Scott Milne reportedly is growing less likely to demand a recount in his narrow loss to incumbent Governor Shumlin. It must have become clear to him, after almost a week, that a recount would not give him the more than two thousand votes needed to overcome his shortfall. The final decision in a race this close is required to be decided by the state legislature when they convene next year.
Commenting to VtDigger.com about his eventful week and the race in general:
Milne said the past week, as he has declined to concede but not decided on a recount, has been fun, and a good learning experience. His status was a hot topic of conversation at his aunt’s 90th birthday party over the weekend. [added emphasis]
Experiential learning may have shortcomings. It is obvious one thing he didn’t learn was, that in the long run it might be wise to graciously accept defeat (however narrow) and conserve hard-won good will accumulated with voters and legislators.
Milne’s failure to concede after the election and hints that he would lobby legislators’ votes for governor in January earned him a stiff rebuke from a major supporter. Former Governor Jim Douglas found it necessary to publically caution the first-time statewide candidate:
“It would seem to me unlikely that that would be a useful strategy.
[…] “It would seem to me that the good will that he’s accrued during the last several days ought to be preserved,” said Douglas. “Scott has been well received by the people of Vermont, he has offered an important message and alternative, and I want to be sure that he’s available to offer that again.”
Milne says he was listening to folks and would come up with a plan and wouldn’t be pressing forward if he didn’t see an opportunity to win. He clearly doesn’t seem to be listening to former Governor Douglas.
As he says, it may have been fun (it sure didn’t look like it), but considering his “strategy” over the last week, I really wonder what it was he learned.
he doesn’t think he will run again and would like to enjoy the political spotlight just a little longer.
Somehow, as much as they crow, I don’t think the Repubs are really buying their own meme that it was a resounding victory for the Republican agenda, or even a near victory for their number one guy.
They know this was all about Shumlin and pretty much any opponent would have seen a similar outcome.
Milne just wouldn’t be a Republican if accepted defeat and conceded. He’ be a huge disgrace in the eyes of the GOP leadership and the TeaBirchers, for whom Hell, No! means Yes, More.
Remember 2000, when Fox ‘News’ decreed Bush II to have won, and then it was up to the political machinery to figure out how to rig the election results to make that happen. We had the Brooks Brothers Riots where GOP operatives terrorized the vote counters to force them to stop the recount. Democrats could never get away with changing the results of an election by rioting in the hallways outside the vote counting room. But the GOP HATES the Rule of Law, so they took the Gore win all the say to the Supreme Court where the GOP majority gave the Presidency to the loser of the election.
Milne is a Republican, so he has NO respect for the results of the election: He lost. The GOP is going to use every dirty trick they can to convince the Moderate-Republicans-That-Call-Themselves-‘Democrats’ to vote the loser into office.
MILNE LOST!!! That is scientific fact. But facts mean nothing to Republicans.