Vermont Megathread

[quesaisje]

Dean looks and sounds incredible for 75. I need some of that VT water.

An earlier article in Seven Days dropped this detail:

Bluemle said she recently had coffee with Dean in Burlington's South End. She said she was struck by the physical and mental fitness of the 75-year-old former physician, governor and presidential candidate. When they parted ways, Dean told her he was heading to Winooski [a distance of several miles] — on foot.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

Dean would have entered the Senate race if Bernie retired but he won't challenge Scott for Gov. That's why Bernie finally announced he was running before Dean made his announcement

[Sir Mohamed]

https://vtdigger.org/2024/05/20/howard-dean-will-not-run-for-governor-of-vermont/

Whelp

I still believe he would have lost to Scott. And maybe some internal polling showed that.

Anyways, the race is now Safe RINO.

[smoltchanov]

In fact - it's "RINO's" and "DINO's" (in present meaning of these words, which are far different from real "liberal" and "conservative") who are the best candidates in "hostile states". Scott and Baker among Republicans, and JBE and Jim Justice (2016) among Democrats are the most recent examples. But one can easily find other - like Jodi Rell in Connecticut or Mike Beebe in Arkansas.

But both idiotic parties of US now usually strictly apply "litmus tests" to their candidates. As a result - dull primaries with Tweddledees against Tweedledums, and boring general elections, where one can easily name positions of 99% candidates on all important issues without knowing anything about them... US politics slowly denegerated to absolute absurd in the last 50 years. To some extent "our" Russian "politics" is more honest now: it doesn't pretend to be a Democracy anymore, and is proud to be a dictatorship. Is it bad? Of course. VERY bad. But, at least - honest, while US politics is a heap of deceit now....

[GM Team Member and Acting PPT WB]

I want to see Ethan Sonneborn run just because why not

[KaiserDave]

I want to see Ethan Sonneborn run just because why not

Ethan is in college in Washington D.C., leave him be.

In other news

https://vtdigger.org/2024/05/28/phil-scott-allows-ghost-guns-union-organizing-bills-to-become-law-without-his-signature/

Governor Scott allowed the VT PRO Act (which is similar to the national proposal) and the ban on ghost guns to become law without his signature.

I am surprised, seems like somewhat of a left-wing tact. For all the noise and fury, maybe his position this session is less right of center than I thought.

[quesaisje]

https://www.vermontpublic.org/local-news/2024-05-30/gov-phil-scott-vetoes-bill-that-would-establish-overdose-prevention-center-in-burlington

Phil Scott has vetoed a bill that would have established an "overdose prevention center" in Burlington. Democratic leaders in the legislature are vowing an override in favor of the controversial proposal.

Scott's veto statement:

While these sites are well-intentioned, this costly experiment will divert financial resources from proven prevention, treatment and recovery strategies, as well as harm reduction initiatives that facilitate entry into treatment rather than continued use. While it may consolidate the widespread drug use in Burlington into a smaller area within the city, it will come at the expense of the treatment and recovery needs of other communities, for whom such a model will not work. 

https://governor.vermont.gov/press-release/action-taken-governor-phil-scott-legislation-may-30-2024

[Duke of York]

Scott is going to win easily.  If he had retired it would have been a competitive primary on both sides and a MAGA winning the primary resulting in a flip.

[smoltchanov]

Scott is going to win easily.  If he had retired it would have been a competitive primary on both sides and a MAGA winning the primary resulting in a flip.

Obviously. There is very little initiative for moderate (even more - for liberal) to be a Republican now in such Democratic state as Vermont. Just as there is very little initiative for such person to be a Democrat in Wyoming or Idaho, where Democratic nomination in most cases is of very little value. And we observe this process in reality..

P.S. People like Scott, JBE or Manchin are the remnants of the previous (much more interesting, IMHO) political epoch, when you could (depending on cirumstances) to have almost any political views while  being member of some political party. No more. Dullness and boredom....

[KaiserDave]

In a move that will surely annoy the Burlington Progs left wing, Stanak keeps Murad as Police Chief.


https://vtdigger.org/2024/05/31/burlington-mayor-emma-mulvaney-stanak-reappoints-jon-murad-as-police-chief/

[KaiserDave]

Things are getting very nasty in Vtpol.

Relations between Phil Scott and legislative Democrats have never been worse, I will try not to editorialize but the battle over education funding as intensified, with Phil Scott's veto of the yield bill being overridden. Rhetoric is intensifying as battle lines harden with elections approaching.

Phil is seeming very not like himself. Part of me thinks what with the pandemic, the flooding, the supermajority, and his party turning into a fascist cult, his heart isn't in it anymore and Gibbs is running the show.

[KaiserDave]

The August state primary will be a real snooze. For the first time Governor Scott has no right-wing primary opponent, and most statewide races in general will be a bore. There's one exception to that, the lieutenant gubernatorial primary on the Democratic side.

David Zuckerman, our Lt. Governor from 2017-2021 and 2023-present is facing a primary challenge from the Deputy Mayor of Winooski, Thomas Renner. Now I colored Zuckerman in progressive auburn, as he is officially affiliated with the party, but he usually contests both the Democratic and Progressive primaries, with the Democratic primary being the only one that matters obviously. He's not lost a statewide Democratic primary yet, this cycle he's not even contesting the Progressive primary (they'll just endorse him if he wins the Democratic one). Zuckerman sort of treads the line between Dem and Prog in a way that leaves some Democrats sour.

On the face of it, Zuckerman should be fine, he's a tenured officeholder running against the Deputy Mayor of a glorified suburb of Burlington. But Renner is no slouch, he's got a lot of connections in Balintworld, and he's already received major endorsements like Senator Ram Hinsdale. Zuckerman won his primary narrowly in 2022 and everyone who voted against him are not exactly lining up just because he's an incumbent now. Renner will certainly have trouble building his campaign outside of Chittenden, but I think it'll be a competitive race.

[Arson Plus]

Things are getting very nasty in Vtpol.

Relations between Phil Scott and legislative Democrats have never been worse, I will try not to editorialize but the battle over education funding as intensified, with Phil Scott's veto of the yield bill being overridden. Rhetoric is intensifying as battle lines harden with elections approaching.

Phil is seeming very not like himself. Part of me thinks what with the pandemic, the flooding, the supermajority, and his party turning into a fascist cult, his heart isn't in it anymore and Gibbs is running the show.

Out of curiosity, why is he running again if his heart isn't in it?

[Spectator]

Surprised he ran for a fifth term too tbh. Seems pretty rare for VT/NH governors. Wonder if he’s just gonna call it quits in 2026.

[KaiserDave]

Things are getting very nasty in Vtpol.

Relations between Phil Scott and legislative Democrats have never been worse, I will try not to editorialize but the battle over education funding as intensified, with Phil Scott's veto of the yield bill being overridden. Rhetoric is intensifying as battle lines harden with elections approaching.

Phil is seeming very not like himself. Part of me thinks what with the pandemic, the flooding, the supermajority, and his party turning into a fascist cult, his heart isn't in it anymore and Gibbs is running the show.

Out of curiosity, why is he running again if his heart isn't in it?

To check the supermajority for as long as he can.

[President Johnson]

Surprised he ran for a fifth term too tbh. Seems pretty rare for VT/NH governors. Wonder if he’s just gonna call it quits in 2026.

Still not a particulary long time in office. Under normal conditions, he'd only be running for a third term.