Progressives Debate in Vermont!

… I’ll promote this because this is Vermont oriented. I live in southern VT and I like what the Progressives stand for. However…

… I just don’t believe that by making Vermont a more progressive state and by promoting legislation that is progressive by nature you can do that by spliting from the Democratic Party. Taking back the progressive wing of the Democratic party is a more effective way to go. The Progressive Party has IMO not represented a diverse party of diverse views. Everyone’s has the same political beliefs. I don’t like that. I support big tent approaches to politics. If a third party wants to be successful I think it needs to employ a big tent approach to issues. The current Progressive Party doesn’t have that. It is one of many things they need to consider for Vermonters to take this party seriously.

I guess the other thing is Thomas Hermann and Charlotte Dennet stand on issues I care about: ending the war and prosecuting George W. Bush for murder. I support both of those issues. I just don’t believe you should be running on single issues. Hermann is running against Welch because of his votes on the war (which Welch is an opponent of the war and Hermann is unfortunately twisting Welch’s votes in inaccurate and unhelpful ways… but that’s a story for another day) and Dennet wants to prosecute Bush. You can’t do that and expect to win. That’s not realistic. Vermonters are smart voters and they won’t buy into stuff like this. They know there’s more to it than promoting single issues. Hermann needs to know how to secure funding for home heating oil assistance, secure funding for infrastructure, lower costs for higher education, and keep many state organizations and institutions operating. How much experience does Hermman have in that? Has he worked with other politicians to get things done? How much political capital does he have to work with?

I ask that same question to Charlotte Dennet. Although she says she’s going to appoint Bugliosi to take on Bush… she can’t make that the cornerstone of her time in office as AG. She’s going to be spending a lot of time working on all kinds of civil cases, lawsuits, against private individuals and the state. She has to represent the interests of Vermonters on all kind of other issues that keep the state functioning on a legal level. How much experience does she have on this? None that I know of. While I support her efforts to prosecute Bush and get Bugilosi to do it, there are other things going on that are more important Dennet needs to make her priority. Not this.

As for Pollina, you’re just NEVER going to get elected bashing the party to want to help more more to the left. I think he’s pissed off a lot of key Dems who may have been willing to work, listen, and compromise with, had he not consistently bash them over the years. What you have now is a Governor who will not likely get 50% of the vote and absolutely no shot of getting elected by the legislature. If he does come out ahead of Symington on Wednesday, forget the GOP supporting Pollina. As for the Dems, there are many Dems that don’t like him and won’t even consider voting him in as Governor. Like I said, the Dems may piss us off, but you don’t bash them and then run against them, and expect the Dems to change their positions on issues. That’s not a smart strategy. Good legislation takes a long time to produce and it’s working with your adversaries one step at a time and keep going until you get to the point where you want the legislation to look like.

The Progs in Vermont IMO are taking all the wrong steps to making Vermont what we want it to be, a progressive leaning state representing divergent viewpoints from people all under the same tent.  

***Although I may strongly disagree, I do support your opinions. Let me just make that clear. Peace.