Oh, how I love campaign season...
This whole brouhaha over Republican Congressional candidate Martha Rainville’s acceptance of a $2,000 donation from a Republican PAC (which received donations from *gasp* Republicans) is just a taste of how messy this years elections are going to be.
Yes, I know, the PAC also received money from “big” tobacco (would it be okay if the money came from small tobacco?), but the thrust of the criticism has gone something like this: DeLay (the bad, corrupt, evil Republican) gave money to the PAC. The PAC gave money to the Rainville campaign. Ergo, Martha Rainville is a bad, corrupt, evil Republican (or at least she will be one when she gets to Washington). So, don't vote for her.
So basically, the Democrats plan to run on the “Republicans are evil” platform. Good luck with that. It worked so well for Clavelle (when he ran against Gov. Douglas).
There will be a lot of that this year. The Democrats are desperate for power and the Republicans are equally desperate to hold on to that power. If you ask me, the whole lot of them should be run out of there. I think we should just start all over – no incumbents. (Yes, including Bernie Sanders.) It’s the only way we will be able to stop this insanity.
The problem is that now in order to be competitive, a candidate needs a boatload of money. An average everyday person could never run a successful campaign against any incumbent or any candidate heavily supported by a major party. They all have gigantic war chests full of money.
I can see why she would want to take the money. How soon we all forget the Barack Obama love-fest/fund raiser that Peter Welch (Rainville’s opponent) was a part of. There will be gobs of money pouring in from all corners of the country to try and win that seat for the Democrats, yet there will be screaming from the rooftops over every penny Martha Rainville receives from out-of-state GOP groups.
The State Democratic Party even has a petition asking her to give back the money. Let me get this straight, the Republican Candidate for Congress should take orders from the Democratic Party? Can someone explain that one to me? So is Peter Welch ready for State GOP Chair Jim Barnett’s list of demands? Talk about absurd!
Perhaps the funniest commentary on this issue comes from The Vermont Daily Briefing, which wins the Drama Queen (or King in this case) Award for this little gem. (This comment was originally written with regard to the prospect of a Progressive candidate entering the race and “splitting the vote.” It was repeated in this post about the Rainville donation.)
“Not this race, not now, not if it means throwing Bernie Sanders’s seat — of all the seats in all the aisles in all of the halls of Congress — to this particularly corrupt gang of Republicans. It would be like watching Gandalf relinquish his place on the Council of Elrond, only to have Saruman somehow slither into it.”
Hold on, folks, this is going to be a messy election year!
17 comments:
You will get your wish in part. The incumbent US Rep from VT will not remain in that office in 2007.
I can see it now, "Martha=George"
This is a desperation move on the part of the Dems, Rainville will take this race.
"George=George" ought to be enough to carry Welch. When it comes to the congressional mid-terms (R)=(Reward Bush) regardless of whose name is next to it. Bush will not be rewarded for his crimes. He must be punished.
Lord, I despise messy campaigns. I would like to see campaigns run on issues alone, not who gives how much money to who. Leave it all to what the candidate can do for their constituents and leave it at that.
Hiding from mudballs.....
Fells
There is no such thing as a 'Drama King'. It's 'Queen' all the way!
I can picture him all decked out like the good witch in 'The Yellow Brick Road'.
What a freak.
Haik said: "You will get your wish in part. The incumbent US Rep from VT will not remain in that office in 2007."
If Terrant ever stops running those stupid radio ads about used pencil sharpeners, I might get my wish and Bernie will be unemployed in 2007!
Terrant is shooting himself in the foot. I hate hokey ads like that. He should tell his story himself and then what he wants to do in Washington. Bernie's record in Washington should be his own undoing. All Terrant needs to do is ask him what he has accomplished. Then he should ask Vermonters if they are better off than the were when Bernie went to Washington. His 'struggles' for the working guy have moved them from houses to trailers! That's progress.
There are enough sane people left in Vermont to elect Terrant if he does it right.
Bernie works so hard for you Bob. You should appreciate him more.
Tarrant's never held any elected office. Don't you think he should start smaller and get his feet wet before trying to leap into Jeezum Jim's senate seat? Such hubris!
I agree that those ads are rediculous. I hope Tarrant keeps 'em coming.
Why is everyone hung up on the previous occupant of the contested seats? Who cares?
Don't buy into this cult of personality crap. (Bernie plays it up well, which is why so many people idolize him. Especially over at VDB.)
No, I don't think he should 'get his feet wet' in a lower post. He'll get to go in fresh and see all the BS with new eyes. Hopefully that will help him stay focused.
I don't see how learning to suck up to people and make backroom deals will make you a better politician, or at least one you want representing you.
If Bernie was a Pat Buchanan hard right conservative and he was running against a liberal with no political experience, I don't think you would be saying anything about getting feet wet in politics.
Bob the Optimizer said...
"There is no such thing as a 'Drama King'. It's 'Queen' all the way!
I can picture him all decked out like the good witch in 'The Yellow Brick Road'.
What a freak."
And of course, by that I mean 'The Wizard of OZ'!
All we know about Tarrant is what we see from his campaign. From this we can see that he thinks pencil sharpeners and basketball are key public policy issues.
Maybe a little elected experience actually means something. The charactarization of political experience as 'backroom deals and sucking up' is silly. It's parlimentary procedure. It's attending soldiers funerals. It's holding town meetings. It's bringing home federal money.
It's constituent services.
It's also paying the correct property tax in the state you claim to be from.
It's not all 'sucking up' and it has nothing to do with pencil sharpeners.
When you vote against Bernie, you vote against your own interests.
Tarrant could do a lot of good privately if he wanted. He should focus on that.
"It's also paying the correct property tax in the state you claim to be from."
Bentley mansion Bentley!
I'll know Bernie's stopped losing ground in the polls when his supporters stop trotting this idiocy out.
My guess is that he has paid plenty of tax money in Vermont. Probably more than the two of us combined will pay anytime soon.
He can learn procedure. In fact, that's why in a senator's first term they're called 'freshman'.
Tarrant has already done a lot of good privately. He's retired now. It's a good time to serve the people of Vermont at the federal level.
From what I've heard, Bernie was struggling to pay his bills before he hit the political jackpot. He never got a chance to be successful at anything other than getting people pissed off because their hard working neighbors had it better. And no, that does not make him a man of the people. Tarrant started out with no money either. He ended up wealthy AND employing hundreds of people making something useful to society.
A vote against Bernie is not a vote against my own interests. I don't think a welfare state with state mandated health care is in my best interest. I don't think punishing people for making more money by taking it away from them will make my life better. In fact, those people are probably making things that I want or need. They should be rewarded by keeping more of their money.
You are right that Tarrant needs to tell people about himself. That alone will be what gets him elected.
Just for laughs, I would like to see Bernie try and acomplish anything of merit in the private sector!
My take......
I have met Tarrant, seems like a decent enough guy, but.......I AM SICK OF THE TV ADS ALREADY!!
That's it!! I am voting based on the ads. Crap, that means I am never voting again.
Sox game in 15.....
Fells
"Tarrant could do a lot of good privately if he wanted. He should focus on that."
Yeah, do you have any idea how much charitable giving that man does?
Not to mention creating one of the state's largest employers from the ground up.
I don't have any idea how much charitable giving tarrant does. How much is it? Do you know? I'm curious now.
Actually, Tarrant gives a boatload of money to local and national charities. He has money, and gives it to very good causes.
Sorry Haik, I have done my homework on this one.
Crap, I should be asleep, but insomnia has hit....Anyone have some Jack? Sox down 8-1 in the 7th.
Don't be sorry. That's good. Of course it would look really bad if someone that rich didn't give a lot to charity (small 'c'). Good for Tarrant. He's still not getting a senate seat.
So like, what charities does he give to? How much?
I have a bottle of jack... hmmm...
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