(In keeping with our policy of promoting diaries by candidates for statewide office to the front page, here is the latest from Deb Markowitz: – promoted by GMD)
I just sent a video message to supporters and wanted to make sure the GMD crowd had it as well. It is an update to my post earlier in the week.
Help me tell Brian Dubie to stop the ad now. Sign our online petition below.
Quite frankly, good for Deb Markowitz. I saw the ad early that morning, but when I went to retrieve it, the banner was no longer there. Still, my upset lingered.
Vermont will never be Winchester County, N.Y., although Chittenden County sometimes makes the effort. Vermont, as a small state, will always have its limitations, but it should play to its strengths: namely, its golden reputation and its still admirable environment — even though that seems to be degrading in parts of the state. Vermont certainly can try to be like “elsewhere”; but gosh, elsewhere is a slippery concept, given the de-industrialization of America and the export of jobs overseas.
I have always been intrigued by the free pass Brian Dubie gets over his “green valley” idea, an ecological/entrepreneurial counterpart to Silicon Valley, California. Silicon Valley is a mess, facing environmental and other issues that we would never want to emulate in Vermont. Why Brian would want to move those problems to our state is beyond me.
Years ago, during the Viet Nam War, when folks would criticize our involvement in Southeast Asia, many jingoistic critics would shout, “America — Love it or leave it!” I am tempted to say the same to the Vermont bashers: “Vermont — Love it or leave it!” If you cannot imagine a better Vermont without tearing it down first, forget it.
Now, Deb, beyond your justifiable criticism of Dubie, what specifically do you have up your sleeve that will build on Vermont’s strengths and make it better, without diminishing its unique characteristics?
talk about how badly Vermont has done under the administration he and Douglas have headed. We’re going to have to start calling him “Do-Over Dubie.”
More retread negativity. Could we expect anything else?
I think he should go viral with a more dramatic ad.
Pan from the Governor over to the Lt. Gov in the cockpit of a jumbo passenger jet. Cue dramatic music, airplane sounds, instrument panels blinking… it feels sort of like the movie ‘Airplane’ (its a tragic comedy), but with Vermonter’s as passengers and cameo’s by our state legislators.
“I’ve been co-piloting this state for a long time. Look how much crap we as pilots have to deal with! We’re barely keeping this thing in the air – if it wasn’t for our great skill as pilots we’d be grounded! No one’s wanted to invest in our plane. We’ve lost most of our business travelers, it takes too long to get clearance to take off, and the FAA legislature is just too inept to streamline our regulations…”
Fade to a daydream / flashback…
“If only I was sitting over in the big chair! I could whip the flight attendants and those unruly passengers into shape! We face serious challenges on our plane – but I can change them. Look, when you’re 47th there is nowhere to go but up!
I mean look – the radar’s broke and the radio is out of range (but that out of state broadband shell company (in bankruptcy!) says after the transition things will smooth out (good thing we can still block the porn the gate agent was surfing!)),
we’re leaking fuel byproducts into the air and water, (but air travel is safe, clean and reliable!),
the crapper is full and the potable water quality is worse than Lake Champlain (we really need to get rid of these silly environmental regs! business class should be able to poop wherever they please! even from 10,000 feet!),
the working passengers are pissed that we took away the free pretzels and soft drinks (but first class now has a subsidized bar and meal plan),
after installing massage chairs with personal attendants in first class we started charging middle and business class for carry ons, oxygen, water, toilet use, and to print their tickets (we didn’t want to raise ticket prices – it would make us look uncompetitive!),
most of the attendants, gate agents, mechanics, and controllers were forced to take a mid-air pay cut (and some were pushed out completely!) (btw – did anyone check to see if those out of state consultants correctly packed the chutes that came with challenges for altitude change?),
the purser has gone ‘rogue’ and has been telling everyone to ‘fuck off’ (and that he can do whatever he wants to on company time – even video record it!)…
I mean, we’re barely keeping this wobbly ole bird in the air! It takes a ton of skill to be in the drivers seat for so long and keep such a shit can of a state airworthy.”
Cut to an action shot of the Lt. dodging sniper fire with Hillary, hunting with Dick C., mountain biking with GW, and then back to making a dramatic landing of the plane while wrestling an inept shoe/underwear bomber to the ground as F-35 jets escort the plane to the VTANG hangers, flags wave, and he walks into the sunset… its all in the days work of a Governor.
Why should he stop parroting Douglas’s line now?
If Douglas says Vermont sucks, then by golly Dubie-Do’s going to say the same thing.
Me? I’ll stick with people who think Vermont is a good place to live and prosper.
The corporations want Dubie to say that so he’ll roll back their taxes. We really have to look out that Dubie does not win in November.