Senator Dick McCormack (D-Windsor) took a few moments today to speak candidly about the new legislature and the prospects for environmental and economic policy progress in the upcoming session.
Is this a GMD-kinda legislator or what?
Senator Dick McCormack (D-Windsor) took a few moments today to speak candidly about the new legislature and the prospects for environmental and economic policy progress in the upcoming session.
Is this a GMD-kinda legislator or what?
Received a fascinating email from the Vermont Freedom to Marry group, announcing today’s protest in Burlington as part of a national day of action condemning the passage of California’s anti-gay Proposition 8:
We’ve heard from several people around the state who want to take part in the Join the Impact national day of protests about Proposition 8. In truth, we’ve been wringing hands about this. Given where we are in the marriage movement in Vermont, protests aren’t exactly going to advance our efforts, but people are calling on Vermont to Reclaim its Leadership Role — It’s time!
We’re shifting gears, and we’re asking you to join us this Saturday to acknowledge the painful and discriminatory vote in California while urging Vermont to Reclaim its Leadership Role by passing marriage equality in 2009!
Saturday 11/15
City Hall
Burlington
1:30pm
We’ll see you there!
Hm. Sounds like they’ve been dragged into this solidarity action. “Hand wringing” is an interesting phrase, but most interesting is the statement “given where we are…protests aren’t exactly going to advance our efforts.” It’s tossed out there like a given, with a “Duh” sort of tone.
Now I am one who believes that street protests are not nearly as effective as they once were. In fact, I think there are many occasions – likely even most – where they are no longer effective at all. But I think the more local the level, the more meaning they probably have – and in a small state like Vermont, it becomes a tougher question.
But the Freedom to Marry folks seem to approach it as a closed one. Of course protests would be a bad idea. Since the issue has moved out of the courts (civil unions) and into a rough election in 2000, same-sex marriage advocates seem to be going to extraordinary lengths not to offend, and that has meant keeping the movement from ever going truly grassroots in this state. It’s been approached far more academically, and in a highly controlled and deliberate manner. The goal seems not to offend, and to try and creep towards majority acceptance. To avoid confrontation.
The question, of course, is how long that strategy can – and should – be maintained? Let’s face it, it’ll take a hundred years to creep into consensus on this, so eventually (I assume) the goal will be to make change in the legislature, and the legislative process is inherently adversarial (that’s democracy for ya).
What do you think? Is it a given that public action would hurt this effort in Vermont?
Nice! I take the day off, and there’s something important to post. Here’s Senator Leahy on VPR today, regarding Lieberman: “I’m one who does not feel that someone should be rewarded with a major chairmanship after doing what he (Lieberman) did.” He goes on to condemn the “attacks” on Obama as “way beyond the pale,” labelling them as “horrible.”
Click on the embed link below to hear the question and its complete response. It’s about 2 minutes. You can find the complete podcast at VPR.
Lots of updates on the Speaker’s race. Shay has the goods, including the one bit of gossip I had in my pocket, but couldn’t be first up with yesterday cuz it was during work hours. Sigh… the hobbyists’ lament. Guess we’ll all know how it goes on the 6th when the Dems caucus.
Speaking of December 6th – that’s the now-official date for the progressive althing (big honkin’ meeting) I suggested in a the post earlier this week. Why the change? I’d originally contemplated tying it to the same day/locale of the Democratic State Committee meeting, but that meeting is going to have so many components, I’d be asking some people to stay for, essentially, a 4th meeting. And that’s not the way to squeeze out fresh ideas from human brains. So based on advice, I’m gonna risk a loss of momentum and bump it to the first weekend in December: Saturday, December 6th.
A note: this is a Dem focused conversation I’d like to have. Hence the original idea of timing it after a Dem State Committee meeting. New media is becoming a force, and I believe it – we – could have a profound effect if we engage in a full and deliberate way from the get go. I’d like to create open (and off the record for all) discussions about problems with the Party and the Left’s structure in the state, concerns about the players (we cant handle another candidate vacuum like this last time), and what this means for dealing with the Dem-Prog issue. Since the Progs are so much more of a linear hierarchical organization that the sprawling thing that is the Dems, I think conversations like this have to happen (both with self-identified Dems, as well as those who may not ID as Dems but are “stakeholders”) before meaningful discussions about working together can happen. Again, email me if you’re interested. The plan now is Saturday December 6th in Montpelier – tentatively 11 AM at the Kellogg Hubbard Library, but we may push that time back a bit to accommodate the caucus. Will have it firmed up within the day. Dem, non-Dem who has a stake in the Dems being an effective progressive force… definitely not the place for “anti-Dems” though. Let’s brainstorm!
UPDATE! PLEASE NOTE: Only part of this althing is going to be a “Dems/Progs discussion”… the D-P thing is only one component of a “how can we do better” conversation, and I think it’s needlessly limiting to narrowcast that “how can we do better” discussion right from the start. There are a lot of things we need to talk about doing better from our unique position as modern-day “plugged in” activists (again, as both self-IDed Dems and Indy-types with an investment in the Dems being functional and progressive…. call them “Dem stakeholders”) that may have nothing to do with what the Progs do, and in fact may be necessary to ultimately facilitate inter-party dialogue.
Call it “I know you are but what am I” politics. Call it also a parable for those of us outside of Burlington who are talking about Dem/Prog fusion or cooperation to have a sense of just how herculean a task we’re taking on.
Question: Why are we still talking about this race?
From the UVM Cynic on Tuesday:
Ram cited quotes from Zuckerman saying he had heard Ram only worked one or two days a week at her job at a preschool program in the summer.
Ram also mentioned a statement from Pearson saying that she had not put forth any ideas about student leadership when they met for coffee a year earlier.
“I think those are both lies and false allegations directed at my campaign, and I stand by that,” Ram said.
Ram said she will “have to be very aware that there is some tension between the Democratic Party and the Progressive Party, and that will play out in our relationship.”
Zuckerman said that Ram’s campaign is responsible for that tension.
“This campaign that [Ram] waged certainly created a great deal of tension. Tension between Progressives and Burlington Democrats that I have not seen for eight or 10 years,” Zuckerman said.
Elections are adversarial in nature. And of late, part of that process at the “macro” level has been to be the first one to peg your opponent as a sleazebag. Unethical. You don’t see that so much at the local level because politics becomes more personal and less institutional. Nobody wants to call their neighbor a sleazebag, right? Because if you do that “personal” quality becomes the other kind of personal. And if you push those kind of boundaries in a local election, you’re playing a slash-and-burn strategy, tromping on community cohesion in order to win, and that’s a problem.
Welcome to the just passed(?) Chittenden 3-4 race between incumbent Progressives Chris Pearson, David Zuckerman and Democrats Kesha Ram and some other guy. The race went to Zuckerman and Ram, and I have never seen a race at any level where the charge of “liar” was thrown around for such frivolous reasons. Ram:
In response to Pearson’s comment, Ram said that she is “frustrated by all of these blatant lies and negative attacks.”
“If my opponent is telling people that I am going to be moving out of the district in two years, she is lying based on information that she heard directly from me, and that is a very, very serious situation,”
There’s no question that this became personal very quickly. Pearson and Zuckerman took the candidacy itself as a personal attack, and there’s no question they responded with ferocity.
But folks on every side in the district asked some obvious questions of their candidates that simply can’t be considered personal. Would Ram be running if Pearson and Zuckerman were Democrats? How to reconcile Zuckerman’s re-election bid against his intention to move out of the district in a few years? Both obvious questions that clearly took on a personal bent needlessly. (For the record, I believe the answer to those questions were probably “yes” and “whatever” in that order… in any event, there’s nothing wrong with asking questions – especially obvious ones staring you in the face).
But those questions stirred the pot. What followed were frivolous questions that still get cited but were really meaningless. Were Pearson and Zuckerman starting a whisper campaign about Ram’s level of employment? Why was Ram running with a “sponge” candidate? (That last one was asked by a lot of folks who should know better… you run a “sponge” who has no intention to win in a multi-member district to “soak up” the votes of people who will only vote party lines, so their votes have as much impact – picking two ballot names – as those of others. Otherwise they essentially cast half-a-vote, and the resulting math can hurt a lone partisan candidate if the race is tight. It’s weird, but its common knowledge). Ram’s running mate turned out to be the worst sponge in history, though, when he publicly went all limp and said he didn’t want the position – doing nothing but reflecting badly on Ram. Meanwhile, the conspiracies abounded. Ram was a tool of the Leahy crowd/City Dems/Democracy for America to take down these dangerous Progs – apparently because the obvious truth (that Ram wanted to be a State Rep) was too boring (although it should be said that Ram’s choice of Ian Carleton for Campaign Treasurer was just asking for that kind of response).
So we had a scenario where everyone was already taking things too personally from the get go. That sort of thing only gets worse.
If you think all this is a bit much, better sit down.
Here’s how out of hand this has gotten. From Haik’s blog:
Blurt’s November 7 2008 blog round up links to stories by Max Bookman on Zuckerman, Pearson, and Ram.
Most of the comments are in the Ram piece. The ones from David Zuckerman and (Democratic City Councilor) Ed Adrian are interesting…
From Dave:
“…But I have to wonder…had Chris and I been Democrats would Kesha have run against us in a primary? Would people like Ed and Maurice worked so hard to defeat us? Do party labels matter that much? If they do, is that not a sad statement about our democracy?
From Ed:
“…Dave has also worked very hard at reaching out to the community and I applauded him for his efforts publicly on the FPF on October 30, 2008
where I stated the following:
“I have known Dave Zuckerman for over a decade when we shared a regular card game with a group of other folks. I am a founding member of his CSA, he came to our wedding and I consider him a friend. He has worked hard and I wish him the best of luck. Remember that each and every one of you in the Chittenden 3-4 legislative district can vote for two people for the Vermont House. I would encourage all of you to join me in voting for Kesha.” *** I should note that as of November 5, 2008 I became, not due to my own choice, a former member of Dave’s CSA….”
I hate when people assume we know what acronyms stand for. Ed mentions “FPF.” That’s Front Porch Forum, a neighborhood email update. He also mentions “Dave’s CSA.” CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. Some kind of hippy-zippy food buying group thing.
But anyway. Is Ed Adrian trying to imply that Zuckerman kicked him out of a food co-op because he helped Kesha Ram defeat Chris Pearson? Whoa Nelly. Ed Adrian is running for mayor, by the way.
Amazing, huh?
Zuckerman responded in the comments:
In Vermont we all have many business and personal relationships that cross our political philosophies. That is part of what makes our political scene more “civil” in most instances. However…there are also some unwritten codes that I have observed in my 12 years of being in politics. One of them is
that folks tend not to use their personal or business relationships for political gain at cross hairs to the business relationship or without chatting about it first. And this is where Ed crossed the line.In his posting you will see that while it was couched as being friendly etc. it was also a political ploy (and it was part of their overall strategy to get people to vote for Kesha and me…which was an effective one…so kudo’s to them).
I have no problem with folks endorsing whoever they want to over and around friendships. Those are political decisions. But to use a friendship or business relationship as a tool for partisan politics was beyond ok.
I might add that only 2 weeks (give or take) earlier, I had had a discussion with Ed asking him that we separate our business relationship from politics at CSA pick-ups because it made some other members uncomfortable (without placing blame on him or me, we just get heated…and we enjoyed it…but other members did not). So it was on the heals of my asking him to separate our politics from our business relationship that his email was sent out. From that, the next time I was to see him (I thought) other than the heat of election day was at the next share pick up on wednesday. Sure the timing was not great…but it was the next scheduled pick up. I wanted to do it in person to try to explain all of this rather than through emails and blogs.
And this is the hard part, because the Front Porch Forum post that Zuckerman cited as justification for Adrian’s expulsion and is terming unethical was this one:
WHY I SUPPORT KESHA RAM
By Ed Adrian, City Councilor – Ward 1, Brookes Ave,
Tue, 28 October 2008I have been somewhat surprised about the lack of political discussion on the FPF and hesitant to disturb that tranquility. Thus in return for your brief attention and bearing with me through this posting, I offer two humorous website links at the bottom to get you through the last days of the presidential campaign.
As we head into the final days of this campaign, I have been asking myself why I support particular candidates actively. Yes I am a democrat and I like to support my fellow democrats. However, while I may vote for a democrat, I do not always support him or her publicly. Every once in a while through a
candidate comes along who is so extraordinary that I will go out of my way to provide as much support as possible for that candidate. Kesha Ram is such a candidate.
I think that one of the best indicators of how well any individual will serve as a public representative is reflected by how well they run a campaign. What kind of organization do they have, who supports them, how much do they want the job and how hard are they willing to work to get it. Most importantly are they willing to get out there and touch base, in person, with as many people as possible. Kesha has assembled an impressive team in this race. Her literature, management and messaging is all topnotch. Most importantly though, Kesha has worked her heart and soul out in getting to meet the community over the last 5-6 months.
I believe that the same energy that Kesha has put into her campaigning will readily translate into responsive action for her future constituents. In my opinion, assuming your ideologies are roughly in sync with a candidate, constituent services and communication is the single most important attribute for a local official to provide to his or her community.
Kesha also draws on some unique life experiences. As a woman and an ethnic minority she has seen the world through eyes not shared by any other current member of the Vermont House. Now this is not to say that someone should vote for Kesha simply because she is a woman and/or a member of an ethnic minority.
However, if a person as candidate is looked at for everything that they bring to the table these are two assets that certainly are worth considering when casting a vote. In this instance much more defines Kesha then her gender or ethnicity.
Kesha is a graduate of the UVM class of 2008. In her last year at UVM she served as president of the student government association and managed a budget of 1.4 million dollars. Kesha has spent the last year serving on the City’s Environment and Energy Coordinating Committee. She was one of only 65 students in the nation awarded a Truman Scholarship. She has been endorsed by Democracy for American and is the youngest person ever to have been endorsed by Emily’s List. Her background provides her the unique ability to advocate for green jobs, affordable childcare, reproductive choice and the freedom to marry.
I have known Dave Zuckerman for over a decade when we shared a regular card game with a group of other folks. I am a founding member of his CSA, he came to our wedding and I consider him a friend. He has worked hard and I wish him the best of luck. Remember that each and every one of you in the Chittenden 3-4 legislative district can vote for two people for the Vermont House. I would encourage all of you to join me in voting for Kesha.
Now as promised here are the links –
http://www.cnnbcvideo.com/taf…. (Send it to yourself and your friends. You will not be disappointed. Guaranteed!)
http://www.funnyordie.com/vide… (For all you Ron Howard fans out there).
Best,
Ed
I don’t get it. The last part reads like an endorsement of Zuckerman. It praises the Progressive Rep and reminds folks that they get to vote for him too. In fact, it reads as a partisan Dem giving other Dems permission to split their vote between Ds and Ps.
I really don’t get it, and I can only assume that the reason I don’t get it is that those of us reading things like this are looking at the tip of an iceberg. What iceberg? Okay, there’s the old Prog vs. Dem you-poked-me-first-no-you-poked-me thing playing out in the comments at Blurt, BurlingtonPol and elsewhere – but in this case I think there’s another iceberg under there. A more personal one. One that we were never meant to see.
Never. Meant. To. See.
Clearly there’s so much history and animosity and warfare going on that people can’t think straight. The problem is that these people – all of them – Zuckerman, Adrian, Ram, Pearson – are in positions of authority. In other words, its their jobs to think straight, even if vengeance and personal vindication are so much more satisfying. They lose that luxury as part of the price of being public servants. It’s about sublimating the self in the interests of the community, and it comes with the turf. Reading all this is embarassing. And the bungle moments are even worse. Did nobody tell Ram’s running mate not to act like a dolt to the press? Did Zuckerman think he could kick somebody out of his CSA over politics and have it not go public?
I like Dave. I like Kesha. The little contact I’ve had with Chris and Ed have been extremely positive, and I like them too. To all I say: Move On.
If Mr. Pearson and Mr. Zuckerman are concerned more about the community they live in than their war, they’ll stop fighting the election. If Ram is more concerned about the community she lives in than the war, she’ll stop worrying about getting the last word. If Adrian wants to be mayor, he’ll get as far away from all this as he can. In other words; everybody needs to start acting like grownups unless they like this neighbor vs neighbor crap among those who purport to be allies on the issues – and it is supposed to be about the issues, yes?
And for those who wonder why I express concern about the political dynamics of Burlington creeping out into the rest of the state, I offer you Exhibit A.
I’m looking at the conversations both here and across the blogosphere since the election, and what’s looking back is, I think, worth a comment.
Nationally, I was concerned. Concerned that the ascent of Barack Obama would prove too rapturous an experience for enough people on the left that continuing to do what we do – challenge, question and push the envelope – would not be tolerated.
But I needn’t have worried. As reports emerge that Obama may be considering one of the Clinton-era architects of the deregulation bubble for Treasury, or that he may not intend to roll back some Bush-era civil liberties abuses, bloggers are not resting on their laurels. And sure, some die-hards are questioning the questioning, or calling for restraint – but they aren’t drowning out the due diligence that has charcterized the very essence of the liberal blogosphere with shrill cries of “concern troll” or worse. They are simply engaging in the debate like everyone else – and it’s always the right time for debate.
And this holds true for local issues as well. In a year where there are especially hard feelings between Democrats and Progressives after a challenging election, here at this site there are constructive conversations going on about how to avoid some of this internal competition dynamic on the left in the future.
That conversation has taken two directions. On the one hand is the idea of fusion being championed by posters such as Bill McKibben. Merging the Democratic and Progressive Parties would likely have to be enforced from the grassroots, as Party leaders would be resistant. On the other hand, there is the workaround notion of enabling (or forcing) a primary among the left candidates, either through IRV or some form of preference voting, a traditional runoff election, or changing the law to allow the same candidate to run in multiple Party Primary Elections.
It’s good stuff, but it needs to be more than academic. To that end, I’ve been talking to some of the folks in the greater Vermont netroots about getting together in “real life” and discussing our options to the goal of creating a plan of action. Not yet another “scrap-the-Dems” yakfest, obviously, as many of us here are Democratic Party activists (and that’s not about to change), but an addressing the cycle of ragnarok – not simply the P vs. D thing, but the tired pattern of destruction and renewal within the Democratic Party in Vermont that always leads to only marginal functionality and mixed electoral results. A positive, forward-looking, progressive media activists summit to look at the lay of the land outside of the context of the Democratic usual suspects is probably overdue and I, for one, am excited at the prospect.
We’re looking at the same day as the Dem State Committee meeting (Saturday the 22nd), probably after the meeting. Obviously, this won’t hold interest for those who reject the Democratic Party, but if you are interested, leave a comment or drop me a line (my email is on my profile). I’ll get out some emails tonight, so stay tuned. It’s time to shake things up a bit, methinks.
The Secretary of State has posted the “official” (for now) election results. If you’d rather not download an Excel spreadsheet, the results have been converted to HTML and are posted below the fold. (BIG NOTE: Senator Don Collins is listed as defeating Republican Randy Brock for Senate, despite reports to the contrary. HUGE news if correct, as it knocks most of what passes as heft off the Republican bench of potential statewide candidates)
UPDATE: The Secretary of State’s office is now reporting that some of these numbers are incorrect – specifically the Senate numbers. The data has been pulled from the website. Don’t get your hopes up about a Collins victory after all.
OFFICE SOUGHT | PRINTED NAME | DISTRICT NAME | # of Votes Received | Winner (noted as W) | INCUMBENT |
PRESIDENT | CHUCK BALDWIN | Federal | 500 | ||
PRESIDENT | BOB BARR | Federal | 1067 | ||
PRESIDENT | ROGER CALERO | Federal | 150 | ||
PRESIDENT | GLORIA LA RIVA | Federal | 149 | ||
PRESIDENT | JOHN MCCAIN | Federal | 98974 | ||
PRESIDENT | BRIAN MOORE | Federal | 141 | ||
PRESIDENT | RALPH NADER | Federal | 3339 | ||
PRESIDENT | BARACK OBAMA | Federal | 219262 | W | |
Rep to Congress | MIKE BETHEL | Federal | 14349 | ||
Rep to Congress | CRIS ERICSON | Federal | 7841 | ||
Rep to Congress | THOMAS JAMES HERMANN | Federal | 9081 | ||
Rep to Congress | JANE NEWTON | Federal | 5307 | ||
Rep to Congress | JERRY TRUDELL | Federal | 10818 | ||
Rep to Congress | PETER WELCH | Federal | 248203 | W | Y |
Governor | PETER DIAMONDSTONE | Vermont | 1710 | ||
Governor | JIM DOUGLAS | Vermont | 170492 | W | Y |
Governor | CRIS ERICSON | Vermont | 1704 | ||
Governor | TONY O’CONNOR | Vermont | 3106 | ||
Governor | ANTHONY POLLINA | Vermont | 69791 | ||
Governor | GAYE SYMINGTON | Vermont | 69534 | ||
Governor | SAM YOUNG | Vermont | 2490 | ||
Lt. Governor | THOMAS W. COSTELLO | Vermont | 121953 | ||
Lt. Governor | BRIAN E. DUBIE | Vermont | 171744 | W | Y |
Lt. Governor | RICHARD KEMP | Vermont | 14249 | ||
Lt. Governor | BEN MITCHELL | Vermont | 3639 | ||
State Treasurer | MURRAY NGOIMA | Vermont | 6423 | ||
State Treasurer | DON SCHRAMM | Vermont | 22811 | ||
State Treasurer | JEB SPAULDING | Vermont | 267338 | W | Y |
Sec. of State | EUGENE J. BIFANO | Vermont | 70114 | ||
Sec. of State | DEB MARKOWITZ | Vermont | 214197 | W | Y |
Sec. of State | LESLIE MARMORALE | Vermont | 3871 | ||
Sec. of State | MARJORIE POWER | Vermont | 13856 | ||
Auditor of Accounts | MARTHA ABBOTT | Vermont | 35232 | ||
Auditor of Accounts | JERRY LEVY | Vermont | 10788 | ||
Auditor of Accounts | THOMAS M. SALMON | Vermont | 241825 | W | Y |
Attorney General | CHARLOTTE DENNETT | Vermont | 17730 | ||
Attorney General | ROSEMARIE JACKOWSKI | Vermont | 7505 | ||
Attorney General | KAREN KERIN | Vermont | 55268 | ||
Attorney General | WILLIAM H. SORRELL | Vermont | 214980 | W | Y |
State Senate | CLAIRE AYER | Addison Senate | 15960 | W | Y |
State Senate | HAROLD GIARD | Addison Senate | 13955 | W | Y |
State Senate | BOB HARTWELL | Bennington Senate | 8675 | W | Y |
State Senate | RUTH HARVIE | Bennington Senate | 4987 | ||
State Senate | DICK SEARS | Bennington Senate | 12097 | W | Y |
State Senate | GERALD W. WOODARD | Bennington Senate | 5166 | ||
State Senate | MATTHEW A. CHOATE | Caledonia Senate | 8401 | W | |
State Senate | JOHN S. HALL | Caledonia Senate | 7683 | ||
State Senate | JOHN R. KASCENSKA, II | Caledonia Senate | 4242 | ||
State Senate | JANE KITCHEL | Caledonia Senate | 10149 | W | Y |
State Senate | DARREN ADAMS | Chittenden Senate | 15894 | ||
State Senate | TIM ASHE | Chittenden Senate | 28103 | W | |
State Senate | DENISE BEGINS BARNARD | Chittenden Senate | 27687 | ||
State Senate | DENNIS BEDARD | Chittenden Senate | 16760 | ||
State Senate | AGNES CLIFT | Chittenden Senate | 14192 | ||
State Senate | EDWARD FLANAGAN | Chittenden Senate | 38998 | W | Y |
State Senate | LARKIN FORNEY | Chittenden Senate | 3141 | ||
State Senate | TOM LICATA | Chittenden Senate | 11411 | ||
State Senate | VIRGINIA "GINNY" LYONS | Chittenden Senate | 35869 | W | Y |
State Senate | HINDA MILLER | Chittenden Senate | 31457 | W | Y |
State Senate | ROBYN MYERS-MOORE | Chittenden Senate | 15029 | ||
State Senate | DOUG RACINE | Chittenden Senate | 44856 | W | Y |
State Senate | DIANE B. SNELLING | Chittenden Senate | 32394 | W | Y |
State Senate | PAULA SPADACCINI | Chittenden Senate | 15110 | ||
State Senate | VINCENT ILLUZZI | Essex-Orleans Senate | 12445 | W | Y |
State Senate | ROBERT A. STARR | Essex-Orleans Senate | 12731 | W | Y |
State Senate | RANDY BROCK | Franklin Senate | 8307 | ||
State Senate | DONALD "DON" COLLINS | Franklin Senate | 8731 | W | Y |
State Senate | SARA BRANON KITTELL | Franklin Senate | 8920 | W | Y |
State Senate | WILLARD "BILL" ROWELL | Franklin Senate | 7393 | ||
State Senate | RICHARD "DICK" MAZZA | Grand Isle Senate | 9954 | W | Y |
State Senate | SUSAN BARTLETT | Lamoille Senate | 6872 | W | Y |
State Senate | JIM BLACK | Lamoille Senate | 4111 | ||
State Senate | MARK A. MACDONALD | Orange Senate | 7397 | W | Y |
State Senate | CHARLIE RUSSELL | Orange Senate | 2691 | ||
State Senate | HOPE BLUCHER | Rutland Senate | 9945 | ||
State Senate | BILL CARRIS | Rutland Senate | 16194 | W | Y |
State Senate | GREGORY J. DECKER | Rutland Senate | 6117 | ||
State Senate | CHERYL MAZZARIELLO HOOKER | Rutland Senate | 11869 | ||
State Senate | HULL MAYNARD | Rutland Senate | 13077 | W | Y |
State Senate | KEVIN J. MULLIN | Rutland Senate | 12783 | W | Y |
State Senate | JOHN BLOCH | Washington Senate | 3489 | ||
State Senate | KIMBERLY B. CHENEY | Washington Senate | 11637 | ||
State Senate | ANN E. CUMMINGS | Washington Senate | 15291 | W | Y |
State Senate | WILLIAM "BILL" DOYLE | Washington Senate | 15089 | W | Y |
State Senate | DWIGHT "SLIPPERY SLIM" DUKE | Washington Senate | 1126 | ||
State Senate | JOHN R. GILLIGAN | Washington Senate | 5660 | ||
State Senate | LAURA DAY MOORE | Washington Senate | 10847 | ||
State Senate | PHIL SCOTT | Washington Senate | 15763 | W | Y |
State Senate | AARON DIAMONDSTONE | Windham Senate | 2464 | ||
State Senate | PETER E. SHUMLIN | Windham Senate | 14866 | W | Y |
State Senate | JEANETTE WHITE | Windham Senate | 13531 | W | Y |
State Senate | MARK A. BLANCHARD | Windsor Senate | 5619 | ||
State Senate | KENT BUTTERFIELD | Windsor Senate | 8320 | ||
State Senate | JOHN CAMPBELL | Windsor Senate | 16426 | W | Y |
State Senate | ETHAN FOSTER | Windsor Senate | 4680 | ||
State Senate | RICHARD "DICK" MCCORMACK | Windsor Senate | 14898 | W | Y |
State Senate | ALICE W. NITKA | Windsor Senate | 13783 | W | Y |
State Senate | KIRK SPARKMAN | Windsor Senate | 5969 | ||
State Representative | STEVEN MAIER | Addison 1 | 2599 | W | Y |
State Representative | BETTY NUOVO | Addison 1 | 2594 | W | Y |
State Representative | JOHN IKE HUGHES | Addison 2 | 681 | ||
State Representative | WILLEM JEWETT | Addison 2 | 1780 | W | Y |
State Representative | GREGORY CLARK | Addison 3 | 2220 | W | Y |
State Representative | DIANE LANPHER | Addison 3 | 1928 | W | |
State Representative | KITTY OXHOLM | Addison 3 | 1858 | ||
State Representative | JEAN RICHARDSON | Addison 3 | 1558 | ||
State Representative | MICHAEL FISHER | Addison 4 | 2597 | W | Y |
State Representative | JOHN "PEEKER" HEFFERNAN | Addison 4 | 1914 | ||
State Representative | BARBARA RAINVILLE | Addison 4 | 1622 | ||
State Representative | DAVE SHARPE | Addison 4 | 2497 | W | Y |
State Representative | CHRISTOPHER A. BRAY | Addison 5 | 1961 | W | Y |
State Representative | JOHN HILL | Addison-Rutland 1 | 501 | ||
State Representative | WILL STEVENS | Addison-Rutland 1 | 1473 | W | Y |
State Representative | BILL BOTZOW | Bennington 1 | 1829 | W | Y |
State Representative | TIMOTHY R. CORCORAN, II | Bennington 2-1 | 2743 | W | Y |
State Representative | JOSEPH L. KRAWCZYK, JR. | Bennington 2-1 | 1802 | W | Y |
State Representative | ANNE LAMY MOOK | Bennington 2-2 | 2315 | W | Y |
State Representative | MARY A. MORRISSEY | Bennington 2-2 | 2382 | W | Y |
State Representative | ALICE MILLER | Bennington 3 | 1623 | W | Y |
State Representative | JUDY LIVINGSTON | Bennington 4 | 1225 | Y | |
State Representative | JEFF WILSON | Bennington 4 | 1230 | W | |
State Representative | CYNTHIA BROWNING | Bennington 5 | 1186 | W | Y |
State Representative | LINDA DAY MCKEEVER | Bennington 5 | 979 | ||
State Representative | PATTI KOMLINE | Bennington-Rutland 1 | 1209 | W | Y |
State Representative | JOSH TERESCO | Bennington-Rutland 1 | 742 | ||
State Representative | ED WEISSMAN | Bennington-Rutland 1 | 473 | ||
State Representative | LEIGH LAROCQUE | Caledonia 1 | 1801 | W | Y |
State Representative | LUCY LERICHE | Caledonia 2 | 1834 | W | Y |
State Representative | RICHARD M. HALL | Caledonia 3 | 1300 | ||
State Representative | DENNIS MYRICK | Caledonia 3 | 1234 | ||
State Representative | GARY REIS | Caledonia 3 | 1369 | W | |
State Representative | ROBERT SOUTH | Caledonia 3 | 1487 | W | |
State Representative | HOWARD CRAWFORD | Caledonia 4 | 2004 | W | Y |
State Representative | RICHARD LAWRENCE | Caledonia 4 | 2152 | W | Y |
State Representative | JONATHAN W. PELOSI | Caledonia 4 | 776 | ||
State Representative | STEVE SMITH | Caledonia 4 | 1143 | ||
State Representative | KITTY BEATTIE TOLL | Caledonia-Washington 1 | 1704 | W | |
State Representative | LINDA L. VANCE | Caledonia-Washington 1 | 873 | ||
State Representative | MATTHEW GALLOWAY | Chittenden 1-1 | 742 | ||
State Representative | BILL LIPPERT | Chittenden 1-1 | 1562 | W | Y |
State Representative | SCOTT A. ORR | Chittenden 1-2 | 1378 | W | Y |
State Representative | EDWARD STONE | Chittenden 1-2 | 1000 | ||
State Representative | BRENNAN DUFFY | Chittenden 2 | 1827 | ||
State Representative | TERENCE "TERRY" MACAIG | Chittenden 2 | 2476 | W | |
State Representative | JIM MCCULLOUGH | Chittenden 2 | 3098 | W | Y |
State Representative | SHELLEY PALMER | Chittenden 2 | 1333 | ||
State Representative | BILL ASWAD | Chittenden 3-1 | 2195 | W | Y |
State Representative | SCOTT BEAUDIN | Chittenden 3-1 | 694 | ||
State Representative | JOANNA E. COLE | Chittenden 3-1 | 1649 | ||
State Representative | KURT WRIGHT | Chittenden 3-1 | 2196 | W | Y |
State Representative | MARK LARSON | Chittenden 3-2 | 1881 | W | Y |
State Representative | JASON P. LORBER | Chittenden 3-3 | 2609 | W | Y |
State Representative | RACHEL WESTON | Chittenden 3-3 | 2959 | W | Y |
State Representative | PHILLIP ORTEGO | Chittenden 3-4 | 781 | ||
State Representative | CHRISTOPHER A. PEARSON | Chittenden 3-4 | 1494 | Y | |
State Representative | KESHA RAM | Chittenden 3-4 | 2164 | W | |
State Representative | DAVID E. ZUCKERMAN | Chittenden 3-4 | 2316 | W | Y |
State Representative | JOHANNAH LEDDY DONOVAN | Chittenden 3-5 | 3432 | W | Y |
State Representative | SUZI WIZOWATY | Chittenden 3-5 | 3360 | W | |
State Representative | KENNETH W. ATKINS | Chittenden 3-6 | 1817 | W | Y |
State Representative | CLEMENT "CLEM" BISSONNETTE | Chittenden 3-6 | 2020 | W | Y |
State Representative | PAUL COOK | Chittenden 3-6 | 472 | ||
State Representative | DOUGLAS ISHAM | Chittenden 3-6 | 1065 | ||
State Representative | FRANK J. GEIER | Chittenden 3-7 | 1367 | W | |
State Representative | SHELDON KATZ | Chittenden 3-7 | 632 | ||
State Representative | ANN PUGH | Chittenden 3-8 | 1799 | W | Y |
State Representative | JOHN C. STEWART | Chittenden 3-8 | 1238 | ||
State Representative | ALBERT "SONNY" AUDETTE | Chittenden 3-9 | 1713 | W | Y |
State Representative | HELEN HEAD | Chittenden 3-10 | 1847 | W | Y |
State Representative | MARY HOULE | Chittenden 4 | 752 | ||
State Representative | ANNE THERESA O’BRIEN | Chittenden 4 | 1057 | W | |
State Representative | TAYLOR YEATES | Chittenden 4 | 650 | ||
State Representative | JOYCE H. ERRECART | Chittenden 5-1 | 1016 | Y | |
State Representative | KATE WEBB | Chittenden 5-1 | 1435 | W | |
State Representative | ROBERT J. LAKE | Chittenden 5-2 | 894 | ||
State Representative | JOAN G. LENES | Chittenden 5-2 | 1476 | W | Y |
State Representative | DEBBIE EVANS | Chittenden 6-1 | 2960 | W | |
State Representative | LINDA K. MYERS | Chittenden 6-1 | 2942 | W | Y |
State Representative | TIM JERMAN | Chittenden 6-2 | 3303 | W | Y |
State Representative | JOHN LAJZA | Chittenden 6-2 | 2000 | ||
State Representative | LINDA J. WAITE-SIMPSON | Chittenden 6-2 | 2295 | W | |
State Representative | MARTHA HEATH | Chittenden 6-3 | 1698 | W | Y |
State Representative | JAMIE PARENT | Chittenden 6-3 | 788 | ||
State Representative | JIM CONDON | Chittenden 7-1 | 2805 | W | Y |
State Representative | JOHN ZENIE | Chittenden 7-1 | 2041 | W | Y |
State Representative | PATRICK M. BRENNAN | Chittenden 7-2 | 2408 | W | Y |
State Representative | KATHRINE "RENN" NIQUETTE | Chittenden 7-2 | 1265 | ||
State Representative | PATRICIA "PAT" PORTER | Chittenden 7-2 | 828 | ||
State Representative | KRISTY SPENGLER | Chittenden 7-2 | 1889 | W | Y |
State Representative | DAMON BRINK | Chittenden 8 | 590 | ||
State Representative | BILL FRANK | Chittenden 8 | 3225 | W | Y |
State Representative | EILEEN HAUPT | Chittenden 8 | 1739 | ||
State Representative | BOB SCUDERO | Chittenden 8 | 1280 | ||
State Representative | GEORGE TILL | Chittenden 8 | 3447 | W | |
State Representative | TODD BUIK | Chittenden 9 | 918 | ||
State Representative | REGINALD R. GODIN | Chittenden 9 | 1806 | Y | |
State Representative | RONALD E. HUBERT | Chittenden 9 | 1878 | W | |
State Representative | DONALD H. TURNER, JR. | Chittenden 9 | 2843 | W | Y |
State Representative | JOSHUA BELL | Essex-Caledonia | 573 | ||
State Representative | JANICE L. PEASLEE | Essex-Caledonia | 887 | W | Y |
State Representative | STEPHANIE R. STERLING | Essex-Caledonia | 461 | ||
State Representative | BERNIE HENAULT | Essex-Caledonia-Orleans | 676 | ||
State Representative | WILLIAM F. JOHNSON | Essex-Caledonia-Orleans | 1138 | W | Y |
State Representative | GEORGE BILODEAU | Franklin 1 | 1412 | ||
State Representative | CAROLYN WHITNEY BRANAGAN | Franklin 1 | 2100 | W | Y |
State Representative | GARY L. GILBERT | Franklin 1 | 2047 | W | Y |
State Representative | PETER MOSS | Franklin 1 | 384 | ||
State Representative | CHRIS SANTEE | Franklin 1 | 1644 | ||
State Representative | GEORGE "RON" ALLARD | Franklin 2 | 1331 | Y | |
State Representative | GREG "MOOSE" CHRISTIE | Franklin 2 | 1756 | ||
State Representative | EILEEN "LYNN" DICKINSON | Franklin 2 | 1984 | W | |
State Representative | TRACIE RIVARD HIGGINS | Franklin 2 | 605 | ||
State Representative | RICHARD J. HOWRIGAN | Franklin 2 | 2018 | W | Y |
State Representative | KATHLEEN C. KEENAN | Franklin 3 | 1668 | W | Y |
State Representative | MARLYS A. LEMNAH | Franklin 3 | 614 | ||
State Representative | TONY "ANTHONY" MARTEL | Franklin 3 | 998 | ||
State Representative | JEFF YOUNG | Franklin 3 | 1164 | W | |
State Representative | PETER E. PERLEY | Franklin 4 | 789 | W | |
State Representative | CINDY WEED | Franklin 4 | 601 | ||
State Representative | DENNIS A. WILLIAMS | Franklin 4 | 472 | ||
State Representative | RONALD A. CASE, SR. | Franklin 5 | 1203 | ||
State Representative | MICHEL CONSEJO | Franklin 5 | 1770 | W | Y |
State Representative | GREGORY GERVAIS | Franklin 5 | 1382 | ||
State Representative | BRIAN K. SAVAGE | Franklin 5 | 1579 | W | |
State Representative | NORMAN MCALLISTER | Franklin 6 | 1995 | W | Y |
State Representative | ALBERT "CHUCK" PEARCE | Franklin 6 | 1958 | W | |
State Representative | LUCY B. RAMSAY | Franklin 6 | 1342 | ||
State Representative | MARGUERITE "PEGGY" BURBO | Grand Isle-Chittenden 1 | 1601 | ||
State Representative | MITZI JOHNSON | Grand Isle-Chittenden 1 | 2426 | W | Y |
State Representative | IRA TROMBLEY | Grand Isle-Chittenden 1 | 2278 | W | Y |
State Representative | PEGGY VARNEY | Grand Isle-Chittenden 1 | 2146 | ||
State Representative | HEIDI E. SCHEUERMANN | Lamoille 1 | 2324 | W | Y |
State Representative | LUCIEN G. GRAVEL | Lamoille 2 | 974 | ||
State Representative | LINDA J. MARTIN | Lamoille 2 | 1318 | W | Y |
State Representative | FLOYD NEASE | Lamoille 3 | 1712 | W | Y |
State Representative | RICHARD A. WESTMAN | Lamoille 4 | 2103 | W | Y |
State Representative | PETER PELTZ | Lamoille-Washington 1 | 2595 | W | Y |
State Representative | SHAP SMITH | Lamoille-Washington 1 | 3443 | W | Y |
State Representative | SUSAN HATCH DAVIS | Orange 1 | 1874 | W | Y |
State Representative | MILAN M. MILLER | Orange 1 | 1050 | ||
State Representative | JOHN H. TAYLOR | Orange 1 | 1221 | ||
State Representative | PHILIP WINTERS | Orange 1 | 2228 | W | Y |
State Representative | PEG COUTERMARSH | Orange 2 | 642 | ||
State Representative | SARAH COPELAND HANZAS | Orange 2 | 1504 | W | Y |
State Representative | PATSY FRENCH | Orange-Addison 1 | 2309 | W | Y |
State Representative | STEWART SKRILL | Orange-Addison 1 | 966 | ||
State Representative | JOCELYN STOHL | Orange-Addison 1 | 1374 | ||
State Representative | LARRY TOWNSEND | Orange-Addison 1 | 2102 | W | |
State Representative | CHIP CONQUEST | Orange-Caledonia 1 | 1034 | W | |
State Representative | HARVEY B. "BUD" OTTERMAN, JR. | Orange-Caledonia 1 | 1001 | Y | |
State Representative | BOOTS WARDINSKI | Orange-Caledonia 1 | 72 | ||
State Representative | FRANK DAVIS | Orleans 1 | 1115 | ||
State Representative | WINSTON DOWLAND | Orleans 1 | 567 | ||
State Representative | ROBERT LEWIS | Orleans 1 | 1826 | W | Y |
State Representative | MELISSA PETTERSSON | Orleans 1 | 1121 | ||
State Representative | SCOTT WHEELER | Orleans 1 | 1932 | W | Y |
State Representative | SUSAN A. DAVIS | Orleans 2 | 1050 | ||
State Representative | DUNCAN F. KILMARTIN | Orleans 2 | 1886 | W | |
State Representative | MICHAEL J. MARCOTTE | Orleans 2 | 2559 | W | Y |
State Representative | JOHN MORLEY, III | Orleans-Caledonia 1 | 2147 | W | Y |
State Representative | NANCY POTAK | Orleans-Caledonia 1 | 1916 | ||
State Representative | JOHN S. RODGERS | Orleans-Caledonia 1 | 2290 | W | Y |
State Representative | KELLY E. TODD | Orleans-Caledonia 1 | 513 | ||
State Representative | MARK A. HIGLEY | Orleans-Franklin 1 | 848 | W | |
State Representative | DEXTER RANDALL | Orleans-Franklin 1 | 754 | Y | |
State Representative | PATRICIA M. SEARS | Orleans-Franklin 1 | 525 | ||
State Representative | ANDY DONAGHY | Rutland 1-1 | 1263 | W | Y |
State Representative | JOSEPH BAKER | Rutland 1-2 | 1680 | W | Y |
State Representative | BARBARA CARRIS | Rutland 1-2 | 1473 | ||
State Representative | MARK FITZGERALD | Rutland 1-2 | 1205 | ||
State Representative | DAVE POTTER | Rutland 1-2 | 1747 | W | Y |
State Representative | WILLIAM "BILL" CANFIELD | Rutland 2 | 2969 | W | Y |
State Representative | ROBERT "BOB" HELM | Rutland 2 | 2740 | W | Y |
State Representative | ELDRED FRENCH | Rutland 3 | 1195 | W | |
State Representative | STAN WILBUR | Rutland 3 | 1029 | ||
State Representative | MARY C. ASHCROFT | Rutland 4 | 963 | ||
State Representative | JAMES L. MCNEIL | Rutland 4 | 1490 | W | |
State Representative | PETER J. FAGAN | Rutland 5-1 | 1227 | W | |
State Representative | VIRGINIA MCCORMACK | Rutland 5-1 | 980 | Y | |
State Representative | MARGARET "PEG" ANDREWS | Rutland 5-2 | 1064 | W | Y |
State Representative | THOMAS DEPOY | Rutland 5-2 | 984 | ||
State Representative | STEVEN JAMES HOWARD | Rutland 5-3 | 1152 | W | Y |
State Representative | DAVID ALLAIRE | Rutland 5-4 | 911 | ||
State Representative | GALE COURCELLE | Rutland 5-4 | 943 | W | Y |
State Representative | PEG FLORY | Rutland 6 | 1218 | W | Y |
State Representative | ELLEN GARNEAU | Rutland 6 | 617 | ||
State Representative | JOE ACINAPURA | Rutland 7 | 1741 | W | Y |
State Representative | JOHN W. MALCOLM | Rutland 8 | 1144 | W | Y |
State Representative | ASHLEY D. WAITE | Rutland 8 | 1000 | ||
State Representative | CAROLYN SCHWALBE | Rutland-Windsor 1 | 1155 | ||
State Representative | MEGAN M. SMITH | Rutland-Windsor 1 | 1323 | W | |
State Representative | ADAM GRESHIN | Washington 1 | 1550 | W | |
State Representative | CAROL R. HOSFORD | Washington 1 | 1414 | Y | |
State Representative | ANNE B. DONAHUE | Washington 2 | 2359 | W | Y |
State Representative | MAXINE GRAD | Washington 2 | 2505 | W | Y |
State Representative | ANTHONY J. VACH | Washington 2 | 927 | ||
State Representative | PAUL N. POIRIER | Washington 3-1 | 914 | W | |
State Representative | LEO M. VALLIERE | Washington 3-1 | 888 | Y | |
State Representative | DONALD BLISS | Washington 3-2 | 596 | ||
State Representative | TESS TAYLOR | Washington 3-2 | 876 | W | |
State Representative | JONATHAN GODDARD | Washington 3-3 | 582 | ||
State Representative | PAT MCDONALD | Washington 3-3 | 1047 | W | Y |
State Representative | J. GUY ISABELLE | Washington 4 | 1551 | ||
State Representative | THOMAS F. "TOM" KOCH | Washington 4 | 2209 | W | Y |
State Representative | FRANCIS "TOPPER" MCFAUN | Washington 4 | 2225 | W | Y |
State Representative | JOHN J. PIZZO | Washington 4 | 1840 | ||
State Representative | MARY HOOPER | Washington 5 | 3087 | W | |
State Representative | WARREN F. KITZMILLER | Washington 5 | 3025 | W | Y |
State Representative | JIM SHERIDAN | Washington 5 | 1685 | ||
State Representative | JANET ANCEL | Washington 6 | 1744 | W | Y |
State Representative | MARION GRAY | Washington 6 | 860 | ||
State Representative | TONY KLEIN | Washington 7 | 2328 | W | Y |
State Representative | GORDON W. MILLER | Washington-Chittenden 1 | 1195 | ||
State Representative | SUE MINTER | Washington-Chittenden 1 | 3681 | W | Y |
State Representative | TOM STEVENS | Washington-Chittenden 1 | 2805 | W | |
State Representative | PATTY O’DONNELL | Windham 1 | 1941 | W | Y |
State Representative | ANN MANWARING | Windham 2 | 1878 | W | Y |
State Representative | VIRGINIA A. "GINI" MILKEY | Windham 3-1 | 1965 | W | Y |
State Representative | MOLLIE S. BURKE | Windham 3-2 | 1683 | W | |
State Representative | SARAH EDWARDS | Windham 3-3 | 1625 | W | Y |
State Representative | MICHAEL J. OBUCHOWSKI | Windham 4 | 2935 | W | Y |
State Representative | CAROLYN PARTRIDGE | Windham 4 | 2541 | W | Y |
State Representative | STEVE DARROW | Windham 5 | 1430 | ||
State Representative | DAVID L. DEEN | Windham 5 | 2729 | W | Y |
State Representative | MIKE MROWICKI | Windham 5 | 2545 | W | Y |
State Representative | RICHARD J. MAREK | Windham 6 | 1924 | W | Y |
State Representative | PHILIP E. BARTLETT | Windham-Bennington 1 | 977 | ||
State Representative | JOHN MORAN | Windham-Bennington 1 | 1140 | W | Y |
State Representative | TOM BUCHANAN | Windham-Bennington-Windsor 1 | 1068 | ||
State Representative | RICK HUBE | Windham-Bennington-Windsor 1 | 1546 | W | Y |
State Representative | MICHAEL J. LECLAIR | Windsor 1-1 | 906 | ||
State Representative | KATHY PELLETT | Windsor 1-1 | 1306 | W | Y |
State Representative | ALICE M
Checking in on the Leadership Dance (UPDATED)Word has been out for a while now that there will be a broad range of Representatives vying for the vacant Speakership with the retirement of Gaye Symington. There is Majority leader Carolyn Partridge of Windham, as well as Reps Mark Larson and Johanna Leddy Donovan of Burlington. John Rodgers of Glover and Shap Smith of Morristown round out the pack. The big news in this race is that Assistant Majority Leader (or “Whip”) Floyd Nease of Johnson is not among the names in play, even though he was widely expected to make a run. Nease has instead opted to try and move up one rung to Majority Leader, the position currently held by Partridge. This is significant because Nease was the early odds on favorite for the position, and in his absence, Larson seems to have the most momentum – and that reportedly includes the support of Nease. At this point, the only name that has reached my ears for the Whip post is Jason Lorber of Burlington. It should be noted that the names associated with both the Majority and Assistant Majority Leader positions could change based on who wins the top spot, and who might be in a position to insist upon special consideration for consolation prizes or compromise if the election gets nasty, which it likely won’t, although the potential for, shall we say… discomfort… is there if gender dynamics take front and center. Things to look at: ideology, as the Speaker can drive the agenda to large degree, and the range here goes from Rodgers and Smith on the more conservative end to the Burlington crowd. Geography, as Lorber’s quest for the number three spot will likely take a hit if another Burlingtonian gets the gavel. Making the Dem leadership too Burlington-centric could be a problem. Seat security, as a Speaker who can barely hold their seat is a weak Speaker. Whoever wins is going to inherit the responsibility of looking after their caucus, and they won’t be able to do that if they have to spend too much energy watching their own ass. This is why Rodgers has Republican support – not so much for what they see as his accessibility as his vulnerability and the impact that could have on the power dynamics both in the Statehouse and on the election trail. Last, and probably most important, is who can maintain a public persona with enough strength and confidence to stand up to the Douglas Administration. I haven’t put my ear to the ground on the Senate, where there are rumors that Pete Shumlin may not be certain to go for a repeat at leadership. Speculation about Addison Senator Claire Ayer’s ambitions for leadership runs strong. UPDATE: Looks like the Senate leadership team will be staying as is, wacky rumors notwithstanding. Refusing to Pledge Allegiance to the Culture War in WoodburyAs a cultural force, inertia is often underestimated. When we think of the social analog to Newton’s Law of Motion, we might be tempted to think of inactivity or inaction. The effect of slack. But as in nature, inertia in culture has its own special strengths, and there are implications to that. The particulars of tradition, for example, are often kept in place by that inertia. Taking off one’s hat when inside, for example, would be a bizarre habit to initiate out of the blue, but since its a tradition, inertia keeps it alive. Eradicating it would take an effort, so why bother? Alternately, the tradition itself has little real world impact precisely because it simply putt-putts along under the power of inertia only. Other traditions are more complicated. Take the reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance in schools. The Pledge was originally written by a Christian Socialist Baptist Minister (yes, you read that right – creeping socialism!) in 1892, was quickly introduced to public schools, and was desecularized with the “under God” line officially thrown in by President Eisenhower in the early 50s. Ever since its imposition on children, the Pledge has stirred controversy. The latest is a few miles to the north of me in Woodbury, where a group of parents suddenly – and angrily – woke up to the fact that kids in the school had not been required to recite the Pledge for years. This group has been agitating and making life difficult for school officials for a while now, and show no signs of letting up until they get exactly what they want – nothing less than a return to the daily, coerced oath of loyalty under god by all the school’s students. From the Times Argus:
I grew up with the Pledge, and when I got older it started to bug me. I was one of those kids who would lean on “loopholes” – mouth the words, tell myself that if there wasn’t actually “liberty and justice for all” in the country, the Pledge was invalidated, etc. It was just the principle of the thing. Being forced to swear my loyalty in a nation that prizes personal freedom. It’s something I want my own children to understand that they have the freedom not to do to the extent that it comes up in their school (which it does). I would like to see it dropped entirely out of the general principle that we shouldn’t force kids to stand up and pledge themselves in such a way, regardless of what the pledge is or isn’t. Still, you don’t see me leading protests on it. That’s inertia for you. But in Woodbury, and other schools, the tradition of reciting the pledge has fallen off. That means inertia is now on the side of not reciting the pledge. That also means that its proponents can no longer be considered to be reflexively reflecting cultural inertia and a kneejerk resistance to any change. No, what these parents want to do is step in and make a mandatory change in all childrens’ and teachers’ behavior. They are no longer trying to preserve something that they see as important, but are rather attempting to take new ground in the conservative culture war on the rest of us. If successful, the words of that Pledge will have new meaning, and a precedent will be established granting conservative parents the authority to impose their beliefs directly onto everyone’s children and parents. It also creates a stark contrast to those selfsame conservatives’ frequent claims about public schools in general. Teaching about other religions, biology (whether it be sex ed or evolution) or controversial literature is not imposing beliefs, it is simply imparting knowledge about the world. Students can do with that knowledge what they want, but it is a school’s responsibility to educate students about the world they live in. Forcing students to stand up and pledge fealty before a sectarian deity is, obviously, a world different. The head of the school board in Woodbury is no liberal. She is a solidly conservative parent who is a homeschooling activist (what she is doing as head of the school board if she so rejects the local school system is another question), and her conservatism is clearly of a more libertarian variety, as she says:
Good for her. I hope the district holds firm, and this should serve as an example to us on the left that in the face of the collapse of the Reagan conservative coalition into its constituent parts, there may be more such opportunities for coalition building on specific issues across what we are used to thinking of as ideological chasms. Consolation Prize?
I’m sure he didn’t. And I’m sure the reporters know not to wait by the phone expecting that return call. Shay Totten deserves a lot of credit for keeping the pressure on this guy and finally putting his head in the proverbial noose. I’d like to think we had a fair amount of impact at this site as well. Score one for the good guys. |