( – promoted by GMD)
When I booked Susan Bartlett onto VTblogosphereTV last winter, we had no idea that the date we picked would fall on the Legislature’s last week to figure out the budget. Needless to say, as Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Susan could not make that date, but I worked with her campaign manager John Bauer to reschedule. The later date worked better anyway, since with the budget ironed out we could speak with some finality.
Susan has a knack for creating a sense of comfort. When I asked her before the interview what issues she wanted to highlight, she asked me what my coworkers were talking about at my job. Her interest in people’s concerns is genuine, and she sounds more like a neighbor than a politician. I never got the sense that she was trying to finesse an issue. Having a governor who does not seek political advantage at every opportunity could take some getting used to.
In this clip she discusses our earlier primary date (August 24), the goodwill among all of the 5 Democratic candidates, the budget process in hard times, and how the internet has made us all less dependent on traditional media in getting to know the candidates. She closes with words that nicely capture Vermont as a special state of mind.
Stay tuned for Parts 2 and 3.
[Note: No endorsement implied. Just continuing the VTblogosphereTV tradition of showcasing the qualities of the guest.]