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Fred Tuttle Dies...wasted an election
AP ^
| 10/04/03
| Krista Larson, AP
Posted on 10/04/2003 2:58:01 PM PDT by JimVT
Dairy Farmer, Candidate Fred Tuttle Dies
Saturday October 4, 2003 9:46 PM
By KRISTA LARSON
Associated Press Writer
MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) - Fred Tuttle, a retired dairy farmer who became a Vermont icon and a 1998 U.S. Senate candidate after starring in the political spoof ``A Man with a Plan,'' died Saturday. He was 84.
Tuttle died early Saturday morning at a hospital after becoming ill the night before, said his wife, Dorothy. She said he had experienced heart trouble in recent years.
The Tunbridge man became a Vermont icon after the local movie ``A Man with a Plan'' aired in 1996.
The movie is a political spoof in which Tuttle runs successfully for Congress with such slogans as, ``I've spent my whole life in the barn, now I just want to spend a little time in the House.''
Filmmaker John O'Brien then persuaded Tuttle to enter the 1998 GOP Senate primary as a publicity stunt - and Tuttle won with 54 percent of the vote. He then endorsed his Democratic opponent, Sen. Patrick Leahy.
Leahy remembered Tuttle on Saturday as someone with deeply held values who recognized the importance of education.
``I thought he had the best of Vermont values and a wonderful way of expressing them, and I think it was fortunate he was able to share it with so many Vermonters and with others around the country,'' Leahy said.
Tuttle entered the race in 1998 to challenge Jack McMullen, a millionaire Republican who ran for Senate after moving from Massachusetts to Vermont. McMullen is preparing to run against Leahy again next year.
Tuttle's campaign was fueled with a $9 newspaper ad and he appeared all over the world wearing his trademark overalls and ``FRED'' cap.
He also capped his general-election campaign spending at $251 - $1 for each town in Vermont.
``I've had the time of my life,'' Tuttle said in the concession speech he delivered at the Tunbridge town hall. ``But tomorrow, I've got to go dig my potatoes. So, good night, and God bless.''
Arrangements for a memorial service for Tuttle had not been finalized Saturday.
TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: dies; fred; tuttle
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A nice old guy who got sucked into the political arena by a would-be Hollywood hot shot and a permanent politician (Leahy) who never had the balls to say this was a travesty of the electoral process.
God keep Fred...screw the other two!!!!!!!!
1
posted on
10/04/2003 2:58:01 PM PDT
by
JimVT
To: All
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2
posted on
10/04/2003 2:59:56 PM PDT
by
Support Free Republic
(Your support keeps Free Republic going strong!)
To: JimVT; JoeSixPack1; uglybiker; BraveMan; Tijeras_Slim
Whew!

For a second there I thought Teutul had bought it. <|:)~
3
posted on
10/04/2003 3:01:28 PM PDT
by
martin_fierro
(Prop 53: YES|Prop 54: YES|Recall: YES|Governor: TOM, but will settle for Arnie)
To: JimVT
YOu nailed it...
4
posted on
10/04/2003 3:06:13 PM PDT
by
Chad Fairbanks
(My idea of housework is to sweep the room with a glance.)
Comment #5 Removed by Moderator
To: William Creel
And obviouisly republicans fell for his "skit" hook line and sinker by about 58% in the primary.
6
posted on
10/04/2003 3:11:38 PM PDT
by
joesbucks
To: William Creel
Do you know anything about Jack McMullen's campaign? He was Fred's biggest advantage in the primary. It's a shame the Republicans couldn't find a real candidate from their own state to run against Leahy that year. McMullen could not have had a less appealing resume.
Your profile page indicates that you live about a thousand miles away from New England, so let me draw an analogy. Imagine that a successful businessman from Atlanta moves up to the Smokies and a year later decides to run for Senate, talking about his prowess in the boardroom and how he can make North Carolina his next big "project" and will spend millions of his own money to do it. You tell me--how well would that be received?
To: JimVT
I voted for him in '98 when I was a Vermonter.
To: JimVT
Fred Tuttle, a retired dairy farmer who became a Vermont icon and a 1998 U.S. Senate candidate I Fred Tuttle was a Benny Hill character, but on reflection that may have been Fred Scuttle.
9
posted on
10/04/2003 3:21:44 PM PDT
by
Pilsner
Comment #10 Removed by Moderator
To: HostileTerritory
Your profile page indicates that you live about a thousand miles away from New EnglandAnd so you're from MA which is several light years from the real NE.
Jack McMullen has the balls and the money to run again against the permanent politician/liar Leahy and deserves al the support we can give him
11
posted on
10/04/2003 4:48:08 PM PDT
by
JimVT
To: martin_fierro
Orange County Choppers,, you know da scene,, that Apache chopper was da bomb,,,,,,,,,
To: JimVT
"And so you're from MA which is several light years from the real NE."
Right, and so was Jack McMullen. You couldn't have made my point any better. I know better than to think that I could move to Maine or Vermont and expect people to anoint me their leader.
To: HostileTerritory
I know better than to think that I could move to Maine or Vermont and expect people to anoint me their leader.Moving to MA worked ok for this guy!
14
posted on
10/05/2003 7:32:23 AM PDT
by
JimVT
To: JimVT
He then endorsed his Democratic opponent, Sen. Patrick Leahy.Good riddance.
To: William Creel
Tuttle wasn't a politican, he knew jack about politics, he was just a front man for an easy re-election for Pat Leahy.Maybe McMullen is, too.
To: JimVT
I would exhume his corpse and drive it down 89/93 myself if we could run it in place of Jack E. Robinson every %$#& election.
To: JimVT
I thought he had the best of Vermont values
Like what? Screwing over a political party? Ahem...Jim...I'm looking in your direction.
18
posted on
10/05/2003 9:47:12 AM PDT
by
July 4th
To: JimVT
(BTW, not you, JimVT, the other Jim from VT.)
19
posted on
10/05/2003 9:47:47 AM PDT
by
July 4th
To: July 4th
Right!
Fred Tuttle was, no doubt, a very nice man....I never met him....but he was DUPED by that would-be H'wood Clymer O'Brien and if Leahy had any cojones at all he would have disavowed Tuttle as someone who was tampering with the electoral process.
20
posted on
10/05/2003 10:02:51 AM PDT
by
JimVT
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