The Republican Governors Association launched an ad on Thursday called “A Vision for Vermont” on behalf of Republican candidate for governor Brian Dubie. http://visionforvermont.com/
The 31-second spot, which features a voice over by Gov. Jim Douglas, was released to media outlets statewide yesterday. It’s also posted on the RGA’s website for Dubie. The tagline for the ad is: “Brian Dubie has a vision for a better Vermont, to help small businesses grow and to reduce taxes for families.”
Tim Murtaugh, director of political communications for RGA, said the organization has released ads in 11 states — Vermont, Georgia, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Florida, Ohio, Illinois, Wisconsin, Colorado, California and Hawaii — across the country in competitive gubernatorial races. In all, there are 37 governors’ seats up for grabs this year.
“We make determinations whether or not we can have an impact,” Murtaugh said. “Vermont is one of those states where we think we can be helpful. We think Brian Dubie is the best candidate in the field. We think he is the next governor. It’s a competitive race and we feel our presence there can help him get elected. We feel like we’ll be an asset to him and it’s a competitive race, one we’re taking seriously.”
Murtaugh said Jim Douglas has been an “exemplary governor” because he has fought the Vermont Legislature’s “attempts to raise taxes at every turn.” Brian Dubie, he said, is the one to “pick up the ball.” The RGA supports Dubie’s views on “reducing the interference of government in business growth and job creation and removing intrusive regulations that impede the creation of jobs.”
The RGA has formed a political action committee called Green Mountain Prosperity, which as of the Aug. 17 campaign finance deadline had collected $262,000. Most of that has been raised in bundled donations of less than $100. Dave Gram of the Associated Press recently reported that the PAC is designed to provide Dubie’s campaign a boost.
Earlier this week, the RGA received a $1 million donation from News Corp., which owns Fox News, The Wall Street Journal and the New York Post.
Corry Bliss, Dubie’s campaign manager, said he doesn’t know what the RGA’s advertising plans are – and under campaign finance law, a local campaign cannot coordinate with the national organization.
Shortly after the Democratic primary on Aug. 24, the Republican Governors Association will likely launch attack ads on the Democratic winner, according to Eric Davis, professor emeritus of political science from Middlebury College.
“That’s been their modus operandi in other states,” Davis said. “The RGA, under its own name or under political action committees, runs attack ads, and they leave the Republican candidate to run positive ads. I’m sure we’ll see that in Vermont.”
Murtaugh said the RGA would never discuss what the organization’s future plans might be.
RGA bills itself as the “key to a GOP Comeback” and “the most innovative and disciplined political committee in the country,” on its website.
“Our political team has experience running state parties and winning gubernatorial campaigns,” the website states. “As a result, we understand that governors’ races take unique strategies and a comprehensive approach. The RGA runs political campaigns that go far beyond simply running negative TV ads in the last few weeks before the election. We reach voters everywhere they get their news, from TV and radio to direct mail and the internet.”
RGA’s “A Vision for Vermont” Web site for Dubie includes short statements about the lieutenant governor’s stances on four topics: job creation, tax cuts, permit reform and “opportunities.” The lieutenant governor reiterates his belief that Vermont taxes are too high.
On job creation: “Brian Dubie believes that an unfriendly business climate, an overly complicated regulatory system and a Legislature insistent on raising taxes and spending more money have contributed to this problem.”
On tax cuts: “Vermonters are frustrated by high taxes at every turn. The Legislature has continued to look for opportunity to tax just about anything they can think of, including income, estates, manufacturers, even downloading music from the Internet.”
On permit reform: “In order to stay competitive with other states and nations around the globe, Vermont must create an atmosphere conducive to growth and job creation. That means a regulatory process that is expeditious and predictable. Businesses need a government that is responsive to their needs so they can focus on what matters most: hiring again.”
On opportunity: “By keeping taxes low and reducing government interference in the private sector, the Dubie plan fosters an atmosphere to create new, well-paying jobs.”
This Saturday, three days before the Democratic primary on Tuesday, Dubie is launching “test flight,” a canvassing campaign in which he is asking volunteers in seven different locations around the state to make 15,000 phone calls and knock on 10,000 doors.
