Huh boy. Only three days before the Vermont Republican Party’s convention on Saturday, current chair “Angry Jack” Lindley is pulling out of the race because he’s still recovering from a grave illness. He was hospitalized for a month and only returned home last week, but he kept the door open as long as he could:

As recently as Wednesday morning, political allies including Mark Snelling, the GOP’s treasurer, said Lindley was planning on trying to retain his chairmanship at the party’s state convention Saturday.

“Yes, it’s my expectation that he’s going to run,” Snelling said Wednesday morning.

Methinks he waited so long because the conservative wing of the VTGOP is completely bereft of good leadership. An ailing Jack Lindley, who’s done little to rebuild the party, was their best option.

The proof? Lindley is throwing his support to John MacGovern.

Oh, God. It’s really hard to believe that a “major” political party would be reduced to this. MacGovern ran a no-hope campaign against Bernie Sanders in 2012 on a Tea Party-style platform: railing against government spending, taxes, and regulation, and in favor of Paul Ryan’s entitlement cuts. His campaign was a fundraising flop, and remains mired in debt.

Before his run for Senate, MacGovern’s Vermont political career included two losing effortts at the State Senate, finishing at the back of the pack in the 2008 and 2010 Windham County senate races.

This is the guy who’s now leading the charge for Vermont conservatives. Incredible.

After the jump: the whole conservative clown car.

And the rest of the conservative slate isn’t a whole lot better. (This part of the story is only available on the Times Argus/Herald websites, behind a paywall.) Lindley endorsed the slate in a Wednesday evening email announcing his withdrawal:

“I strongly support and endorse John MacGovern for Chairman of the Vermont Republican Party and I’m asking you to do me the personal favor of supporting John MacGovern for Chair, Brady Toensing for Vice Chair, Jackie Barnett for Secretary, Mark Snelling for Treasurer, Wendy Wilton for At Large, Randy Brock for At Large and Kevin Beal for Vice Chair of Chairs,” Lindley wrote. “This team will lead the Vermont Republican Party forward on the principles we all believe.”

Nice to see the VTGOP is such a strong believer in recycling. Mark Snelling, Treasurer who can’t raise any money? Randy Brock? Brady Toensing, member of a Birther-friendly DC law firm? WENDY WILTON?????

This little Neocon Clown Car will be opposed by a “moderate” slate fomented by Lt. Gov. Phil Scott and his allies, and headed by former State Representative David Sunderland of Rutland Town. Sunderland is no liberal; he had a solidly conservative voting record in the Legislature. But apparently being endorsed by Phil Scott was too much for the hard-core right wing. They’d rather elect John Freaking MacGovern than support a guy with Scott’s backing.

Anyone else see a problem here?

That Saturday meeting at the Montpelier Elks Club should be something. You’d think that Vermont Republicans would take a look at the track record of MacGovern et al, and opt for a new direction.

Somehow, I don’t think that’ll happen. I think the VTGOP true believers are too angry, too poisoned by Fox News and Rush Limbaugh, to adopt a broader vision. And too many of the would-be “moderates” seem to have withdrawn from the scene. Do you see anyone from the Douglas Administration — which, while pretty conservative, at least had a strong sense of realpolitik — taking an active role? Neale Lunderville? Betsy Bishop? Jason Gibbs?

Brian Dubie?

I don’t see any outcome of Saturday’s meeting that would strengthen the VTGOP. If the conservatives keep the helm, they’ll limit themselves to a hard-core 35-40% of the vote. If the “moderates” win, the conservatives will sit on their hands and Phil Scott will have to rebuild from the ground up. (With a chairman who really isn’t a moderate.)

For Vermont Republicans, it’s a lose-lose situation.