[M]ARLBORO – The recent Democratic caucus meeting in Marlboro attracted all of seven people, and that’s about two more than usual, according to Chairman Clarence Boston.
But the meeting ran unusually long as Marlboro Democratic Committee members debated whether to endorse U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., for president. In so doing, the local party members ran the risk of thwarting the wishes of state and county party leaders who are urging no primary-season endorsements for any candidate at any level.
Boston says the committee wasn’t interested in heeding state party advice and voted almost unanimously to take the unusual step of backing a presidential primary candidate.
“It’s a left-wing committee in a left-wing county in a left-wing state,” Boston said. “It’s not such an amazing thing that we’re not Clinton Democrats.”
The sole “no” vote was from Marlboro committee member Brandon Batham, who was in an awkward position due to the fact that he’s also chairman of the Windham County Democratic Committee. Batham acknowledges the political value of Bernie fever, but he’s nonetheless urging all towns to refrain from endorsements in the interest of party unity.
“I don’t think it is the Democratic Party’s (job) or any of the town or county committees’ jobs to tell voters how to vote in the primary – regardless of what the intentions are, regardless of what the values are behind any individual candidate that people are trying to endorse,” Batham said.
It’s a balancing act that the Vermont Democratic Party also is trying to pull off, though it’s a lot more difficult this year than it has been in the past, according to Conor Casey, the state party’s executive director.
“It’s unique, I think, with Bernie in the race especially – the hometown favorite,” Casey said.
The county and state Democratic organizations shy away from pre-primary endorsements as a general rule. The Vermont Democrats sent an August email to state committee members warning against backing any specific candidates.
“Needless to say, as the election heats up many of us will have strong feelings about particular candidates and may even be volunteering on campaigns,” wrote Dottie Deans, the state Democratic Committee’s chairwoman. “While it’s certainly encouraged to be politically active, we want to remind you that the (Democratic National Committee) will not be making any endorsement in the presidential primary, nor will the (Vermont Democratic Party) in keeping with past policy.”
Deans said town and county committees have been asked to follow the state party’s guidelines. “We would ask that whenever you make a statement publicly supporting or opposing a candidate that you clarify it is your personal position and not in your capacity as an elected leader or an activist within the party,” she wrote.
The policy is even more formal in Windham County, where bylaws say the county committee “shall endorse only candidates for statewide or countywide office and shall not endorse any candidate for office prior to the primary election for such office.”
The fact that Sanders’ presidential campaign has caught fire has made the policy more difficult to adhere to.
“It’s tricky,” Batham said, “because there are a lot more people energized by Bernie’s candidacy.”
Boston said the Marlboro Democratic Committee “was well aware of and wanted to take up the issue of endorsements” at a Sept. 21 meeting. The committee subsequently announced that it would give its “heartfelt endorsement” to “Vermont’s favorite son, Sen. Bernard Sanders.” Boston said the committee closely identifies with Sanders’ support for organized labor.
“We think it is more important than ever that we remember our history and the struggle of labor and the struggles of farmers,” Boston said.
Boston said the Democratic leadership in this mountain town of roughly 1,070 is no fan of Sanders’ principal Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton. “Not many of us can stomach the politics of the Clintons … moving the party to the center and going after corporate money,” he said.
Boston also has a beef with the Democratic Party on that very same issue. He believes the party – even in Vermont – is too focused on fundraising. In short, he says the party faithful in Marlboro “wish to not be dictated to by a committee that we don’t share political values with.”
As a county chairman, Batham is concerned that many hard-core activists have been leaving the party because they have become disillusioned with the political process.
Sanders’ candidacy, Batham believes, has the potential to bring some of those folks back into the fold. But he doesn’t want to win more devotees while losing others who are not as enthusiastic about Vermont’s independent senator.
“My role as a party leader is to bridge that divide,” he said.
From the state party’s perspective, the primary is a chance for all Democratic candidates to get positive exposure. In spite of Sanders’ obvious popularity in Vermont, Conor Casey, the ED of the Democratic Party, says “to a certain extent, we have to be Switzerland in this race – a neutral party.”
But in Marlboro, Boston isn’t buying the big-tent philosophy.
“Our committee doesn’t take well to centrists,” he said. “The left is getting a little fed up.”
