Editor’s note: This commentary is by Bob Stannard, a former lobbyist, who is still an author and musician. This piece first appeared in the Bennington Banner.
[B]y the time you’re reading this there’s about a week left before the 2014 political season will come to a (merciful) end.
This off-presidential election year has proven to be much more entertaining here in Vermont than most other states. Oh sure, we’ve seen challenger Allison Grimes show incumbent Sen. Mitch McConnell not only how to hold a gun, but how to shoot one.
In Alaska, the state that gave us Sarah Palin, an individual who has done more to advance the careers of comedians around the nation than Gerald Ford could have ever dreamed of, we’ve watched as challenger Mark Begich tried to out-snowmobile Dan Sullivan.
If you arrived here from another planet you would sit back in your spaceship with your alien equivalent of a bag of popcorn and watch with utter amusement as people try to retain their elected positions while others try to steal their seat away. The entire process causes good, caring relatively normal people to seek out their inner “Mr. Hyde” and become … well, crazy people.
Just about anyone can run for any office in Vermont and just about anyone does. It’s what makes life interesting here.
Picture my surprise when here I was minding my own business watching “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” (one of the more valuable news sources out there). Stewart ends every show with a segment he calls “Your Moment of Zen.” Fans wait right until the very end to ensure they don’t miss this clip. Oct. 15 was no different. I was glued to my screen when the piece titled “Take Backsies” came on and sure enough there was Vermont’s challenger for governor. That got my attention.
The segment showed the now historical and iconic gubernatorial debate that has made news around the world. The debate began with challenger Scott Milne introducing himself saying, “My name is Scott Milne, a third generation Vermonter born in Vermont. Take that back. I was born in Brooklyn.” I guess along with other difficulties his sad campaign has had forgetting where you were born is at least consistent.
This debate provided fodder for news media and comics alike ranging from Chris Hayes’ interview with former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean to Jimmy Fallon’s show. Is it any wonder? The debate looked more like a skit from “Saturday Night Live” than a real debate. But hey, it’s Vermont! We raised the bar a long time ago when an old farmer named Fred Tuttle challenged multi-millionaire Jack McMullen in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate. In all likelihood, Mr. McMullen should have cleaned Fred’s clock, but that didn’t happen. Fred won the primary handily, then immediately turned around and endorsed the Democratic incumbent, Pat Leahy. That made the national news, too.
Bennington County is not without its share of exciting House races this year. The Senate race not so much. Someone is challenging Dick Sears and Brian Campion, I guess. Good luck with that.
Three Vermont House candidates are seeking two seats in Bennington District 2-2. Joanne Erenhouse, Kiah Morris and Mary Morrissey are vying for two seats. Morrissey, the incumbent, will probably be returned to Montpelier
Joanne Erenhouse is the executive director of the Bennington Chamber. She’s known in Montpelier as someone who works hard to promote Bennington and gets things done. She’s proven herself time and again to be one of the hardest working people on behalf of Bennington. Of the three running, Joanne really deserves the job. She would make Bennington proud.
Outsiders look at Vermont and may think it’s a quirky little state made up of some pretty strange characters that come out of the woodwork to run for office. If you’ve lived here for a few generations you know what the deal is. It’s called democracy at the lowest, local level. Just about anyone can run for any office in Vermont and just about anyone does. It’s what makes life interesting here. There’s not a whole lot to do in Vermont so the political season does provide us with nearly endless entertainment. Those who choose not to run for office have a grand ol’ time watching those who choose to run for office. As a friend of mine said recently, “it’s damn near more fun than shootin’ rats in the dump,” an event that was once a great pastime in Vermont.
Good thing that little sporting event didn’t get out. Jimmy Fallon would have had a field day.
