This commentary is by Stu Lindberg, a resident of Cavendish.
The VTDigger article “Moderate and right-wing candidates vie to be new state GOP chair” reveals more about the reporter’s left-wing bias than it does about the character and qualifications of Deb Billado, Paul Dame or Jim Sexton.
Vermonters on the right-of-center are faced with a constant barrage of such biased reports that most of us learn to ignore them.
The article claims that Billado is “polarizing,” which is no doubt the writer’s subjective view but she presents it as an objective fact. Like many Vermonters, I have always found the VTGOP chairwoman to be reasonable and articulate in her writings. Billado backs up her statements with facts and isn’t afraid to challenge left-wing narratives.
VTDigger also describes Billado as “ardently pro-Trump,” which is a shorthand for racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamophobic and other deplorable states of being. We cannot, however, fault the reporter for expecting the VTGOP’s chair to vote for Democrat Biden. After all, our Republican governor did. The past 10 disastrous months of Biden’s tenure notwithstanding, Scott and other opportunistic Vermont Republicans in office still side with the president.
Everything is relative. If it weren’t for Jim Sexton, VTDigger would be calling Paul Dame a right-wing extremist. Dame’s voting record proves that he is a fierce fiscal conservative. Indeed, by the left’s usual metrics, Dame should be deemed as a far-right extremist. After all, he does not believe in creating and maintaining an underclass of citizens that are trapped by government programs. And, he does not support bloated bureacracies running our state without any accountability.
Sexton, who takes the brunt of the article’s bias, is an outspoken and passionate Vermonter committed to helping his community. But he happens to be a straight, white male from a working-class background. In other words, he belongs to the demographic that is most reviled by those who hold power and influence in America today. It makes him an easy target to punch down on and VTDigger punches down hard.
Sexton organized a peaceful rally in Montpelier last summer. It was peaceful until a group, identifying themselves as antifa, appeared and attacked the rally’s participants. No one in power condemned the violence. We know where they stand. We also know where Sexton stands on preserving law and order and supporting our law enforcement officers.
Sexton stands up for what he believes in. He is not a progressive or a wishy-washy opportunist. He is a proud conservative Republican who supports the rule of law, our constitutional rights, individual freedom, free market capitalism, and intellectual diversity. He expresses his views plainly and asks questions that too few dare to ask.
Whether the VTGOP delegates elect Paul Dame or Jim Sexton on Saturday, the next chair will need help from all of us who are advocates of American conservatism and patriotism. In Vermont, this fight is daunting and seemingly insurmountable but failing to try is not an option.
