Why is the Associated Press pretending Dem/Prog Auditor candidate Hoffer doesn’t exist?

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Elections – Auditor: Doug Hoffer is one of the three or four highest profile policy analysts in the state. He is also a Democratic Party candidate for the position of Auditor. To that end, he has received the high profile endorsements of the Vermont State Employees Association and the Vermont AFL-CIO. His candidacy has been covered by the Vermont News Bureau, WPTZ, and others.

And yet, to Reporter Wilson Ring of the Associated Press, he apparently does not exist.

Ring’s piece in today’s papers makes no mention whatsoever of Hoffer, casting the race entirely as a run between incumbent Republican Tom Salmon and former Auditor and State Senator Ed Flanagan. There is no customary “if Flanagan emerges as the Democratic nominee…” or “Flanagan faces analyst Doug Hoffer in the Democratic primary…” whatsoever. Flanagan is simply presented as the Democratic Party alternative without qualification.

Flanagan, of course, had been repeatedly urged by just about everyone of note in the Democratic community not to run, given his recent scandal in Burlington, and his run is seen by many as borne of a desire to demonstrate political relevance, rather than a desire for a return to the position. Most do not consider him to be a viable candidate, even against the vulnerable, erratic incumbent.

Even if the intent of the article was to exclusively focus on a possible matchup between the current and former Auditors, leaving out any mention of Flanagan’s primary rival – especially one garnering so much institutional support – leaves the impression there is no such rival, and that’s journalistically irresponsible. In fact, the bold headline on the Times Argus front page reading simply “Salmon vs. Flanagan” gives the snubbing of Hoffer a decidedly in-your-face, aggressive feel.

It’s also quite peculiar. Logically speaking, there are only two broad possibilities as to the reason for such an omission. Ring is either ignorant of Hoffer’s candidacy, or he deliberately chose to leave him out of his coverage of the race. Neither possibility reflects well on the author.

19 thoughts on “Why is the Associated Press pretending Dem/Prog Auditor candidate Hoffer doesn’t exist?”

  2. Months and months (and months and more months) of press and internet stories about who is running for what and why, and AP doesn’t mention Doug Hoffer’s bid for auditor? Sloppy journalism and a disservice to Vermont voters.

  4. I can only speculate about why Wilson Ring did not mention me in his story.  It’s a puzzle.

    But I just received a call from a Times Argus reporter who apologized for the story running in the paper.  The two reporters with the experience / knowledge to have caught the gaff were out of town so it was left to the staff in the office (on a holiday weekend).  In any case, I think the reporter who called was mortified and I appreciate and accept his apology.

    At this time, I have received no word from Wilson Ring, the AP, the Rutland Herald, or the Brattleboro Reformer.

  5. Reading that story I kept thinking that Doug Hoffer has unique qualifications for the job.  To leave him out of the story entirely is clueless.  

  7. that the focus is entirely on the mud-slinging potential for this particular race.  So much so, that the writer seems to have willed Doug right out of the picture.

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