(Nicely expressed. – promoted by JulieWaters)

Peter Shumlin heads to the Vermont Governor’s office with some striking parallels to President Obama and his election two years ago. Both are riding a wave of partisan relief to be regaining their respective executive offices. Both candidates had health care reform as central planks in their platforms, and take office with high expectations of delivering on that promise despite severe economic challenges. The Vermont Legislature, like Congress just two years ago, has a decisive Democratic majority to support Shumlin’s efforts. Questions abound about a more sustainable energy policy, potential economic impacts of change, and the alarming environmental fallout of the status quo, just as they did nationally in 2008. Overshadowing and integral to all these issues is concern about the fundamental economic strength of our financial and jobs markets.

Vermont managed to avoid most of the conservative/Tea Party tidal wave that swept large swaths of the country this election, but if Governor Shumlin follows the same path as President Obama, that storm surge will come pounding on our ballot boxes in 2012 just as it did in the Lower 49 last week.

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But enough about the similarities, how can Shumlin learn from Obama’s difficulties and find a better way?

There is already one glaring and encouraging sign of difference between the two men; Shumlin hired Howard Dean.

Howard Dean, along with the rest of the impressively experienced transition team, signals above all to Vermont that Shumlin is serious about good government.

This group will be nothing if not competent. Throw in Shumlin’s references to the tax study commission looking for ways for Vermont’s tax code to provide “sustainability, appropriateness, and equity” and there is hope that we will see effective governance emerge from this administration. It’s my strong belief that competence is the best political strategy in these uncertain times.

Competence, or the perception of competence, will also make or break any health care reform efforts undertaken by the Governor-Elect. More than any other issue, health care reform will only be accepted if it makes good sense to the average voter. The good news is that there is a huge tract of space available within which to make significant, progressive and sensible improvements in the system. The flip side is that there are many ways of bungling this issue. Over-reaching, over-complicating, or the kind of politicized special interest accommodations that Obama made would each have likely-fatal impacts on the 2012 Shumlin re-election campaign in this environment.

I’m hoping to see a strong progressive agenda put forth from our new governor, it will be just as important for the long-term health of Shumlin, Democrats and our state that this administration really have its act together in a way that restores some faith in government in these reactionary times, and shows that people are being put first.

We’ve just seen what can happen otherwise.