vt.Buzz ~ a political blog

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

5.27.2008

Down on the farm

A story on the national progressive Web site TruthDig suggests that Vermont is leading the way with the Progressive Party movement and having a smashing success at it.

It starts out:

The Web site of the Vermont Progressive Party, with its moose silhouette as
its party symbol, looks like something put together by a bunch of Eagle Scouts
trying to earn a merit badge. One of its party stalwarts, state Rep. David
Zuckerman, could not be reached during the day because he was tending his 16
acres of organic vegetable fields. And the party’s populist message, in the age
of corporate money and slick campaign slogans, seems lifted from the era of Eugene Debs. But the party is slowly succeeding at a time when other progressive movements are failing. And maybe, just maybe, this movement in Vermont signals a crack in the political landscape that could allow American progressives to rise from the dead.

You can read it HERE.

You end up wondering: Is it the Vermont Progressive Party the writer finds quaint, or would he find the rest of Vermont's politics equally as quaint? Don't a bunch of Eagle Scouts put together all the party Web sites? Has he never reached other politicians in their barns?

But anyway, a quote from farmer Zuckerman indicates the Progs and the Dems are not moving closer to working together.

“A lot of us do not believe that working within the Democratic Party is
possible,” Zuckerman, who has served 12 years in the Vermont House, told me one
evening from his farm in Burlington.

Here's another indication from the story of why Progressive gubernatorial candidate might not walk quietly into the good night:

Our hope lies in first capturing seats on city councils and town boards.
Our hope lies in building a party from the bottom up. We will have to be
patient. It will take time. But it might work. And that is why, in some ways,
the campaign for Vermont governor, which pits the progressive candidate Anthony
Pollina, a community organizer, against Democrat Gaye Symington and three-term
Republican incumbent Gov. Jim Douglas, is one of the most important races in the
country.

- Terri Hallenbeck

posted by vt.Buzz | 2:04 PM |

Comments:

Progressives seem to consist of a few left-wing zealots, usually trustfunders or hippies who still believe in communes and are best exemplified by Pollina, who can't even succeed in a little dairy operation. They wouldn't know what to do if they had to survive in the 40-hour week world of average Vermonters. For some reason they think someone that plays in a community garden a couple of hours a day should be paid like a brain surgeon. Any progressive over 25 is pretty pathetic, and their god is Bernie Sanders.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 2:37 PM, May 27, 2008

Vermont Progressives are like that mythical figure trying desperately to roll the rock up the hill, only to have it continue rolling right back down the hill over them. Like it or not, people like Bubba still exist across Vermont and they love their NASCAR and their puritan posturing. As for being a good, open-minded Christians (do unto others, etc.), that fact they conviniently forget about as they belittle and chastise anyone they view as "different." As evidenced by his latest post above, Bubba and his kind view the Progs as "different" and therefore a threat. I wish the Progs luck, but I think their challenge is one of mythical proportions.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:05 PM, May 27, 2008

The Moose is a nice touch- the only good thing about the progressive movement.
Some people work hard for their money and others hardly work- these are the ones who prefer sharing. Socialism on a world scale is declining except in third world countries or dictatorships. I do not think hard working Vermonters want a state-wide commune.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:18 PM, May 27, 2008

I could care less if the progressives are "different". What bothers me is their attitude that the world should be one big commune (paid by guess who!). A lot of us survived years of grudge work 40-60 hours a week, never complained about those WWII barracks we had to live in at Fort Dix, and spent years working to get ahead. Today's progs seem to think they are entitled to instant gratification without the hard work that earns it.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:08 PM, May 27, 2008

I have never met a Progressive who desires to turn Vermont into one big commune Bubs. Please divulge what Prog you speak of?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:31 PM, May 27, 2008

Socialism refers to the goal of a socio-economic system in which property and the distribution of wealth are subject to control by the community.
It doesn't get any clearer than that.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:49 PM, May 27, 2008

I take offense at the idea Pollina never has worked much. He spent a year or two at VPIRG, and I think he helped run Rural Vermont. Plus he ran for Lite Guv once.

He's been working hard enough, for him. In fact, its probably time he retired!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:51 PM, May 27, 2008

Pollina and the Progressives are liars. They say they want to work
from the bottom up but Pollina won't run for a local office to help those in his own community.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:59 PM, May 27, 2008

The Moose is the original Progressive Party symbol--chosen in 1912 by Teddy Roosevelt when he broke off from Taft's Republicans (guaranteeing Wilson the Presidency).

Yes, the Progs are a *GOP* splinter group in inception...

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 5:06 PM, May 27, 2008

Sure, sort of like Bernie Sanders is a "splinter" group of the Nazi National SOCIALIST party of the 1930's.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 6:11 PM, May 27, 2008

Put Bernie's whopping margin of victory in 2006 in your pipe and smoke it Bubba. Guess that shows you how many Vermonters disagree with you and your antiquated views. There's a rest home in Florida waiting for you Bubba. Hurry!! Please.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:32 PM, May 27, 2008

Symington for Governor.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:49 PM, May 27, 2008

Dexter Randall? Sandy Haas?, David Zuckerman? These people are legitimate Representatives? Give me a break...what has Randall ever done but dump his milk in protest? I think the people of Troy keep sending him to Montpelier to get him out of town.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:54 PM, May 27, 2008

Look for Progressives to be around as long as the two other parties continue to screw working people. They wouldn't exist if Howard Dean had actually been as progressive as everyone thinks he is.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:08 PM, May 27, 2008

Can't wait to hear the debates. If they're smart the Dems will forget to tell Symington when they're happening. She's pretty sad.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:10 PM, May 27, 2008

Terri -- calling David Zuckerman a "farmer" is a bit of a stretch. A gentleman farmer or hobby farmer, OK, but not a farmer in the traditional sense. We all know that Rep. Zuckerman isn't farming (or working) for a living. Let's call a trustafarian a trustafarian.

Why does the media give Zuckerman and his trust-fund friends a free pass on their phony "working man" shtick?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:51 PM, May 27, 2008

I think the author demonstrates his grasp of the subject matter with this sentence:

"The progressive candidates, one of whom is making a credible run for governor, seek to represent the interests of the working class. What a novel idea."

I think that answers Terri's question about quaintness. If the author knew the facts and the political reality here in Vermont, I don't think the word "credible" would have been used to describe Anthony Pollina's candidacy for Governor.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:54 PM, May 27, 2008

Don't Zuckerman's parents own an island in the Caribbean?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:14 PM, May 27, 2008

That's the goal is to marginalize Pollina. The Democrats know he's right on the issues but none of them have the cajones to say so. They just say he's not credible. The two parties that continue to serve the corporations and the wealthy and ignore working people are credible? Aren't we fortunate?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:35 PM, May 27, 2008

If it wasn't for businesses, you would not have/need working people!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:04 AM, May 28, 2008

An island in the Caribbean?

I guess we know who put up the $200,00 to bail out Pollina's failure at the VT Milk Company.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:09 AM, May 28, 2008

At least Pollina has the "cajones" to put himself out there in the public domain and attempt to upset the status quo. Anonymous bloggers, like myself, would rather hide behind fake names or less and cast our judgments from secret locales. Bubba, NEK, JWCoop? Any of you bloggers ever run for office and try to make Vermont better in the real world, or are you content to just let 10 or 12 people a day read your vents? I'm guessing it's the latter.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:55 AM, May 28, 2008

Jim Dougals own's a huge house on Martha's Vineyard.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:08 AM, May 28, 2008

I need to work to support myself AND the costly effects of the liberal agenda that has taken over Vermont. I will continue trying to educate the 10-12 people a day that read this blog- not counting Coop- he is beyond help.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:09 AM, May 28, 2008

Keep "working" NEK. Lunch time is coming and I'll want some fresh french fries.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:39 AM, May 28, 2008

I didn't know you could buy french fries with Food Stamps

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 2:27 PM, May 28, 2008

I don't know anything about food stamps. Check with your mother. She'll know.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:14 PM, May 28, 2008

NEK said...

"I need to work to support myself AND the costly effects of the liberal agenda that has taken over Vermont. I will continue trying to educate the 10-12 people a day that read this blog- not counting Coop- he is beyond help."

No, I'm just beyond your ignorant, ill-informed, factually-challenged ass, little fella. Well beyond.

You will continue trying to educate..., eh? That's a good one little fella.

Again, the next case you make will be your first, schmuck. Whether it's ACT-250 or Maxine Waters or the mortgage mess Bush has gotten us into, every time I call on your ignorant ass to substantiate whatever idiotic charge you've made ya got bupkis.

I'm battin' 1000 against you clowns for the better part of 8 months now and I'm yet to crack a sweat, shmendrik.

It's not that I'm that good. It's that you and your coalition of the clueless cretin comrades are that bad, schmuck.

At the end of the day, no matter how ya slice it, you and the rest of the gop-slop spewin' bubbleheads who frequent this joint just plain don't know your ass from your elbow about anything.

Nice talkin' to ya.

Dismissed.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 9:50 PM, May 28, 2008

"The two parties that continue to serve the corporations and the wealthy and ignore working people are credible? Aren't we fortunate?"

The Dems of Vermont don't fit your description, pal. They're totally antu-business. And THAT is why Douglas will beat Symington.

"I guess we know who put up the $200,00 to bail out Pollina's failure at the VT Milk Company."

No, that would be Pollina's wealthy wife, which is why the guy has never worked, but only run for high office.

"No, I'm just beyond your ignorant, ill-informed, factually-challenged ass, little fella. Well beyond."

No you're not. You're just an ass.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:57 PM, May 28, 2008

NEK said...

"Socialism refers to the goal of a socio-economic system in which property and the distribution of wealth are subject to control by the community.
It doesn't get any clearer than that."

It doesn't get any dimmer than that delusional dreck, nek.

There is just no subject under the Sun that you don't know a damned thing about, nek. Whatever ya do know is wrong and just plain dumb.

Is it really your ignorant ass's clueless contention that there are no rich people in Countries with socialist systems at the foundation of their economies, little factually-challenged fella?

Good luck makin' that case, nekkie boy.

That's what I thought.

Dismissed.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 10:58 PM, May 28, 2008

yawn

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 5:11 AM, May 29, 2008

Coop- I never said there weren't rich people in socialist countries- the workers in these countries "share" their earnings with the socialist governments by paying 60% or more of their wages to guys like Bernie's buddy Hugo Chavez. Hugo in turn nationalizes the oil companies, media (if they print something he doesn't like) and communications.- all similar to what Maxine Waters suggested, that you denied.
As for your "factual" scoring- I have grandkids that keep better score than you do.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:24 AM, May 29, 2008

NEK has left a new comment on the post "Down on the farm":

Coop- I never said there weren't rich people in socialist countries-the workers in these countries "share" their earnings with the socialist governments by paying 60% or more of their wages to guys like Bernie's buddy Hugo Chavez."

They do, eh?

In other words, they make a decent wage and they and their families get the same access to health care and education that the rich people they work for and everyone pays their fair share of taxes.

Gee, talk about Hell on Earth.

Nice try, nekkie boy.

"Hugo in turn nationalizes the oil companies, media (if they print something he doesn't like) and communications.- all similar to what Maxine Waters suggested, that you denied."

Similar, eh? Nice try, nekkie boy.

A Ferrari Fiaro and a Ford Escort are similar in that they're both cars, little fella. That's where the similarity ends. You've yet to get that close.

I did, eh, little fella. Feel free to show just when and where.

That's what I thought.

Is it now your coalition of the clueless cretin contention that no - by your definition of the term - socialist countries have legitimate democratically-elected governments or freedom of the press, little factually-challenged fella?

Again, nice try. Good luck makin' that case, little fella.

"As for your "factual" scoring- I have grand kids that keep better score than you do."

Then ya better get 'em to help their semi-functionally-illiterate, factually-challenged grandpa with his posts, nekkie boy, because, once again, you've got bupkis.

They must take after the other side of the family, little fella.

Feel free to get 'em to write all your future posts for ya when they get home from school and you get home from work, nekkie boy.

Maybe they can get me to crack a sweat. Lord knows gramps can't.

Always a pleasure

Dismissed.

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