by Rob Roper, Behind the Lines
Howard Dean made news the other day when he reminded Vermonters he was still alive. The dude is bumping up against the actuarial tables at 76, after all, and anyone born the last year Dean held public office is now of legal age to drink, which would come in handy if the increasingly radicalized Leftist activist returned to power. Nevertheless, Vermont Democrats not seeming to relish the thought of Brenda Siegal II, Here We Go Again! are all abuzz with excitement that the old Doc is ready to come out retirement to take on, well, the most popular governor in the United States. Heeeeyaaaaaa!
I too am excited! Dean will get his butt kicked, which will be fun to watch and reason enough to attaboy this decision. But more importantly, as a well-funded, big-name headliner, he will force Phil Scott to campaign. For real.
I’ve heard some pundits on the Republican side worry that if Phil has a race, it could take money away from down ticket candidates for the state House and Senate. To this I reply, what money? If anything, a race that forces Phil Scott to raise and spend, organize a ground game to get out the vote, and loudly make the case for why Vermonters should elect Republicans (cough, cough 14% property tax increase… 70 cent carbon tax on heating fuel… unaffordable housing costs…) it will benefit down ticket Republicans who, let’s face it, don’t raise a whole lot of cash on their own anyway, and could really use the coattails of a Phil Scott funded campaign infrastructure.
Howard Dean, on the other hand, might just excite in-state Democrat donors with enough (false) hope of knocking off the otherwise immortal Scott to the point where they pour their money into his (losing) campaign at the expense of their own down ticket candidates. Democrats already have, hat tip to ‘em, a solid machine. They don’t need Dean’s help there.
Dean, of course, has the kind of Rolodex that can attract a lot of out of state money, but Vermont already sees quite a bit of left-wing cash pouring into our state through activist groups with national ties. There might be more of it as a result of a Dean candidacy, but given the laws of diminishing returns it won’t dramatically change the political landscape.
On the other hand, Scott hasn’t needed of out of state money since his first run for governor, and since then it hasn’t come in. That will change if Dean is the challenger. The RGA and other PACs will ramp up activity in the Green Mountain State, and that could be a game changer. When I chaired the VTGOP during the 2008 election, Governor Jim Douglas secured a half a million dollars for the Party to assist in down ticket races because he knew high turnout in local races would boost his own vote totals in what was shaping up to be a Blue Wave year – and he was thinking about his ability to sustain a veto. (Yes, Phil, if you’re reading, that’s a suggestion not just an entertaining little anecdote!)
Make no mistake, Vermont Democrats will outspend Republicans in 2024 by wide margins, but an activated, motivated, supercharged Phil Scott campaign has the potential to better – not even, but better – the odds for underdog down ticket Republicans. It changes the dynamic from fighting something with nothing, to fighting something with something. So, go for it, Howard!
In a good sign, Phil Scott announced he will be attending the VTGOP convention on May 18th. Scott has kept his distance from state party events, and hopefully this is an olive branch he’s offering to his more conservative detractors (of which I often count myself as one before considering the sobering alternatives) recognizing that he does in fact need the Party — and more House and Senate Republicans – if he wants his popularity to translate into relevancy.
The big question is will Scott’s intraparty critics accept the olive branch and welcome home the prodigal son. I certainly hope so. If the United States and the Soviet Union could put aside their differences long enough to defeat the Nazis, the conservative and moderate wings of the VTGOP should be able to come together for six months to take on Vermont Progressive Democrat Supermajority before they tax and regulate us out of our homes. Priorities, people. Priorities.
Share Behind the Lines: Rob Roper on Vermont Politics
- Rob Roper is a freelance writer with 20 years of experience in Vermont politics including three years service as chair of the Vermont Republican Party and nine years as President of the Ethan Allen Institute, Vermont’s free market think tank.
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All the world is a stage, said the Bard…politics is the entertainment section of the MIC… keeping us honest here folks… you take it seriously, and you are seriously GAMED.
While politics is in large part theater and a game, the consequences of losing this game are very very real. See your next property tax bill… and heating bill… and insurance bill…. If you don’t take it seriously, you are seriously screwed.
Amen Rob !
Neil,
“If nobody buys squid at the local restaurant because people like hamburgers, what are you going to do as a restaurant owner?”
Here’s what’s wrong with your analogy. Politics isn’t a restaurant, it’s a pot luck. You eat what you bring. The reason you’re unhappy is because you show up with nothing and expect others to feed you. You want hamburgers, make hamburgers!
If 120,000 Vermonters are willing to give $10 bucks each for your hamburger candidates, form a PAC, raise that $1.2 million, and use it to support only hamburger candidates. I would support and applaud your efforts.
You’re in Washington-2. Just find two hamburgers to run against Dolan and Torre, and get some of those 120,000 to fund them with 20k each to run a campaign.
That would be useful!
To that, I’ve given money, I’ve been to meetings, I’ve run for office against Dolan. We didn’t start a PAC, because we were against PAC money. We did start a new political party, Green Mountain Party, to which almost bankrupt me and not just the fiscal price to which I’m still paying. We were running for Lt. Governor, thinking this would be a position where we could talk about issues statewide. At the Republican summer gathering, were we told we’d be a spoiler, so we went to run as representative for Washington.
What we could do and didn’t do enough of was go door to door. All the doors we did go to we got total support in the most left leaning area of out state, also the most left leaning state.
Our platform was. Affordability, School Funding and Drugs/Crime.
It was a platform totally compatible with any conservative republic loving Vermonter.
We didn’t have the scarlet r next to our name, it allowed us to not get the door slammed in our face.
We only got 4%
We had no idea what we were doing, we learned much.
We learned much we’d rather not do again either.
We also witness what happened to Keith Stern. We witnessed what happened to the Agri-Republicans. We witnessed the big tent philosophy. Rino’s apparently love squid (who knew) and it was an all you can eat buffet for them.
Leadership needs to take some responsibility. They are set in place, by divine providence, what you are suggesting is that people are not welcome or supported within the party, bring your own PAC, we won’t help you and we won’t let you use our tools either.
We reap what we sow. It’s 6 months before election, Get Real as they say. The course has already been set for this election season. Due to the planning, weeding, tending that has gone on these past two years, my prediction is more of the same.
Wishing you the very best this election year, my-self, not a fan of eating invertebrates, so I’m going to pass, hopefully get my financial solvency back online. Cheers.
For those wondering, why are we talking about squid? This is Rob’s reply from a previous comment below. Donald J Trump could raise 3x the money I’m discussing below, he’d certainly make two staffing changes within the party too. With one visit to Vermont. But you wouldn’t let him in your tent. What makes you think others will be welcomed? It’s not us it’s the VTGOP…..introspection is tougher for some.
Here is the squid restaurant analogy, that Rob is replying to.
There are 112,704 Vermonters standing by, with time, money and support to keep our republic.
Even if they only gave $10 each the VTGOP would have $1,127,040 dollars?
What’s in the current bank account?
If nobody buys squid at the local restaurant because people like hamburgers, what are you going to do as a restaurant owner?
Are the customers worth less than nothing? Because they don’t eat squid?
Your business is not making headway and it’s because the customers are something less than useless because they want to buy hamburgers………
If squid is the most popular dish in Vermont…..how come your store is not full of squid eating Vermonters? If everybody loves squid then you could care less about the people who love hamburgers right? Because your restaurant would be packed!
You are way smarter than this, seriously.
How many times do you expect people who love hamburgers to come back to a restaurant that only and ONLY serves squid. And if you ask to even make your own burger within the restaurant, they throw you out after taking all your time and money.
Keep serving squid. Keep wondering why your restaurant is empty. All the while people picket your restaurant asking for a hamburger. Gee I wonder what is wrong?
and they just came out with a video showing the difference between a restaurant that sells only squid and one that sells hamburger, God works in mysterious ways…
https://twitter.com/i/status/1790825591844839502
Just don’t let that guy who sells hamburger into our tent they say!….lol….I’m going to buy a hambuger….the VTGOP wants nothing to do with the hamburger flipper…..the other tent looks like way more fun.
A choice between two far left Democrats. How exciting.
Stay home in November and you’ll feel as dumb as you sound
Stu Lindberg, “A choice between two far left Democrats. How exciting.”
Most truthful comment on the board.
Both Voted for Biden
Both support Build Back Better
Both support the New World Order
Both mentored by the Democratic Party
Both declare they will get democrats to run this election in Vermont
Both campaigned against the most popular Republican president in History.
Some people like to call other people names, but struggle with defending their words.
Please advise where Stu is so ignorant.
Sign me up to campaign for Dean! Love the guy. Democrats can actually get something passed w/out fear of the Scott veto!
howie and govie/// show time folks/// let the circus begin with a new and improved dog and pony show///
I always wondered why the most popular governor in the country didn’t have any coat-tails while simultaneously his followers are complaining he has no help in the leg, how does one jump that logic gap hmmm
Does it really matter when the super majority of liberal progressive democrats completely control the agenda and can override any Governor veto they wish?
Kirk, If Howard the coward is Gov. again, you will get your answer. Personally I believe that I’d be more supportive of the politics coming out of another Scott administration (believe it or not !) than an administration that would be no more than a rubber stamp for the loony lefties under the Golden Dome . I might be taking the road of, as Russell Crowe put it, “the lesser of two weevils, but sometimes (it seems like more and more lately!) Politics is a compromise.. That sucks, but that is the reality it seems.
Vermont Politics at its best,
Let’s see, Howard ” Yee-Haw ” Dean, now here’s a revelation, Howie wants to be Governor again, the savior for the progressives, no thanks once is enough…,please !!
let’s step up to Phil ” Flip Flop ” Scott, a black eye for conservative Vermont politics, well what’s left of it !!
Scott has been taken hostage by his progressive liberal friends even though they
have no respect for him and they definitely have no respect for Vermont’s citizens
unless you side with the so-called ” super majority ” more like the ” stupid majority “.
Vermont GOP, needs to step up, being nice is over, do you want to win or do you want to lose…………….we need choices.
To suggest that Dean is going to lose, massively to Scott, is perhaps arrogance at the very best.
There are many arguments to suggest that Dean could get many votes from moderate republicans. Dean could only have to suggest he’s more fiscally conservative and he didn’t change any of the 2a laws in our state, both very, very true and despised by many conservatives.
To suggest that Dean is not seasoned, hasn’t learned anything since being in office is also a bit foolish.
Scott did have get outside money, when the grocer, Keith Stern ran against him and got 35% of the vote. Had others from within in the party not sabotaged Sterns campaign for somebody who was a registered democrat and had the VTGOP allowed fair race and supported all people running Vermont might be a bit different than it is today.
Examples of this type of hubris is why the VTGOP thinks they are going to win every year with the same plan, with no names of people to even call and no team. It is not a bad thing to fail. It is, however, suicidal to not recognize defeat and not have a firm grasp of the playing field.
Intraparty critics are NOT the problem. He has 80% of the population to support and run under his wings, so nice try Rob for blaming the 20% of the critics, for blaming those who take the time to post their dissatisfaction on a news site that reaches a fraction of Vermonters.
There is a reason nobody runs on the VTGOP
There is a reason the VTGOP has no money.
There is a reason the VTGOP is completely divided.
There is a reason why the VTGOP is completely ineffective.
We are NOT the problem, but nice try.
“Dean could only have to suggest he’s more fiscally conservative and he didn’t change any of the 2a laws in our state, both very, very true and despised by many conservatives.”
“Guns Are ‘The Ultimate Public Health Crisis,’ Howard Dean Tells Democratic Convention” https://www.huffpost.com/entry/howard-dean-guns-dnc_n_579805d6e4b02d5d5ed372d8
So, good luck with that. And he just said that this Dem Supermajority is the best legislature he’s ever seen. No fiscally conservative person thinks that.
And where did I blame anyone for anything, or call anyone “the problem” in the piece. Don’t make stuff up. Although here in the comments I will say folks stewing in a loser cult of negativity while sitting on the sidelines are, if not a problem, certainly something less than useless.
Hi Bob,
“Although here in the comments I will say folks stewing in a loser cult of negativity while sitting on the sidelines are, if not a problem, certainly something less than useless.”
I ran for the House. Was censored by the press and not allowed to debate or even have the incumbents in a candidates’ forum because the incumbents were “uncomfortable”.
I didn’t stew in a loser cult, I ran for office to replace the witches’ brew that voted in Montpelier in my (our) name. I didn’t expect or ask for any support from the VT GOP, because I knew better. Our local party, though was very supportive, and to them I am eternally grateful.
So if you want to call me, and those who tried to break the Wall, “less than useless,” have at it. Enjoy your slavery.
He may have said things, but Governor Scott did them.
And your quote…
The big question is will Scott’s intraparty critics accept the olive branch and welcome home the prodigal son. I certainly hope so. If the United States and the Soviet Union could put aside their differences long enough to defeat the Nazis, the conservative and moderate wings of the VTGOP should be able to come together for six months to take on Vermont Progressive Democrat Supermajority before they tax and regulate us out of our homes. Priorities, people. Priorities.
You said, put aside your differences to defeat the Nazi’s…..so it’s because of the differences.
The administrative state is in control, allowed by rinos, progressives and the VDP……
Saying that the “dems” are the enemy show a complete lack of understanding and of our playing field. Bush signed us onto the New World Order, back in Rio, around 1993, that is where all this climate change came from!!!!!
So it was a republican president and 60% of current republicans nationally and perhaps a higher percentage in Vermont going along to get along and enjoy the gravy train.
112,704 Vermonters who vote GOP strongly disagree with this article and will show you once again come this election, perhaps there will be more.
“folks stewing in a loser cult of negativity while sitting on the sidelines” A loser cult? Being war was declared against humanity (without proper declaration or informed consent) excuse some us for not placating or supporting the enemies looking to take us out – and not to lunch. Being forced to the sideline is not a freakin joke or voluntary under the installed, belligerent regime forcing Russian Roulette injections by threats and all out lies! Speaking up or speaking out means your blackballed and deemed an “domestic terrorist.” How many governments voted their way out of tyranny? I’ll wait.
Revelation 18-4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
Pslam 91 5-8
Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
“All warfare is based on deception.” Sun Tzu
“If you wait by the river long enough, the bodies of your enemies will float by.”
Sun Tzu
Hi Tyler,
I’m certainly not referring to anyone who runs for office, helps someone run for office, encourages and otherwise supports those who run for office. Thank you for your efforts! We need more people like you. But those who have nothing better to do than unconstructively criticize those who participate in the process, denigrate every effort by others to win elections, and who would be happier to see Republican candidates fail in order to satisfy their doom and gloom predictions — yes, those people are worse than useless.
There are 112,704 Vermonters standing by, with time, money and support to keep our republic.
Even if they only gave $10 each the VTGOP would have $1,127,040 dollars?
What’s in the current bank account?
If nobody buys squid at the local restaurant because people like hamburgers, what are you going to do as a restaurant owner?
Are the customers worth less than nothing? Because they don’t eat squid?
Your business is not making headway and it’s because the customers are something less than useless because they want to buy hamburgers………
If squid is the most popular dish in Vermont…..how come your store is not full of squid eating Vermonters? If everybody loves squid then you could care less about the people who love hamburgers right? Because your restaurant would be packed!
You are way smarter than this, seriously.
How many times do you expect people who love hamburgers to come back to a restaurant that only and ONLY serves squid. And if you ask to even make your own burger within the restaurant, they throw you out after taking all your time and money.
Keep serving squid. Keep wondering why your restaurant is empty. All the while people picket your restaurant asking for a hamburger. Gee I wonder what is wrong?
When John McClaughry ran against Howard Dean, I was in DC, working for 41, and knew his heart was not in it, for a 2nd term, so when John asked if I’d return home to help him run, I committed to help run the effort, as I wanted John to lose with honor…but seeing this announcement tempts me to come out of retirement ,and finish what I started years ago, and help whoop Dean’s ,and his supporters butts, politically…makes me wonder what keeps these old fart leftists going.
I always suspected their big issue of killing babies was to harvest the aborted babies stem cells ,to keep them going strong, and youthful, hence their frantic support for the killing of unborn babies.
As strange as the world is today…it wouldn’t surprise me ,given how vigorous these old fart leftists are, compared to the general population.
Looking at what the DNC, and the left it supports, seems downright evil, compared to 30/40/50 years ago back in the days when Ronald Reagan and Tip O’Neil would break out the cigars, and booze, and meet in a back room, to hash out a working deal, for the betterment of the nation, and not like Nancy Pelosi, and her likes, tearing up the State of the Union address, and making hissy fit faces, for the cameras, like a rabid monkey, while the President is talking, and yes, Howard Dean supports this stuff, and the evil players who project this crap, to the nation, in my opinion.
Time to vote out those of the left, holding office, and vote to insure that people like Howard Dean, and those the left, and DNC support, running for office, never get a chance to get elected, because like termites, and cockroaches, once you let them in the peoples house, nothing short of toxic poison, will get rid of them, and as it is not a good idea to poison the house that governs, it is best to avoid using poison, in the first place, by not electing any Dem, and leftist… from holding any kind of elected office, given the mess they made of the peoples house both statewide and nationally…in all due respect.
My take.
Yes, William;
What does Planned Parenthood sell?
To whom?
In VT?
What’s that in the breeze?…
The sweet smell of Hopium.
Scott just said on VPR he will help to get centrist democrats elected in House races.
Where’s that 2024 veto pen he can wield with such Thor-like authority, Rob? He’s not seeking YOUR support…
Which of these two Pfarma clowns will lock you down faster? Remember Scott’s 2020 record. Dean will have a high bar. And he’ll have a chance to go for it.
So that’s what they are smoking, I was wondering….hopium…..powerful stuff.
All the fanboys of Scott want to brush aside and ignore his resounding support for The Biden, the plandemic forced mandates, and calling Vermonters inherently racist. He supported and installed the DEI stand alone department and allowed it to be inserted into every agency. Ignorance is bliss in the Green Mountain State. I, for one, will never forget the collusion, the conspiracies, and the grand theft taking place in 2020 or the photo of the Chinese Communist Party standing in the State House February 2019 yucking it up with Phil, Condos, and Zuckerman.
Suddenly Phil Scott decides to attend a GOP meeting. No thank you. He’s insulted me enough. Are you ready to stoop to that level and entertain his antics?
This is a heck of a choice because neither of them is good for Vermont. The never-ending governorship of Howard was enough for me.
If Phil wants to bring out an olive branch to those of us that he turned his back on, he could admit he was wrong about his statehouse signing of the first gun control laws in the history of Vermont. He treated law abiding gun owners like criminals because a high school kid bought a shotgun and ran his mouth. That is not leadership. He voted for Joe Biden and told us he would be good for America. How’s that working out?
How about “Safe and Effective” and to push for jabbing children to get the DC money to Vermont. To heck with your health and your children’s health. Yes, I’m disgusted with the whole mess, but the sheep will roll over and Vermont will continue its decline.
The governor has ignored the republican party while the progressives took over the whole of state institutions and now, he’s concerned and will attend some republican functions that he ignored all these years?
Like I said above, there is no choice except bad ones. With the mess we are in, do you really believe he will save us? I’m coming to the realization that I should have left years ago because as a widower in my 70s I cannot afford to stay here. I’m sick of the misery of still having to work or lose my house. And it’s only going to get worse. I want to be at least happy as I age and not miserable with all this political bull. Dig the grave, Vermont is dying a slow death and it’ the voters who are ultimately responsible for allowing it.
Apparently, we now have a censor, and the word hell cannot be spoken. Also missing a response to Rob’s comment. Is this where VDC is headed?
“do you really believe he will save us?” No I do not. I am hoping that he will help elect more Republicans to the House and Senate by funding a VTGOP get out the vote campaign, putting the kind of money into a statewide ad campaign highlighting Dem voting records and policy priorities that nobody else in the state can afford to do. Because the only thing that WILL save us is electing more Republicans to the House and Senate. If Phil Scott is willing to be a useful a tool in achieving that end, it would be foolish to leave that tool in the box.
Two clowns wanting to be the top clown at the circus.
I fully agree with Robert Roper that it is better to have Scott helping the GOP statewide than not.
I do not agree with all of Scott’s positions, but I do agree that without him, we’d be a damn sight worse off.
I look at it like this…in war there are many battles (Issues) and sometimes it is needed to lose a few battles (grin and bear it, issue wise) to win the war, and that is what we are looking at here ,in my opinion.
For me it is get behind Scott; as I see none other in the GOP that can win ,try to build the party off that wave, and vote Team Trump nationally.
Then we have a chance to win the war against the left…and a war it is.
If you’re playing a sport, any sport, and you have the best on your team, but no support for coaching, not skills on the team, and say it’s baseball and all the players are hockey players, how’s that going to work?
Long term it makes ZERO difference who the governor is. Long term it matters how deep and wide your bench is.
We don’t even educate our citizens in Civics, we do for Marxist thought though, so our public bench is full of marxist trained citizens rather than those who know about the republic.
It would be the very best to admit, we have NO and I mean NO team or team leader for that matter and hand everything over for two years while we rebuild.
Without him perhaps we could rebuild. Without him we’d only have one party to blame…..and they don’t want that. Governor Scott is the perfect foil……for the other team, they get 85% of what they want every year and blame the problems on him.
And this is why we get nowhere.
What globalist governor is the best choice for Vermont?
This is the game they love to play.
Give us two choices, we want neither, but they let us think we are making our own choices while they give us two sides of the same coin.
This is same tactic teachers use with their 1st and 2nd graders.
We need to wise up.
As a republican, I will likely be voting for Dean. I remember when Dean took over after the great governor Snelling, he was somewhat fiscally conservative. Scott has no idea what conservative means, Dean has got to be better. But it is my contention that as long as there is a democrat lurking somewhere in Vermont, there will be chaos and danger.
I can assure you, Skippy (and anyone else who will listen for that matter), that after having personally met with Howard Dean while he was governor, and discussing business economics with him, that he demonstrated to me a gross ignorance of any semblance of ‘fiscally conservative’ economic tenants.