On the one hand, there’s the push to universal health care, the promotion of an LGBT hero to the Supreme Court, holding the line against Vermont Yankee, and the promotion of wind power…
On the other hand, there’s a steadfast refusal to shift the tax burden onto the wealthy, a media war with the State Employees union seen by many as “dirty tricks,” noises about teachers’ rights to strike, and the promotion of wind power…
Governor Shumlin has proven to be nothing if not ideologically dynamic, but frustrations do keep bubbling among traditional lefty constituencies – frustrations that, in Vermont, could (however unlikely) equal a Democratic Party primary challenge in 2012 or, more readily, a challenge from the Progressive Party – but with health care reform potentially on the line, would any individual or group be likely to give into frustration and initiate such a challenge?
You never know, but we’re going to keep our ear to the rumor mill and keep a running gauge of the political odds of a challenge (based entirely on our highly technical, in-house, science-based, logarithmic, proprietary prognostication thingamajigs). The GMD oddsmaker will run on the sidebar and include links to recent, relevant articles. When enough time passes, we’ll include a link to historical trending.
I know opinion is divided on this, but I think you’ve got wind power on the wrong hand.
Should provide a lively reminder to the governor that progressives have his number.
who worked really hard to get Peter elected, who now think he is working really hard to make them regret they did so.
A lot of it started with the initial appointments, from Jeb to Lunderville, but continues into the decisions on what battles to pick and to ignore.
If something concrete doesn’t pop up soon on how health care is going to get resolved, benefits, funding, who is IN or OUT, etc., he is going to start to see support on that issue fall off. If he loses his signature issue, pisses off labor any more, and doesn’t have the ribbons to cut that the flood has given him any more, he is going to have a problem no matter how many Republicans he tries to coop by employing them in his fusion administration.
Hell, maybe a Democrat will show up for something.
I worked hard to get Peter elected, knowing that he is as shifty a politico as there ever was in this state. I worked for him because of his commitment to health care and I had seen how he delivered on his committments to it with Dr. Hsiao. But I also knew that he would probably piss me off as he has done — refusal to tax the wealthy, Lunderville, and so on. I will still work for him in the upcoming election, unless a better candidate comes along, because of his commitment to being the first governor in this damned country to do it:) And I know that if he wins a second term, he will still piss me off.
You have the odds backward. The odds are better that Shumlin will be challenged in a primary than in the general by a Progressive. Progressives are smart enough to know that they can not win a general election in Vermont. However, one of them might have enough ego to challenge Shummy in the D primary. The P will get my vote.