vt.Buzz ~ a political blog

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

6.05.2008

Primary schooling

Some Lamoille County Democrats will gather at the Appletree Natural Foods Market in Morrisville this evening in support of Progressive gubernatorial candidate Anthony Pollina.

John Burgess is one, and he will be asking Pollina if he'd accept the Democratic nomination if he were to win it by write-in at the September primary. If Pollina says yes, Burgess will write his name in and encourage others to do the same. (Burgess said he's not necessarily against Democratic Gaye Symington, but he's supporting Pollina.)

Pollina's name won't be on the Democratic ballot in the September primary for two reasons:

1. You can only run in one party's primary and he's committed to the Progressives.

2. That would put him head-to-head with Gaye Symington and sheer numbers of party loyalists suggest he might not win.

So Pollina won't be formally soliciting write-ins, because if he did, and the results were not good in September, there'd be a lot of pressure for him to shuffle on back to Middlesex.

If, on the other hand, a surge of people were to write Pollina's name in and lightning struck and he won the Democratic nomination, he wouldn't turn it down.

"If he was to all of a sudden to become the Democratic nominee that would be terrific," said campaign manager Meg Brook said. "I don't see that happening."

- Terri Hallenbeck

posted by vt.Buzz | 4:28 PM |

Comments:

Wow. So much enthusiasm for Symington.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:50 PM, June 05, 2008

McCain has missed more votes than any other senator in the 110th congress.

http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/110/senate/vote-missers/

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:02 PM, June 05, 2008

Pollina remains the only thing that will keep the curtain from coming down on the jimi douglas experience.

And people think Hillary puts herself before Country and Party.

She looks like Mother Theresa next to this putz.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 8:38 PM, June 05, 2008

Symington's going to bring the curtain down of douglas? What planet are you on?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:45 PM, June 05, 2008

Anonymous....

"Symington's going to bring the curtain down of douglas? What planet are you on?"

The one where Obama just came out of nowhere to beat the prohibitive favorite for the Dem Nomination for President this year. The one where the Country and the State is so Blue and the gops so incompetent and red so 2002, that they can't win it unless Pollina kicks it away and hands it to doogie and the gops on a silver platter.

In other words, this one. The real one.

Like McCain, Doogie can only count on the scum vote. That gets him to 38 percent. Unless, Pollina fragments the vote holding Symington to 35 while Pollina nets 25, the jimi douglas experience will finally be put out of Vermont's misery and doogie will have left the building.

When has Pollina garnered more than 27 percent of the vote in any Statewide run?

That's what I thought.

And that was for Lite Gov.

Obama, in all probability, will get 70 percent of the vote in a year of record turnout. Perhaps more. What's more, he'll have coattails - especially when people are reminded just which dimwit was the Vermont Chair of shrub's '04 reelection campaign.

Obama will provide coattails. The McSame/Doogie/Dubie debacle will toss the gop slate an anchor and toss in an anvil or two for good measure.

Again, Doogie's had his six years. Outside of the nameless-nitwit/scum vote, there's no buzz for the guy. He had his "what the hell, let's give him another spin and see what happens" get outta jail free election two years ago. Things got worse.

Unless Pollina screws it up again, doogie's history and dubie will have to job hunt on his own dime.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 9:48 PM, June 05, 2008

And we'll be better of how?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:22 PM, June 05, 2008

Pollina=Douglas.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 6:57 AM, June 06, 2008

JWCoop10 = yawn.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:10 AM, June 06, 2008

"Douglas kicked every Democrat's ass he's faced."

More Republican lies. Douglas lost badly to Pat Leahy. Learn your history.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:26 AM, June 06, 2008

Ignorant, anonymous trash with bupkis = ignorant anonymous trash with bupkis.

Always a pleasure.

Dismissed.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 9:30 AM, June 06, 2008

Everybody knows about the Burgess family - you can't really take this seriously.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:50 AM, June 06, 2008

Go Pollina!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:52 AM, June 06, 2008

Um, Terri, did you see how many people "gathered" for this event? I think there were three of them -- and one was Pollina's wife.

Is it really news when three people gather to announce a write-in campaign?

How about some follow up? How about asking these questions: If Pollina is denying that he takes votes from Dems, why is he visiting a "gathering" of folks called "Democrats for Pollina"? Where's the group called "Republicans for Pollina"? Why is Pollina endorsing Obama? What's the difference -- issue wise -- between Symington and Obama? How can Pollina claim significant enough issue differences with Symington to run against her but then endorse Obama?

Instead of just covering these ridiculous events as if they're really "events," why not start asking some questions and getting beyond the press releases? Please?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:48 AM, June 06, 2008

"Everybody knows about the Burgess family - you can't really take this seriously."

Very well said.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:59 AM, June 06, 2008

I think Gaye should be the one to drop out. She was late to the party and now she feels somehow entitled? Personally, I think Gaye's got the personality of a wet sock and she seems very nervous when talking to groups of people, or epecially in one-on-ones. She's also HORRIBLE at remembering names and people, which Douglas and Pollina seem to be very good at. Gaye's got a lot of strikes against her. This run, which she will lose, will thankfully put an end to her opportunism. I'm sad the Democrats couldn't have chosen better, or stayed out of this one and let nature run the course it will anyway. Go ahead JW, call me a schmuck now.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:01 AM, June 06, 2008

Late to the party??

She had a job to do.

Pollina hasn't had a real job for years. He's got nothing to do but campaign for office.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:28 AM, June 06, 2008

Anonymous....

"...Go ahead JW, call me a schmuck now."

There's no need, little fella. You've taken care of that already. Thanks. As ignorant trash with bupkis goes, you can be very thoughtful that way.

For the record, little factually-challenged/nameless-nitwit fella, Symington's not my ideal candidate, either. Nevertheless, she's the Democratic Party Nominee
and the Democratic Party is the Majority Party in the Vermont Legislature. Like it or not, being in the majority and established party infrastructure has value.

How many seats do the progs have?

Outside of Bernie, what Prog has ever won a Statewide Election?

That's what I thought.

Clavelle wasn't Sanders. Pollina ain't Sanders. Bernie is sui generis. Deal with it.

When has Pollina ever garnered more than 27 percent of the vote when he's run Statewide? Under what possible scenario does 27 percent of the vote accomplish anything positive in a statewide election?

That's what I thought.

Under our system of Government, all Pollina's done in the past and all he'll do in the future is inflict incompetent gop trash on the State of Vermont.

This ain't Parliament, pal.

Again, the only possible consequence of a Pollina run is another two years of the doogie/dubie debacle.

Do you really think that's in the best interests of the State of Vermont?

If Pollina really gives a damn about Vermont, he can show it by getting out of the race.

He's already responsible for infecting Vermont with the lunatic-fringe likes of Brian Dubie who's done nothing but job hunt on the Vermont Taxpayer's Dime for the better part of six years. Do you really want Pollina to give him and Doogie another two years?

"...I'm sad the Democrats couldn't have chosen better, or stayed out of this one and let nature run the course it will anyway."

Meaning what, little factually-challenged/nameless-nitwit fella?

Just who is your ignorant, anonymous ass advocating for here, little fella? Is it your clueless cretin contention that "letting nature run its course will put Pollina in the Governor's Chair or are you claiming that it's only "natural" that the jimi douglas experience should face only token opposition and continue its reign of error?

Either way, clearly, your ignorant, ill-informed anonymous ass doesn't think at all, little factually-challenged/nameless-nitwit fella.

Always a pleasure.

Dismissed.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 12:03 PM, June 06, 2008

Well, I'm sure you'll find somebody to read it to your ignorant anonymous ass eventually, little factually-challenged fella.

Keep your chin up.

Always a pleasure.
Dismissed.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 12:35 PM, June 06, 2008

Anonymous said...

"Everybody knows about the Burgess family - you can't really take this seriously."

Ah, the "everybody knows" standard of proof complete with ignorant, anonymous-trash allegations by ignorant anonymous-trash posters for ignorant, anonymous-trash posters.

Boy, evidence doesn't get any more solid, clear and compelling than that.

Think Franken V Newscorp on steroids.

See ya in Court, schmuck. I'm just dying to hear your ignorant, anonymous-trash "Roid Rage" defense.

I doubt it'll fly legally, but even by your well-established, ignorant, ill-informed, anonymous-trash standards, I'm sure it'll prove to be very compelling comedy.

Always a pleasure.
Dismissed.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 12:51 PM, June 06, 2008

1-800-BPD-GIVE.

You CAN make a difference in a sick person's life!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 1:31 PM, June 06, 2008

What a nut job

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 2:18 PM, June 06, 2008

JWCOOP10 wrote: "Like McCain, Doogie can only count on the scum vote. That gets him to 38 percent ... Again, Doogie's had his six years. Outside of the nameless-nitwit/scum vote, there's no buzz for the guy."

I'm curious. In 2006:

Jim Douglas 148,014 56.3 percent
Scudder Parker 108,090 41.1 percent

In 2004:

Jim Douglas 181,540 58.7 percent
Peter Clavelle 117,327 37.9 percent

So in 2004, by your math, Douglas pulled about 18.3 percent of Vermont's non-"nameless-nitwit/scum vote." In 2004, it was 20.7 percent. Those totals were in a race against a Democrat (no Progressive in the race) and a Progressive turned Democrat (no named Progressive in the race), respectively.

How does he do it? How does he get non-"nameless nitwit scum" to vote for him?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:51 PM, June 06, 2008

IndependentVter...

JWCOOP10 wrote: "Like McCain, Doogie can only count on the scum vote. That gets him to 38 percent ... Again, Doogie's had his six years. Outside of the nameless-nitwit/scum vote, there's no buzz for the guy."

"I'm curious. In 2006:

Jim Douglas 148,014 56.3 percent
Scudder Parker 108,090 41.1 percent

In 2004:

Jim Douglas 181,540 58.7 percent
Peter Clavelle 117,327 37.9 percent

So in 2004, by your math, Douglas pulled about 18.3 percent of Vermont's non-"nameless-nitwit/scum vote." In 2004, it was 20.7 percent. Those totals were in a race against a Democrat (no Progressive in the race) and a Progressive turned Democrat (no named Progressive in the race), respectively.

How does he do it? How does he get non-"nameless nitwit scum" to vote for him?"

The same way gops convince people that they're good on issues of the economy and national security despite their history and all evidence to the contrary, little factually-challenged fella. By fooling enough of the people enough of the time.

That said, is it really your "independent" coalition of the clueless cretin contention that the same conditions exist in '08 that existed in '02, '04 and '06, little fella?

Moreover, in a Presidential Election Year in a State where Clinton finished a distant second to Obama and still managed to garner more votes than McCain and the Huckster combined, is it really your utterly-psychotic intention to argue that conditions are as favorable for gop scum as they were in '04 when doogie the dim was the Vermont Chair of shrub's reelection campaign?

Just what facts have come to light with respect to shrub and his ignorant-trash, UnAmerican supporters in the past four years cast Shrub, Insane McCain, Doogie and/or their policies in a more favorable light, little factually-challenged/independent of reality and the facts fella?

Dazzle me, Indy.

That's what I thought.

Always a pleasure.
Dismissed.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 8:30 PM, June 06, 2008

go with that write-in vote - now that sounds great!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:44 PM, June 06, 2008

Symington is not just "late to the party" she's late to the show. She did absolutely nothing in the four years as Speaker..now she's running her mouth about Lake Champlain. As Speaker she had every opportunity to support / promote / spend $$ on the Lake and what has she done? As usual just a lot of hot air and short hair. A "Leader" she is not. Go Anthony!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:30 PM, June 06, 2008

JWCOOP10 wrote: "The same way gops convince people that they're good on issues of the economy and national security despite their history and all evidence to the contrary, little factually-challenged fella. By fooling enough of the people enough of the time."

But I don't understand JW. This is the non-"nameless-nitwit/scum vote." How do THEY get fooled?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:34 PM, June 06, 2008

You still reading JW's posts?

That makes YOU the fool.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:44 PM, June 06, 2008

Evidently, I'm goin' too fast for ya, indy.

Let me try to slow and dumb it down enough for you.

Gops lie. Case in point, The War in Iraq. Occasionally, some folks are foolish enough to fall for it.

Case in point, Supply Side Economics.

Gops lie. It's who they are. It's what they do. It's their whole raison d'etre, if you will.

Look it up. Learn something.

Am I still goin' too fast for ya, little fella?

Well, that's unfortunate, but you've been given enough clues. You're gonna have to figure it out from here on your own.

Always a pleasure.
Dismissed.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 9:49 PM, June 06, 2008

This comment has been removed by the author.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 9:54 PM, June 06, 2008

Anonymous said...

"You still reading JW's posts?

That makes YOU the fool."

Nah, your ignorant anonymous ass has the gig for life, little factually-challenged fella.

Like Shrub, daddy fixed it for ya.

Don't forget to thank him on the 15th. Ya wouldn't want to come off as an ungrateful little nameless-nitwit fella.

Always a pleasure.
Dismissed.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 9:58 PM, June 06, 2008

someone has a lot of time on his hands.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:09 AM, June 07, 2008

And you still didn't answer the question, COOP. The "nameless-nitwit, coalition of clueless, GOP-slop, etc. ad nauseum" crowd may be fooled by GOP lies, but how are enlightened, non-GOP types fooled?

If they share your vision and wisdom, as you insinuate they do when you predict that without Pollina they would sweep Symington into office in a landslide, how are they fooled? I mean, if you see through the lies, why can't they?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:27 AM, June 07, 2008

And some nameless-nitwit with bupkis has one hand full while his ignorant anonymous ass is typin' away with the other, little factually-challenged/got bupkis/typin' with one hand fella.

Always a pleasure.
Dismissed.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 7:57 AM, June 07, 2008

Anonymous said...

"And you still didn't answer the question, COOP...."

Which part of "they were lied to" is givin' your ignorant, anonymous, ad nauseum ass trouble, little factually-challenged/nameless-nitwit fella?

Always a pleasure.
Dismissed.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 8:16 AM, June 07, 2008

C'mon Anthony, get out of the race and let a real woman win the race!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:00 AM, June 07, 2008

Anonymous...

"C'mon Anthony, get out of the race and let a real woman win the race!"

Is your ignorant, ill-informed, anonymous ass gonna run as an independent, auntie amerika?

Always a pleasure.
Dismissed.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 10:08 AM, June 07, 2008

Coop, please supply proof that supply side economics doesn't work. You said it was a lie. Prove your statement or acknowledge it is just more of your left-winged factuallu challenged slop.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 2:06 PM, June 07, 2008

Anonymous said...

"Coop, please supply proof that supply side economics doesn't work. You said it was a lie. Prove your statement or acknowledge it is just more of your left-winged factuallu challenged slop."

"Factuallu challenged slop", eh, little factually-challenged/ignorant-trash with bupkis fella?

Well played, putz.

Gee, ya mean besides the record Federal Debt and Deficit and resultant recession and stock market crashes which have been a consequence every time it's been implemented by Reagan and the Brain-Dead Bush-League Father and Illegitimate Idiot Son Act, little factually-challenged/fundamentally-dishonest nameless-nitwit with bupkis fella?

Does your ignorant, anonymous, brain-dead ass have any more incredibly stupid questions to spew or are ya content merely to have proven once again that you're dumb, you're scum and ya got bupkis and ya haven't been able to substantiate a damned thing your spineless, senseless, factually-challenged and fundamentally-dishonest ignorant ass has uttered since ya got here, punk.

That's what I thought.

Always a pleasure.
Dismissed.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 8:16 PM, June 07, 2008

COOP can't supply anything more than his crap. Like it's been said elsewhere he/she hasn't a clue as to the truth. Probably was one of those fruits riding bikes nude in Montpelier...real Vermont values...

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:13 PM, June 07, 2008

Anonymous...

"COOP can't supply anything more than his crap. Like it's been said elsewhere he/she hasn't a clue as to the truth. Probably was one of those fruits riding bikes nude in Montpelier.."

"Probably", eh, little factually-challenged filly?

In other words, your sorry, senseless, spineless, coalition of the clueless cretin ass remains ignorant, anonymous trash with bupkis and ya still can't substantiate any of your delusional dreck and specious slop. Thanks for settin' the record straight, little factually-challenged filly.

"..real Vermont values..."

Ignorant, anonymous trash with bupkis talkin' about "Vermont values." That's a good one, little factually-challenged filly.

You've got almost as much moral authority as larry craig, mark foley, ted haggard and whatever bigoted-trash, lunatic-fringe, kukluxkrishtin preacher McSame's courtin' today to curry favor with you "values voters" that he'll be forced to desperately attempt to disassociate himself from by Wednesday morning once volumes of his various factually-challenged, Racist, anti-Semitic, homophobic, Tennessee Taliban trash "sermons" surface on YouTube.
Now that's entertainment.

Your ignorant anonymous-swine ass has almost that much moral authority to talk about "Vermont values, auntie amerika.

Always a pleasure.
Dismissed.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 10:54 PM, June 07, 2008

Wow...thanks for the garbage talk Coopy. I can't imagine how anyone would not find you anything but a charming, persuasive guy. You do you Party proud, again.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:40 AM, June 08, 2008

Anthony Pollina should not get out of the race. Neither should Symington - the voters have a right to a choice.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 1:54 PM, June 08, 2008

You are an interesting guy Coopy, although very much a dinosaur.

There is a constant theme to your postings that date you in the distant past.... 'the South is a seething pit of racism; you are a goose-stepping Nazi; your frequent references to Strom Thurmond, et. al.'

If you took the time and risked a trip away from your bunker in Montpelier you would know the real world has changed and the rhetoric you spew is obsolete. You have been rendered a mere slogan hopelessly seeking a cause.

The movement of the 60's was to end hatred between groups. Sadly, you are the antithesis of the cause. You perpetuate the hatred and divisiveness so many worked so hard to eliminate.

Please turn in your tie-dyed shirt and Birkenstock's and be gone.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 7:07 AM, June 09, 2008

Anonymous...

"You are an interesting guy Coopy,..."

Gee, thanks, auntie amerika. I wish I could second that emotion, but you're dull as dishwater.

Alas, you're dumb, you're scum, ya go bupkis, your ignorant ass is right off the defective-merchandise close-out rack on the sidewalk in front of the store with the rest of the recalled reganite rubbish and the next thought the likes of you and your ignorant, ill-informed, anonymous coalition of the clueless ass conjures up will be your first, schmuck.

You're ignorant trash with bupkis and the next thought the likes of you and your ignorant, ill-informed, anonymous coalition of the clueless ass conjures up will be your first, schmuck.

"There is a constant theme to your postings that date you in the distant past.... 'the South is a seething pit of racism; you are a goose-stepping Nazi; your frequent references to Strom Thurmond, et. al."

Ah, the ol' "if you mention the Holocaust you're a Nazi" song and dance. Nice try, no sale, schmuck. It's called 20th Century World History, 101. It happened and unless your ignorant anonymous ass can prove it didn't, deal with it.

As for 20th Century American History, 101, if you have evidence contradicting Strom's Racist, Segregationist past, the fact that he left the Democratic Party to became a gop and most of the Anti-Semitic, Pro-Segregationist, Dixiecrat dreck followed him in becoming gops or were replaced by gop scum opposed to the Civil Rights Movement and the Deep South became the ignorant-trash base of the gop prompting Nixon's Southern Strategy in a backlash to the Civil Rights Legislation that JFK proposed and LBJ enacted despite bitter gop opposition from Goldwater and a Texas Congressman named GHW Bush, then by all means, feel free to cough it up and make your case.

That's what I thought.

Once again, little factually-challenged filly, your ignorant anonymous ass has proven - yet again - that you're dumb, you're scum and ya got bupkis.
Alas, auntie amerika, as always, those facts were never in dispute.

Go find yourself a tar pit and fall in it.

Always a pleasure.

Dismissed.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 12:23 PM, June 09, 2008

Thanks for making my point coopy. Time have changed. You haven't.

Open your eyes and step into 21st century. This hatred thing really is counter-productive to everything the movement stands for.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:42 PM, June 09, 2008

Anonymous said...

"Thanks for making my point coopy..."

And what point would that be, auntie amerika? Is it your clueless cretin contention that history and the facts don't matter in your factually-challenged/fundamentally-dishonest bizarro world philosophy, because - as always - that's the only point you've managed to make.

"Time" have changed, eh, little factually-challenged fella?

"Open your eyes and step into 21st century. This hatred thing really is counter-productive to everything the movement stands for."

In other words, history and the facts are "hatred" and "counter-productive to everything the movement stands for."

That certainly explains a great deal as it offers tremendous insight into your "thinking".

It's also why I've never subscribed to your factually-challenged/fundamentally-dishonest, bigoted-trash with bupkis bowel movement, little nameless-nitwit filly, and why I never will.

Always a pleasure.
Dismissed.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 1:50 PM, June 09, 2008