Ready for a Sorkin-style walk-n-talk? Okay, here goes:

Donna: What’s take out the trash day?

Josh: Friday.

Donna: I mean what is it?

Josh: Any stories we have to give the press and we’re not wild about, we give ’em all in a lump on Friday.

Wait, why am I taking you back to The West Wing, episode 13? Not because it’s awesome, which it is. But because on Thursday at 6:08 p.m. Vermont reporters received something in our inboxes we’ve been awaiting for months: Republican gubernatorial candidate Randy Brock’s eagerly-anticipated health care plan.

Given the hype — and the fact that Brock’s criticism of Shumlin’s single-payer-ish health care plan has formed the core of his campaign — we kind of figured the GOPer would make a big deal out of his announcement. But as Brock knows well, “take out the trash day” comes early here in the Green Mountains. Shit, I usually check out by 4 p.m. Thursday and phone it in thereafter.

We’ve asked the Brock campaign for comment, and we’re told we’ll get a crack at the candidate later today. But in the meantime, we don’t want you to miss this seminal campaign document. You can read all 5.25 pages here.

What will you find? Upon first inspection, it looks to us like a whole lotta nothingburger. Just poll-tested slogans and recycled GOP talking points, promising to “Strengthen the Safety Net and Leave No Vermonter Behind,” offering “Robust Choice,” and emphasizing the importance of “Personal Responsibility.”

And free coke in the water fountains!

Of course, I suppose you gotta give Brock props for at least putting something forward. Had he followed the lead of national Republicans, who for two years now have promised to “repeal and replace” the Affordable Care Act without actually replacing anything, Brock simply could have kept on trashing Shumlin’s “TitanicCare” without offering his own plan.

If you’d rather watch the West Wing than read Brock’s plan, then here you go.

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Paul Heintz was part of the Seven Days news team from 2012 to 2020. He served as political editor and wrote the "Fair Game" political column before becoming a staff writer.

4 replies on “For Brock’s Health Care Plan, It’s Take Out the Trash Day”

  1. Ugh. I bet this article was written before Brock’s document even came out – or it might as well have because I’m sure it would have been the same. The document might not entertain the author of this article as much as West Wing but Brock’s content is based on what is better for Vermonters. Consumer driven health care has already been widely successful in Vermont, and I fail to see the fault if in make healthcare cheaper so more people can afford it- instead of continuing to pay for what we can all agree in an unaffordable system- for Vermonters and the Vermont government. I urge everyone to take a critical look at both Shumlin and Brock’s plans – without the frames of their political affiliations. Which plan is better for Vermonters? Which plan is better for you? I want to be in charge of my own healthcare. I want to be able to afford my own healthcare.

  3. Two problems …
    Most people, unfortunately would rather go watch TV, than take a few minutes to understand how the proposed health plans might affect them. I actually read the plan. While there are a few generic “talking points” that mean nothing to anyone anymore, there were also some specifics that the author of this piece just glazed over, when he read it … if he read it at all.

    The 2nd problem, Paul … is that you obviously wouldn’t give the plan a fair review, simply because Brock has an R following his name.

    It’s very unfortunate that most voters have such a short attention span (oooh, shiny … I’ll have that) … and the press (willing to say most anything to advance their agenda) count on this, as they spew their pre-election garbage. Hey … it sells newspapers … or at least it used to! “Journalists” like this are a big part of the problem.

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