Whew. It’s Friday.
And I guess something big has happened politically in Vermont. But I’m not sure, since I’ve spent most of the week either walking behind or sitting upon a horse. Big Jim’s been a busy boy, Fat Bart’s been getting his nightly workouts, and Lady (our daughter’s horse) has been getting the round-pen run-around thanks to Isabel, the newly minted 6th grader. Yikes.
Wait. Did I say “Big Jim?”
And, no, I’m not talking about Jim Douglas, either – the governor of Vermont. Because my Big Jim doesn’t quit.
But Vermont’s Governor Jim Douglas – the Republican – does quit. Wimp.
I’m speaking, of course, about yesterday’s announcement by Jim Douglas to step aside and skip the 2010 election in favor of….CASH. Oh wait, Douglas didn’t actually say “cash,” but he did say that he wanted to make some money to supplement his state retirement fund. Poor fella, he’s only been making around $100,000 for the last umpteen years as a “state-servant.” Better yet, he’s also had absolutely no family health-care payments in all those years.
See, Jimbo-the-quitter, socialism isn’t always bad.
But it’s clearly gotten too hot in Jimbo’s political kitchen to carry on for him politically. And with possible jobs at Green Mountain Power, Entergy Nuclear, and Middlebury College waiting for him, why continue to get charred by your own political stupidity when you can step aside, chase the cash and have the Vermont political and media elite all but write your fawning resume for you?
But if the truth could be invited into the discussion about Douglas’ quitting, it would point to this: Douglas’ economic neanderthalism sunk not only his political ambitions but also the state’s economy.
While Douglas ran on the slogan of “Jim=Jobs,” his political obituary should read “Jim=Job Cuts.” Worse, Jim also equaled a dated, stale, mean-spirited, and anti-labor economic outlook that left him – and the state – in a mess that looks all-too-similar to the every other state.
Quitter Jim is what they should be calling you. But the Vermont media and the political and media elite in the state are far too worried about their own well being to come out and say it. So, instead, we’re getting a truckload of bullshit from one media outlet and political figure after another that praises Douglas for his service, his commitment, his dedication and his…. [Editor intervenes: No more!].
Even the whiny-assed Democrats are jumping on the “thank you, Jim Douglas” bandwagon after his announcement. Consider these words from Democratic Secretary of State Deb Markowitz, a woman who recently announced that she had raised nearly $200,000 in her effort to unseat Douglas:
“I want to congratulate and applaud Jim Douglas for his years of service to the state. Douglas is a Vermonter who has devoted his life to public service. Vermonters, regardless of political party, should honor him for his commitment to serving the state for all of these years. I wish him the very best in his future endeavors.”
And that, my friends, is what’s wrong with Democrats. Congratulate and applaud him? Sorry, Deb, but you’re either full of shit with this statement or your campaign to unseat him is full of shit. If, in fact, this is how Markowitz feels about Douglas, perhaps she should return the $200,000 she raised to unseat him. Just saying.
But, that’s the way the game is played. And it works as long as you’ve got a ticket to ride.
Unfortunately, however, most of us don’t have that ticket, meaning that politics as they are almost always played aren’t a game to us.
While Markowitz can play footsie with Douglas after his decision to quit, many Vermonters who have lost their jobs, curtailed their dreams and been handed nothing but coal in the land of supposed “plenty” don’t have that luxury. They are – we are – under-employed, overly-stressed, and hyper-sensitive to the realities of our economy. It’s called living paycheck to paycheck.
Try it sometime, Jim & Deb.
So let’s recap: The Republican Governor is a quitter. And the Democratic challenger is an appeaser.
Been there, done that.
Come on, Big Jim, let’s get out of here.
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