Please note: this diary represents my own personal opinion and should not be construed to represent, in any way, a consensus opinion by GMD.

Someone asked last week when the GMD admins were going to come right out and say who we each  are supporting for Governor.  It’s a fair question.  I’ve had a “Doug Racine” bumper sticker on my car for a couple of months, so I guess this is as good a time as any to offer my opinion (for what it’s worth.)

First of all, I am not a Democrat.   I tack a little too much to the left to be entirely comfortable in the Democratic corral.  That being said, even if a qualified Progressive had entered the race, I would still be supporting Doug because I think he is the right person for the job.  I have to say that my “short list” includes Matt Dunne, and it is my fondest wish that he will run for Lieutenant Governor.  I’m not going to denigrate the other  Democratic candidates, any one of which would make a significantly better Governor than Brian Dubie.

I first met Doug when he was serving on the board of the Vermont Natural Resources Council.  He struck me immediately as a sincere and engaged individual with a genuine commitment to Vermont’s environment.  That he was a business owner/operator, making time to serve on the board of such an organization impressed me further.  

When Doug made a preliminary visit this year to St. Albans, on January 24, I still intended to keep an open mind and assess all of the candidates before committing to the Racine campaign.  Doug spent quite a while visiting with all of the individuals who gathered at Cosmic Bakery to hear him speak that day.  In his general remarks and one-on-one conversations, he was relaxed and informal, putting everyone at ease. He spoke passionately about many issues, but especially about education and healthcare, which I believe remain high on his list of priorities.

I am confident that Matt Dunne shares the high-ground with Doug with regard to all of the issues that are important to me.  I was also very impressed with Matt on my first encounter with him when he visited Hudak Farm in St. Albans.  Matt has made the imperative to finally bring broadband to every corner of the state his signature issue, and promises to reinvigorate Vermont’s economic future through technological dexterity.  He brings very impressive business credentials to the table in support of this claim and I do not doubt his ability to effectively make the case for his priorities.

Doug also recognizes the importance of finally getting Vermont’s IT capabilities up to 21st Century standards; and Matt is committed to education, socially responsible service solutions, and universal healthcare, just as Doug is.  One key difference is in the strategy for moving Vermont toward universal coverage.   Like me, Matt firmly believes that a “single payor” system should be the choice to provide that universal coverage.  Doug has successfully introduced legislation to begin our advance toward universal coverage with a comparative study of three different healthcare systems, including but not limited to a single-payor model.

Why then, you might wonder, have I chosen Doug over Matt?  The answer boils down to personal style, and who I think has the best overall potential for effectively competing in this election and then delivering on an overall Vermont-friendly and socially responsible agenda as Governor.

I can see Matt as very appealing to younger voters, but I think he is a little “glossy” for older ones.  His eyes shine when he speaks about the technological future and his experiences at Google.  I get that he represents the future, and I am confident that I will be campaigning hard for him for Governor sometime in the not-so-distant future; but I think his message may be a bit before its time among Vermont’s traditional voter base.  Doug’s relaxed personal style and more nuanced fluency with all the issues that are important to Vermonters will stand him well in the upcoming campaign against Dubie.  Dubie won’t even be able to bounce a rock off of him when it comes to the question of who is better connected with Vermont’s business community, despite the fact that that has been a traditional Republican stronghold.  As the Free Press pointed out today, Douglas’ personal history is the very essence of small business success in Vermont.

And as far as his efforts in the legislature with regard to universal healthcare are concerned, I see that as a demonstration of effective consensus-building skills by someone who knows that a nudge in the right direction can lead down a more direct path to the desired goal than a demand for full-investment in that goal at the start of the journey.  For a governor to be effective he must have a capacity for pragmatism in his bag of tricks.  

I found the bitter comments by Republican strategist Jim Barnett, in today’s Free Press feature rather telling.  I took away from them the impression that there is a lot of anxiety among the Dubie block  about the possibility of having to face Doug Racine in the General.  As if I needed any more persuasion, this added to my certainty that Doug Racine is our man.