We’ve spent a lot of time chronicling Lenore Broughton’s hyper-generous support for Wendy Wilton (by way of her tame Super PAC, Vermonter (sic) First). But we should not ignore Broughton’s activities in Legislative races, where VF has been funneling substantial money into mailers and newspaper ads for House and Senate candidates. Particularly, in this case, the House.
Usually, those races are low-profile affairs, more about handshakes and shoe leather than ad blitzes. In such a setting, a small amount of Super PAC money can have a decisive impact. And if it does, the door will be open for a fundamental transformation of our politics. Rich people and political operators may see Vermont as a state where a little money (relatively speaking) can make a huge difference.
As I pointed out in an earlier post, on a per-capita basis, Lenore Broughton has vastly outpaced the likes of Sheldon Adelson and the Koch Brothers and Karl Rove. If VF is successful this year, Broughton will be encouraged to spend more in the future, and wealthy outsiders may see Vermont as low-hanging fruit waiting to be plucked.
t’s a concern shared by Nick Charyk of the VT Democratic House Campaign. “I don’t want to see it work,” he says of the Vermonters First money bomb. “It’s very unusual for a candidate to spend more than $10,000 on a House race. Often, it’s just door-to-door, talking to people. This is a referendum on whether people-powered campaigning can win against big money.”
After the jump: Shock and awe. And the potential stakes for single-payer.
One of the under-appreciated aspects of Vermonter (Lenore Broughton) First is its “shock and awe” approach: the Super PAC didn’t officially organize until early September, and it didn’t open the financial floodgates until after the September 15 campaign finance report deadline — so we didn’t know how much money they planned to spend until the ensuing deadline in mid-October.
(On 9/15, VF reported $100,000 in donations, all from Broughton. On 10/15, VF reported raising almost $700,000 — all but $900 from Broughton. That report was a stunner for the political media, and presumably for the Dems and Progs.)
Smart tactics. In the home stretch of the campaign, the game had suddenly changed. “I have a fairly small budget,” Charyk told GMD. “I’d allocated all of it for specific candidates. I didn’t have anything for a broad-based effort. But it seemed to me that we had to push back.”
This week, the House Dems produced radio ads and mailers, some of them countering VF’s overall message and some in support of specific candidates who’ve been targeted by VF. Those key races include five seats in hotly-contested Rutland County, two House seats in Franklin County, home base of VF Treasurer Tayt Brooks (International Man of Mystery); and four in Windsor County. The latter includes a rematch of 2010’s closest race, in which Democrat Sarah Buxton ousted then-Republican incumbent David Ainsworth by a single vote.
Charyk admits it’s an uphill battle; his resources are a drop in the bucket compared to VF’s. But he is hopeful that Vermonters will reject the big-money blitzkrieg of Vermonter First and reward the candidates who’ve played by Vermont’s traditional rules.
Whatever happens on Tuesday, the Dems are certain to have a lopsided majority in the House. So what difference will it make if VF poaches a few seats? “There wouldn’t be any short-term impact,” Charyk acknowledges. “But if they gain traction, it’s hard to fight against that. We saw what happened with President Obama’s health care reform: the Republicans got out in front and spent a lot of money, [and won the 2010 midterms].
“Health care reform will be a hard vote for some of our candidates. If right-wing messaging on health care gains traction, it could make it harder to pass single-payer health care.”
If you live in a House district targeted by VF (you’d know because you will have received multiple mailings), please vote next Tuesday. And if you have any time to spare this weekend, contact your representative and see if there are ways you can help in the campaign’s closing days.