Posted on 08/28/2009 12:26:05 AM PDT by Straight Vermonter
In front of statewide leaders, allies and enemies alike, Governor Jim Douglas made one of the biggest announcements in his long political career.
"With what will be eight years as governor-- fifteen statewide elections-- I will have held center stage long enough for any leader. I will not seek another term as governor of Vermont," said Douglas, R-Vermont.
An emotional bombshell dropped by a typically steady politician. Fresh out of college Douglas ran for the Vermont House and won, he then went to work for Governor Dick Snelling, eventually winning election to become Secretary of State and Treasurer. Partway through his fourth term as governor Douglas says it's time to step back from politics to spend more time with family.
"And now one of my sons has a son of his own-- a grandchild-- Timothy James Douglas," the governor said. "A new generation has a way of putting things in perspective."
A decision that sent shockwaves through political circles, as many thought he would run again. But at the center of the storm, Douglas is calm about it all.
Later, during a one-on-one interview the governor joked, "Anything going on today?"
The announcement comes on the heels of a legislative session where Democrats defeated him on the budget and put their own spending plan in place.
< snip >
"I am not running for president. Dorothy has a divorce lawyer on speed dial if I ever ponder that crazy idea," Douglas joked during his press conference. "I am not running for the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House or any other statewide office in 2010."
And with 16 months left on the job, Douglas says he'll work to not be a lame duck.
"And with that I'd like to ask my team to get back to work," he said. "We have a lot do. Thank you all very much."
Governor Douglas says his decision was not based on a fear he would lose. Although Democrats would disagree, Douglas thinks he would have been re-elected but says just because he could have won does not mean that he should run another time.
As for the impact on the legislative session ahead, this past session was very tense and many of the same issues will be back, like how to balance the budget with less money. Democrats and the governor disagreed over where to cut, whether to raise taxes-- and those divisions will still be there. Just now the Governor won't have a re-election hanging over his head, so he may take a sharper approach because as he said, he won't have to worry about political consequences-- at the same time several Democrats in the Legislature are seeking higher office.
Is Brian Dube still lt gov.? Would he run? I know he’s called up Howie’s show a few times.
VT is one of those states, aren’t they, where you could conceivably have a gov & lt gov of different parties, right?
That’s how VT wound up with Gov. Howard “Yearrrrrrrrrrrrgh!” Dean...
Dubie is still Lt Gov, and he got more votes in ‘08 than Douglas.
I hope Dubie will run. I’m not sure who the dems will run but if they take the office the state should be free of jobs in no time.
Too bad he won’t run for Senate. Leahy has had some close calls over the years.. he just needs a first tier opponent to be knocked off.
Dick Snelling was a top-tier recruit for 1986, he lost... badly.
The last close election Leahy had was in 1980. He beat a popular ex-governor by almost 30% in 1986 and he beat Douglas by 11% in 1992. In the last two elections the GOP candidate has not gotten more than 25% of the vote.
Political office in Vermont is for life. The only major office candidate that has been voted out in the last 20 years (that I recall) was Rep. Peter Smith after he sided with the gun grabbers.
As long as the Green, Commies, Independent, Socialist run candidates maybe a Liberal Republican can get elected. I’ll be in the Peoples Republic at the end of Sept to introduce my 8 month old to her great grandfather. I enjoy my once a year visits to see the wifes side of the family
And after a single term, no less. Smith was the last Republican to win the At-Large House seat in 1988. It’s astonishing he lost to the Socialist Sanders, who ran to the right of him on guns.
Guns used to be the third rail here. I’m not sure that even that much of “Vermont” remains any longer.
Leahy won with more than 70 percent in his last two elections. The previous time, he beat Douglas by 11. Before that, he beat Snelling by 30. He had one close re-election... way back in 1980, when Vermont was a Republican state and Ronald Reagan swept a dozen Republican senators into office.
uh-oh. and thanks kingattax for these:
EXCLUSIVE: Move to impeach Sanford under way
The Washington Times | 8-27-09 | Ralph Z. Hallow
Posted on 08/28/2009 3:01:38 AM PDT by kingattax
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2326405/posts
N.H. Court Orders Home-Schooled Girl into Public School
CitizenLink | 8-27-09 | Staff
Posted on 08/27/2009 11:21:03 PM PDT by kingattax
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2326339/posts
Well, in the end, he apparently did not “keep the legislature in check”. Oh, he may have acted like he was doing or trying to do that but he did not succeed. From what I’ve read, Douglas was a “moderate” Republican. The country does not need people like him who have no core values and principles.
What the country needs today are people like America’s founders—principled, intelligent, suspicious of government and god-fearing.
It will be interesting to see who the people of Vermont elect as their next governor.
Well it won't be a solid conservative of the sort you describe, but I guess you'd rather a Democrat than someone like Douglas.
That’s likely because there were three major candidates for governor splitting the vote.
Yes and no. The split was on the left. Douglas got 53% (170k) in ‘08, with Socialist/Progressive Anthony Pollina getting 2nd place with 22% and the Democrat former House Speaker Gaye Symington also getting 22% in 3rd. The left was largely united behind one candidate in the Lt Governor race, the regular Dem, who got 39% (with the Prog just receiving 5%), but Dubie got 55% and 172k votes, the first time he got a higher number of votes than Douglas (who was always considered a stronger candidate than Dubie).
People like Douglas do nothing to advance the conservative agenda. IMHO they are really demrats, anyway.
Being from way out of state, I know very little about Douglas. But I do know that he most recently vetoed the fake (homosexual) marriage bill passed by the legislature, standing up to the vilest of Gaystapo threats and a largely homo-friendly legislature. Too bad his veto was overridden by one vote.
ping for VT
You’re pinging me to my own post ?
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