Burlington Free Press Endorses Shumlin and Hoffer

Uncategorized

Given that the Free Press most recently endorsed Jim Douglas for governor, this has to be a major blow to Dubie, especially given that the free Press endorsed both Scott and Gibbs, but not the top of the ticket.

I’ll start with Hoffer:

Hoffer understands the importance of public accountability in government, and the key to that accountability is public access to information. He sees secrecy as the breeding ground for government waste and inefficiency. Hoffer can make his mark as auditor by exposing what closed government is costing the people of Vermont.

I don’t say this a lot about Free Press editorials, but I agree fully.

On to Shumlin:

In politics, the safe route is to stick to generalities and avoid leaving a public trail that could come back to haunt a candidate. In the general election campaign, Shumlin’s willingness to speak out on contentious issues and talk about specifics of his platform leaves him open to equally specific criticism. He has been direct. Again, this is part of being open and accessible as a representative of the people.

The piece ends with:

Vermont needs a doer.

Peter Shumlin of Putney will be that governor.

For Dubie, that’s got to really sting.

Quite recently I was talking to a friend of mine about Dubie and we were asking “what’s he actually claim to have accomplished.”

Every politician in the world manages to make up some sort of stuff on their web site about what they’ve done.  Dubie, however, avoids this.  He talks about his 3-point (I’m rounding down) “plan,” which I still think can be best summarized as follows:

But the sum total of what he has actually accomplished as Lt. Governor?  I can’t find much of anything.  He talks about committees he’s on that have accomplished a few things, but when it comes to anything that he’s really done?  

The shallowness of that well is, quite frankly, astonishing.

13 thoughts on “Burlington Free Press Endorses Shumlin and Hoffer”

  1. ‘does less’ to ‘doer’

    With the piece about ORien and VY its like they are actually starting to think about what they publish.  

  2. This is an important endorsement from the largest daily newspaper in the state, and as you pointed out, the paper previously endorsed Douglas.

    Love the Dubie Dilbert.  

  3. Angelo Lynn, publisher of the Addison Independent in Middlebury – and brother of the notoriously Republican publisher of the St. Albans Messenger, Emerson Lynn – became the first major paper to endorse Shumlin on Thursday, October 21.

    Looking at the two campaigns from a big-picture perspective, Democrat Peter Shumlin believes Vermont’s future is full of economic promise if we use the state’s smallness to our advantage by remaining flexible, innovative and progressive. Republican Brian Dubie, on the other hand, believes the state has to hunker down for the next several years, cut government services and education spending in order to balance the budget and reduce state income taxes for the richest Vermonters.

    After reviewing the candidates’ stands on issues point by point, Angelo Lynn concludes:

    We place a priority, however, on the candidate who understands the need for change, flexibility, creative thinking and innovation, and has the foresight today’s economy demands for states and businesses to be one step ahead of their competitors. That leader also needs the business savvy to appoint innovative thinkers as department heads and encourage their independence. And Vermont needs a leader who understands the value of education as an economic driver and as a tool for significant job growth. Democrat Peter Shumlin is that candidate.

    Republican Brian Dubie, on the other hand, has based his campaign on the simplistic notion that cutting taxes solves all ills (it doesn’t), and the premise that Vermont needs to retrench through cuts in social programs and education. Add to that his dogmatic thinking on social issues, and it’s a recipe for eight years of stagnation and regression.

    Shumlin deserves your vote and the opportunity to take the state in a direction that offers new hope and inspiration.

    The whole thing is worth reading.

    NanuqFC

    The hope of a secure and livable world lies with disciplined nonconformists who are dedicated to justice, peace and brotherhood. ~ MLK, Jr.

  4. yeeeowh! That might leave a mark. If Dubie.

    chooses takes it personal.

    Shumlin offers a nuanced approach to Vermont’s budget challenges that avoids a simple-minded policy that more resembles hacking away at spending with a dull ax.

    http://www.burlingtonfreepress…

  5. Surprised they chose Gibbs. Must be his past cozy relationship with all the media kingpins in his role as Douglas’ mouthpiece. Condos brings more to the table.

    Kudos to Shumlin and Hoffer for their endorsements!  

  6. that the Freeps probably just had to cut and run.  What could they offer in the way of a rationale to endorse Dubie?   He’s so clearly the under-qualified candidate; is wrong for the Vermont demographic on social issues; is shaping up to be backing the losing horse on VY (even more important to the FP than whether it should or should not be re-commissioned); has been caught repeatedly in artless lies and half-truths; and has resorted to running some of the ugliest attack ads in Vermont history.  Dubie himself delivered this endorsement to Shumlin.

  7. I’m glad even the Free Press is willing to see the difference between fluff and substance, and decided to endorse substance.

    I don’t think many people change their vote due to newspaper endorsements, but a few undecided fence-sitters may find themselves pushed off the fence, so this could give a few extra votes to Shumlin.

Comments are closed.