More from the VPR report. far as down-ticket toplines go, Democratic/Progressive candidate for Auditor Doug Hoffer is leading incumbent Salmon by a 38%-34% margin. CORRECTION: The VPR website had this flipped and have since corrected it… Salmon leads Hoffer 38%-34%. Bummer.
Also good news is the fact that Democrat Jim Condos leads Jason Gibbs in the Secretary of State race by 3 points: 39%-36% (still within the margin of error).
Steve Howard is lagging Phil Scott, 41%-32%. (Link)
I just spoke with VPR and it appears that they got it backwards; should be
Salmon 38%
Hoffer 34%
still within the margin and not a great showing for a two term incumbent (with substantial undecideds)
The other night in persuasion calls, I spoke with one man who was pretty sure he was supporting Shumlin. When I asked if I could answer any questions to move him even further in that direction, he came out with the surprising comment that the only Dem he was considering NOT supporting was Doug because he essentially found himself feeling sorry for Salmon in the VPR debate! Now that came as a total surprise to me because, as I told him, when I listened to that debate I was under the impression that it was Salmon who was being contemptuous and hadn’t even bothered to get his facts straight about Doug’s background and qualifications. I told him that I had a very negative impression of Salmon from that interview and explained at some length why. I think I won him over, but I was completely unprepared for the conversation to go in that direction. This sounded like another case of a voter who took a dislike to the candidate who was best prepared and could most intelligently discuss the issues, and felt sympathy for the boob.
Go figure!
That means Steve Howard needs some help getting his message out. Please volunteer or contribute.
http://www.stevehoward2010.com
The Guv’s race is important to me, but I have s certain personal dislike for Salmon that just makes me want to see him eat it. How can you call the Auditor’s office apolitical and then switch parties, not to an independent, but to a Republican? Really?!
And then that little comment to Bernie, about how he can expect to see him running against him in a few years? First off, the guy is obviously an opportunist. Second, he is obviously way too full of himself… Defeating a state-wide office holder in VT is no small task, and is much more difficult when it is an up-ticket race such as a Senator’s race. I’d like to see Salmon even try to pull that off.
Vermont simply cannot send a doofus like Brian Dubie to the 5th floor and a whack job like Tom Salmon back to the Auditor’s office.
That would almost as bad as Wisconsinites giving their Senate seat to a rich, arrogant buffoon like Johnson over Russ Feingold, one of the best Senators in the history of that institution.
Has this country gone completely `round the bend?