Mr. Dubie’s negative campaign, which smacks of the tactics of national Republican consultants like Karl Rove and has no place in Vermont. His ads have been too slick and cynical and tended to discourage honest debate
(Dubie) continues to make statements that are simply false, and that he must know are false unless he is willfully refusing to acknowledge what is obviously true.
Congratulations, Brian. Mission accomplished (quote can be heard here, at 6:37 into the audio).
I bristle at the narrative that the Dubie campaign is more negative or dishonest than gubernatorial candidates of years past.
Never once did Jim Douglas run a positive campaign for governor. He trashed Racine for being a flip-flopper, Clavelle for being a super taxer and Parker for being “Mr. Property Tax”.
Douglas is the king of slinging mud. He does it effortlessly and without hurting his image as a nice guy.
Dubie isn’t changing the game. He’s just simply playing by Douglas’s rules.
Here is what is different this time:
1) We nominated a different type of candidate. Unlike Parker, Symington, Clavelle & Racine, Peter Shumlin hits back. Instead of laying down and taking his beating, Shumlin stands up and gives it back 110%. This has forced an escalation of the negativity, which makes this campaign season appear to be nastier than normal.
2) Dubie isn’t as good at this as Douglas was. Uncle Jim trashes his opponents with a smile. Uncle Jim remembers your name when you see him at the Memorial Day parade. Aw Shucks, Uncle Jim just seems like a nice guy. If he says that Scudder is Mr. Property tax, it must be true. But Brian Dubie is missing that magic touch. He looks angrier & sounds more desperate (and a little confused).
Dubie hasn’t changed anything. Shumlin has.