It must not matter to these critics that in the past three years, I have made greater contributions to each of Deb Markowitz, Barack Obama, Peter Welch, Patrick Leahy, the Democratic National Committee, the Vermont Democratic Party and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee than I have contributed to the Dubie campaign. In addition, I have donated significant amounts to Peter Shumlin, various down-ballot Democratic candidates, and politically active, left-leaning organizations. The total of these contributions dwarfs the contribution that I made to Friends of Brian Dubie.
Yet for some, my contribution to the Lt. Governor’s committee negates the relevance and importance of these other, very substantial financial commitments. The simple fact is that these Democratic donations reflect my political beliefs. However, can I say that all the candidates or organizations that have received my financial support met a 100% litmus test warranting my support? The answer is clearly no. In light of the serious issues and problems facing our communities, our state and our country, I find any sort of litmus test to be troubling and unproductive.
Do I consider myself a Democrat? Yes, a life-long one. Am I a strictly partisan Democrat? No. I remember well the first time I ever voted for a Republican: 1990 for Bill Weld when he ran for Governor of Massachusetts against John Silber. I had very clear and strong reasons for casting that vote and can recall them clearly even now. Since then, I have also voted for Jim Jeffords in 2000. And, although we do not yet know who the Democratic nominee for Governor will be this year, I do not see any scenario under which I would vote for Brian Dubie.
I have equally strong memories of the first campaign I ever worked on: George McGovern, even though I was not old enough to vote. More recently, I worked tirelessly for Barack Obama. I made my first donation to the then Senator Obama in April 2007 – long before there was any clear momentum toward his candidacy. By September 6, 2007, I had donated the maximum allowed by law to Obama’s primary race. On numerous occasions, including primary day, I traveled to New Hampshire to work to get Obama elected.
Yet, I had fellow Democrats – women – question my support. They asked how I could, as a woman, support Obama instead of Hillary Clinton? This blind litmus test was deeply offensive to me.
Candidates very rarely, if ever, offer complete synchronicity with any particular voter’s views and beliefs. Most often, responsible voters learn about a candidate’s views on a number of relevant issues and then make an informed judgment about who to support. I do not believe that Democrats have the corner on all the right answers any more than I believe that every candidate who chooses to run for public office and calls himself or herself a Democrat is deserving of my vote.
In reflecting further on my interaction with the Lt. Governor during this campaign, I will add that I enjoyed my conversations with the Lt. Governor and found his aspirations for public service to be genuine. We engaged in respectful, detailed and thoughtful conversations on a number of issues, including the environment and women’s issues. Clearly the Lt. Governor and I do not agree on all issues. However, I appreciate and value the belief in treating each other with respect even in areas of difference.
I grew up in the home of a minister/civil-rights activist and pubic schoolteacher. My father worked with Martin Luther King, John Lewis, Jesse Jackson and Cesar Chavez and many others to guarantee civil and human rights for everyone. Some of my earliest memories of my community service involve working in California as my parents assisted Cesar Chavez in organizing grape and lettuce boycotts to firmly establish the United Farm Workers Union. My Democratic roots (and my commitment to equality) run deep. So too, do my roots run deep in cherishing the value and importance of how we treat one another – even when we disagree. I believe I have modeled my life – personally, professionally and in my public service – as a reflection of this framework.
I regret that anyone may choose not to support my candidacy for the Vermont State Senate because of how I have chosen to live my life. But I do not regret how I have chosen to live it.
We don't doubt that Laura is completely sincere in what she is saying. Nevertheless, you can't defend the indefensible. Whatever the reason, giving Dubie money helps his campaign. At a time when the Democratic candidates are fighting each other in the primary, money for Dubie is going right into his general election campaign against whoever the Democratic candidate is. That is simply incontrovertible.
What is more, the Democratic Party is always in tension between its liberal and conservative wings. In most of the state the liberals have a strong edge. The fact that long-time Progressives can run in Democratic primaries in Chittenden and Washington Counties (and, at least in Chittenden, get elected as a D/P or P/D) and statewide (see Doug Hoffer's strong run for Auditor of Accounts, which is attracting Democrats from across the state), demonstrates this. Nevertheless, there are parts of Vermont where Democrats don't look very different from Republicans.
What we've always been interested in here at GMD is not just electing Democrats, but electing "more and better Democrats".
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