Well, he seemed to rein in the libs last year from taxing Entergy out of state to pay for some damn-fool liberal "energy" boon-doggle.
 
"Anonymous said...
Douglas hasn't reined in anything, but people are too stupid to understand it. Oh wait, he reins in a hefty salary and better benefits than ANY Vermonter."

You're a smart guy. Run for the job. Then you can have the best benefits of any Vermonter.

The Dems are waiting for you.

There is no free lunch. Work hard, take risks, take personal responsibility for your life, be successful. It's the American way.

Captain America
 
Bubba... to your 7:03AM posting this was on the WCAX website today.

We have taught our kids great values here in VT.

Captain America
----------------------------
Vermont Has Dubious Distinction

Burlington, Vermont - March 7, 2008

Vermont has the dubious distinction of being tops in the nation when it comes to marijuana use among it's younger population.

A study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration shows that 42-percent of the state's 18-25 year olds smoked pot in the past year. The findings are no surprise to the folks at Maple Leaf Farm -- a treatment center for addicts. Officials at Maple Leaf say the majority of their clients have a relaxed attitude when it comes to pot.

"They really do have a common belief that marijuana is really not a drug or a problem at all," said Antony Wilson, of Maple Leaf Farm. "I think it's of great concern for us as a community in Vermont and for families as well."

Beth Parent - WCAX News
 
And this is what the left has brought to Vermont. No wonder it has become a ward of the federal government.
 
Were sitting here in March with no anti war candidate for congress

Were sitting here in March with no anti war candidate for congress

etc etc etc
 
Do you mean there are more nut jobs to send to Washington besides Leahy, Sanders and Welch? They have been a real driving force on the Washington scene :)
 
What's the bigger joke?

Walt Freed or Skip Vallee for Congress?

Peter Galbraith or Peter Shumlin for Governor?
 
In November, the Dems will have 2 of 3 Fed offices, 4 or 5 of 6 state offices, and a >2:1 advantage over republicans in the statehouse.

Only the Dems could find failure in that.
 
- That there is a plan B if Galbraith doesn't run. Your guess is as good as mine as to who that is. Pure speculation: If Barack Obama ends up being the Democratic presidential candidate, Senate President Pro Tem Peter Shumlin jumps into the race in hopes of coat tailing the call for change.

Galbraith won't run--he is taking a hit for the team and holding the slot open, like Dunn did for Welch. He'll step aside when the Democrats find someone willing to fall on his sword in that race. It won't be Shumlin--bigger turnout can't help him--he is damaged goods.
 
Wow. There's a conspiracy theory that I haven't heard before.
 
Anonymous said...

"The "change" Vermonters are looking for is fewer Democrats in Montpelier, not more."

Well, little fella, if you're correct in your nameless-nitwit assessment, that will be made abundantly clear on Town Meeting Day when School Budgets are shot down left and right by wide margins and Mike Huckabee gets more votes finishing second to McCain than Obama and Hillary combined in an Town Meeting Day marked by surprisingly low voter turnout and an unprecedented demand for gop ballots.

Congrats, my little coalition of the clueless cretin. Your streak remains intact and you remain 0-everything.

"This current crop with their "super" majority have been absolutely useless and it's not because of Jimmy Douglas but their complete lack of direction and leadership."

You're right. They've handled the jimi douglas experience with kid gloves as they've foolishly assumed he's an honorable, competent man who, at the end of the day, will put Vermont's interests before those of himself and his supporters when at the end of the day, he's a frickin' gop.

What the hell were they thinkin'.

He's a gop for Christ sake. People who don't hate Jews don't become Nazis and people who give a damn about their constituents, honor the oath they've taken to the Constitution ahead of their party or nitwit in chief and know what they're doing don't become gops.

Which part of that was giving Gaye Symington trouble last year and why? Moreover, has she learned from last Summer's veto fiascoes that the jimi douglas experience bargains in good faith about as often as the dickster tells the truth about anything.

They should either put some brass knuckles over those kid gloves, take turns pummeling his sorry butt with a sack of oranges between now and November or both.
 
Anonymous said...

"Republicans hate Bill Clinton for Monica Lewinsky but forgive David Vitter for whoremongering."

Get a grip, little fella.

The gops don't hate Clinton because of Monica Lewinsky. They hate him because he's spent a lifetime beating them like a drum and exposing 'em for the factually-challenged, fundamentally-dishonest, thoroughly-discredited, utterly-incompetent, fraudulent trash they are.

Monica Lewinsky, like Paula Jones, was just a means to an end for gops. They used her like they used Jones to go after Clinton for the same reason Ahab went after the White Whale, "because he tasked them."

Apart from fleecing S&Ls, fattening their not so blind after-all trusts and the usual "What's in it for me?" rapine pillage, Gops don't give a damn about this Country.

At best, gops only give a damn about gops. They're the people who gave us the Gilded Age, Teapot Dome, the Depression, Watergate, Iran-Contra, the first Reagan-Bush Deficit, the Second Bush Deficit and the War in Iraq for Christ Sake.

Gops only care about gops and this schmuck doesn't even give a damn about gops unless they're named Bush.

If it had been up to gops, the Grand Canyon would have been a spent strip mine, superfund site 40years ago as they skipped town, trashed the Unions, shipped the profits to the Caymans, bitched about excessive environmental regulations and stuck the American People with the bill to clean it up.

They only got the one play, little fella. It's not like they can go to their left for Christ sake.

Lewinsky's only value to gops was as bait. Ditto for Jones. They're just chum in the water to gops.

He's better than they are, he's smarter than they are and he's not gonna let himself get swift-boated by lyin' scum financed by Texas trash with direct ties to Rove and Bush like Kerry did.

Clinton's got sharper elbows than Gordie Howe in his prime and he's gonna come outta the corner with the puck 95 percent of the time leaving a trail of fallen gops spitting bloody chicklets in his wake as he skates to the front of the net, dekes the delusional dreck in net and backhands the puck just under the crossbar of an unprotected net over the beached white whale in goal that is newt gingrich.

If Hockey's not your game, fine. In October, he'll take Ken Starr over the Sports Authority Sign for the 2-strike, 2-out, 3-run, 7th-game, walk off.

That's why they hate him.

"I'm a Democrat and I think Larry Craig, David Vitter and Elliot Spitzer should all resign."

Sure ya are, little fella.

Nice try. That's almost as convincing as the delusional "I do business abroad and they just love Bush" dreck you were pushin' last week.

If you think all extramarital infidelity involving Public Officials is created equal, you're too dumb to be a Dem, little fella.

You're also one of the lamest, factually-challenged, fundamentally-dishonest, gop-slop-spewin', lyin'-scum, nameless-nitwit liars to come down the pike.

If you're not the champ, chump, you're in the team picture.
 
Is it OK to rape boy pages, ala Gerry Studds, if you're a dimocrat, jw?
 
bubba has left a new comment on the post "Tortoise or hare":

"Is it OK to rape boy pages, ala Gerry Studds, if you're a dimocrat, jw?"

And just where and when did the criminal offense you cite not take place, little factually-challenged, fundamentally-dishonest, lyin'-scum bigot boy?

That's what I thought.

As always, ya got bupkis.

You're dumb, you're scum, and you're dismissed.

Now disinfect or disappear.
 
bubba said...

"And this is what the left has brought to Vermont. No wonder it has become a ward of the federal government."

Notwithstanding, your latest heapin' helpin' of factually-challenged, fundamentally-dishonest, thoroughly-discredited, utterly-psychotic, republiklan rubbish, do ya need me to stake ya the bus fare to Tuscaloosa, schmuck.

Clearly, you're not indigenous or suited to these climes, clueless. I'd be happy to help send your ignorant ass to where the climate suits your kukluxkrishtin clothes, schmuck.
 
Yawn! ZZZZZZZ!
 
Given the fact that it's the only thing you're capable of doing without cheneying it up, I'll just let ignorant, ill-informed, bupkis-spewin' sleepin' schmucks lie.
 
Anonymous said...
"Dean for Governor in 2010!"

"Yeah. Just what we need. Another Republican governor. Vermonters know the truth about Howie."

Yeah, unlike the jimi douglas experience, he's competent.
 
Deb Markowitz for Governor - she really wants it!
 
signed,

Deb's mom
 
Deb time to stand up and be counted
........or you ARE standing up
 
"Deb time to stand up and be counted
........or you ARE standing up"

Well, you sure cheneyed that up, schmuck.

You must be a refugee from the late, unlamented, fixed news attempt to produce a republiklan Daily Show.

What's next, take my please... wife!

If ya had a day job, deduce bag, I'd advise ya not to quit it.
 
...said the counter boy at Ben and Jerry's.
 
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