The absence of some of the party’s brightest stars didn’t prevent Vermont Progressives at a meeting on Saturday from considering a race next year against Democratic Gov. Peter Shumlin.
The 40 Prog faithful who gathered on a dazzling August afternoon in Bethel’s town hall (right) reached no conclusions about election strategy in 2014. Most speakers, however, did express support for running what one described as “a serious statewide campaign.”
Morgan Daybell, the party’s former executive director, argued instead for investing the Progs’ “limited money” in insurgent campaigns for the legislature in each of the state’s 14 counties. One reason for taking that more grassrootsy approach, Daybell suggested, is that the party can count only “a limited number of people willing to be credible [statewide] candidates.”
State Rep. Chris Pearson, a Prog who probably could project political credibility on a statewide stage, tilted toward the let’s-go-for-it position during a cordial 20-minute dialogue with Daybell.
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You correctly point out that Pollina has run 4 statewide campaigns — and lost every time. What you faiil to note is that, of those 4, he only ran as a Prog twice. His first run was for Congress — as a Democrat. In his most recent run, for Gov., he ditched the Prog label mid-campaign and ran as an Independent. Pollina has shown that it’s all about him, not the Progressive party.
Chris Pearson could be a creditable candidate. The question really is, Are the Republicans willing to meet the Progressives behind the barn for the sole purpose of displacing Shumlin? If they are, we could have a race. Pearson would need to run as an Independent, while the Progs and Repubs sit out the race. This could work.
As it should be…
The problem with our current system is people for a party not a candidate… that is why we got Shumlin instead of Dubie. Everyone likes Dubie better, the state just has more liberals voting in it.
And well, that’s just sad…because you know what…. Pete isn’t even a good democrat and he’s an even worse person.
I quite agree with you that politics shouldn’t be about party loyalty. But neither should it be about people’s ridiculous egotism. It shouldn’t take you running for statewide office 4 times, and losing 4 times, to get the message that you’re not wanted.
Not all that surprising that Progs don’t show up to party meetings. It’s more surprising that Kevin Kelley drove down from Burlington.