Burlington mayoral candidate Infinite Culcleasure vowed to stay in the race “until March 6 and beyond” despite what he called “efforts to marginalize our campaign.”
The political newcomer posted a campaign update on his website Thursday under the headline “Message from Infinite: We’re Stronger Than Ever.” The post appeared days after Culcleasure and the two other mayoral candidates, Carina Driscoll and Miro Weinberger, participated in a televised forum about the issues.
In his post, Culcleasure decried a Seven Days cover story that examined whether Weinberger, a two-term incumbent with plenty of campaign cash, could lose the contest. Driscoll, a Progressive Party-backed independent candidate, has political experience and is the stepdaughter of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a connection she’s touted on the campaign trail.
Culcleasure lamented “being marginalized based on such superficial grounds as how we look and our lack of campaign resources,” which he referred to as a “practice of white normative politics in Burlington and Vermont.”
The independent candidate said he has not coordinated with Driscoll and has no plans of dropping out of the race.
Culcleasure pushed back against the notion that his campaign will split the opposition vote and allow Weinberger an easy path to victory.
“We should all be prepared for a little discomfort and not act in fear of a potential Miro victory, but rather in hope of transformative democracy in Burlington,” he wrote.
Culcleasure continued:
After 45 years of existing on the margins of American society, being coerced to drop out of a campaign for public office has been one of the most anti-democratic adventures I have ever experienced. Since politics is not a career goal of mine, but a means for survival, I have no choice but to resist.
Culcleasure, a community organizer, has never held elected office. He’s running on a platform of increased citizen decision-making in city government and bottom-up economic development that emphasizes the city’s social and environmental needs over the bottom line.
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Regarding criminals like Culcleasure: NOTHING is EVER their fault; they are ALWAYS the victims of some terrible injustice. The “poor me” bleat is the hallmark of a true criminal.
Adam Salem: “If you look at it this way, supporting Carina is the only sensible option. Personally, I’d be happy with Infinite as mayor – even though I do prefer Carina. But, my ultimate goal is to get a progressive mayor, and the only viable path forward to achieve that result is to support Carina. All this, in addition to the fact that I genuinely think Carina is a better candidate.”
Hmm, this line of reasoning sounds vaguely familiar … where have I heard it before … oh, right! In the 2016 Democratic “primary.”
“Personally I’m a fan of Condorcet voting methods, but really any Rank Choice systems would be better than what we have today..”
Were you in Burlington for the IRV fiasco in 2009 that led to the incompetent Kiss being reelected? The voters of Burlington tried IRV, realized it sucked, and got rid of it.
” It is extremely UNdemocratic to demand, coerce, pressure a candidate to drop out of the race in order to restructure the competition “strategically.”” –dogsforcats
Unfortunately with the First Past The Post voting system we use from a pragmatic perspective this often the only viable strategy if it is clear the vote is going to be split. I don’t like it. Assuming you don’t either I suggest working to change it. Personally I’m a fan of Condorcet voting methods, but really any Rank Choice systems would be better than what we have today.
B in BTV- Carina has never been convicted of any crime
Infinite has
By your very own ration the only criminal running for mayor is named Infinite
Your attemtpts to slander Carina with unsubstantiated slander is uncalled for and frankly delusional
furthermore you keep trying to insist its somehow “racist” that Infinite was caught and convicted for the crimes he was committing . and that somehow “systematic racism” caused him to come to Vermont with the sole intent of selling drugs
that is not only absurd but you are attempting to legitimize the narrative the Infinite has created about himself- the he is a victim of racisim in a white state where he was “stereotyped” into being a drug dealer
that is a purley fictional tale that is being spun by his campaign
a tale that is falling on deaf ears as most Vermonters are getting tired of being lectured at about being “racist” over things like arresting black men who come here from NYC with the sole intent to sell drugs
When Infinite admits that he and he alone created the scenario that landed him in prison – and not some form of mythical racism- then perhaps it can be said he has taken ownership of his crimes
until then…..
I would agree that Mr. Culcleasure has been subjected to racism, but to his benefit. The desperate scramble by so many to forgive him for the lives he ruined doesn’t appear to have any other motivator than the color of his skin. I’ve never seen so many people so eager to forgive and actually promote an unrepentant drug dealer. As for responsibility, Mr. Culcleasure’s statement on that matter blaming his victims for his crimes demonstrate he has most definitely not taken ownership of his deeds and the damage he caused. The fact that he was convicted and sent to jail for his felonies is to the credit of the cops, prosecutors, and corrections officers who held him accountable, not his. The next drug addled vagrant you see wandering Church Street be sure and thank Mr. Culcleasure and his decision to move to Vermont specifically to sell drugs to addicts, as was shown at his trial to have been his motive.