2022 Senate candidate challenges sedentary Republicans to get involved
by Paul Bean
Recently, I wrote an article (“The Real Problem With Vermont,” Jan. 19) criticizing a mindset that was not meant to insult anyone personally, but considering the responses I received, Maybe I struck a nerve?
First of all, thank you for your support and positive feedback.
One of my favorite responses claimed I offered no new solutions nor ideas. The purpose of my article was not meant to offer a grand idea nor vision for a new development, because the premise of my writing was that it wouldn’t matter what I proposed. The purpose was to critique that very mindset that stops growth.
This mindset has nothing to do with “left vs right” because In some ways they share the same viewpoint here.
The response I received from some of you proved the very point I was trying to make. I will say it once again: growth does not have to be bad.
Some of you were not happy because I didn’t immediately point fingers at the Legislature … if only it were so easy to blame them for everything.
Considering many of the comments came from conservative voices, I’ll beg the question: how many of you made an effort to get Republicans elected? How many of you showed up to sign waves, committee meetings, or walked in parades?
Or how about this: how many of you actually went out and voted?
Remind me again, who isn’t offering solutions or ideas? I ran an entire campaign full of them… where were you?
Far too many Republicans are no different than your typical armchair quarterbacks. They’ll tell you again and again how it should be, but when it comes to actually taking action…crickets.
Nonetheless, this is why we lose, over and over and over again- and why we are doomed in the future.
Many Republicans are no different than the left wing extremists: lost in ideology. So many are completely convinced that our elections are completely rigged, even though so many of us know personally the people running and working the elections, many of us are even related!
Here’s a thought to play with:
A good strategy to destroy your opponent? Convince them that trying to win elections “isn’t worth all that effort because it’s all rigged anyway.” Might as well just sit at home and complain about it…
It is this very defeatist mindset that has been inflicted upon Republicans in Vermont. Want to take the easy way out? Give up before you even start and be sure to have a reason why you would have failed anyway: “It’s rigged.”
If you are truly concerned about election integrity (a valid concern for all of us) tou should run for JP or Town Clerk, or volunteer at a polling location to see how it was done. If you are someone who ran for any position, and you lost, and you feel that you lost because of election integrity, my hat goes off to you. Thank you for running, I disagree with you on your point.
Where is my critique of Democrats and liberals? Well? I disagree with them on many of their policy positions and their completely irresponsible spending of money. But when it comes to winning elections, they out-number conservatives 129-45.
The only reason we should be pointing fingers at the Legislature: “taxes, fees, regulations, rules, restrictions and others that stifle and discourage any and all new enterprises.” I’ll say it again: We elected these people.
We can’t keep discouraging new ideas, or new perspectives if we want to win elections. We can’t keep insisting that we “Take Back Vermont” because that Vermont is gone and not really worth taking back… I am working on building this new vision every single day and I am not alone.
This is not an essay meant to critique the left. The purpose is to get Republicans to take a hard look in the mirror and ask the question: am I just another critic pointing at “the man in the arena?”
I know what it feels like when you feel there is no hope, thus no reason to try. I know what it feels like to lose too. Instead of blaming our local losses on “rigged elections,” we should focus on building a message that resonates with actual Vermonters.
We need to start thinking about redefining what it means to be a Republican in Vermont. Please. Drop the national narratives, immerse yourself within your community, and make friends with a “liberal.” They are just people too.
The author, a young Northfielder, finished fourth in the three-seat race for Washington County state senate last November.
Contribute to Vermont Daily Chronicle via Stripe.com – quick, easy, confidential