Douglas for Governor

The Republican who has held the top executive spot in Vermont for the last four years—Governor Jim Douglas—is as different as can be from the GOP gang in the national White House, and we very much hope that Vermonters will reëlect him next Tuesday.

That difference was highlighted last week. Independent U. S. Sen. Jim Jeffords, no friend of the Bush White House, endorsed Douglas for another term as governor and paid $1000 into his campaign pot. In effect, Jeffords was saying that Montpelier is not Washington and Jim Douglas is no George Bush.

Douglas is broadly knowledgeable about multiple facets of Vermont governance, economy, and society. He and his appointees are distinguished by their competence. His style is to work in quiet constructive ways on many fronts to improve things in this state. His decisions generally flow not from ideology but from a reflective, well-informed grasp of good information.

He has just the right temperament for the job—an open, non-combative manner, leavened by good humor and appreciation for his constituents. He knows and likes Vermonters and they like him when they meet him—which is often. Douglas is occasionally mocked for the amount of time he spends with private citizens at ribbon-cutting ceremonies and the like, but this has kept him in touch with ordinary folks.

Vermont Democrats wish—oh, do they wish!—that they had thought of the "affordability" slogan which Governor Douglas trotted out two years ago as his political credo. However, it's possible that Douglas discovered "affordability" just because of his numerous face-to-face contacts with Vermonters.

Electing Douglas will also help to preserve some semblance of a balance of power in Montpelier. Just as more Democrats are needed in Washington to restrain the President, so Douglas is needed—badly—in Montpelier to restrain the huge Democratic and Progressive majorities in the legislature. We cringe to think what legislation could fly through without Gov. Douglas taking a sober-minded look at the proposals. And he's no obstructionist: he's proven he can have an impact on legislation by working with the other party.

The Democratic candidate, Scudder Parker, has been almost wholly disappointing in this campaign—vague and unspecific on the issues and relentlessly negative in a way that refutes his claim that he would be the kind of leader who could bring people together.

Brian Dubie for Lt. Governor

Brian Dubie is also worth reëlecting. He's been a breath of fresh, non-political air and a great help to Gov. Douglas, and has energetically used the office to assist constituents. His overtures to the government of Quebec and Hydro-Quebec have been an unusual—and unusually productive—venture for a lieutenant governor. He's created a "Green Valley" initiative to promote Vermont companies whose products have a "green" niche. He also seems to genuinely like people and draws inspiration from them, rather than preaching to them or directing them to do something or other.

Democrat Matt Dunne is an attractive candidate in many ways, but he comes on awfully stron. His televised criticism that Dubie is a part-time lieutenant governor is off-base to the point of being irresponsible. Does he not know that Howard Dean was a practicing physician when he was lieutenant governor? Or that Doug Racine sold cars and trucks?

Gov. Douglas will feel much more comfortable with Brian Dubie as his lieutenant, a man he knows he can constructively work with. Dunne, by contrast, will have his own agenda, which will surely conflict with Douglas's, as Dunne is nothing if not ambitious for higher office. Theirs would be an extremely uneasy relationship. And despite his campaign pledge to "get up every morning and work for Vermont," Dunne would have little chance to be productive. The Vermont constitution gives the lieutenant governor very little to do unless the governor wants him to do it.

Brock for Auditor

A word should be said for Auditor of Accounts Randy Brock, who has, by most accounts, done a superlative job in the last two years. He tackles big problems and solves them without seeking undue publicity or staging political confrontation.

Ordinarily, Brock would be a shoo-in for reëlection, except for the fact that his Democratic opponent is named Tom Salmon. This Salmon is the son of the former governor and ex-UVM president and has a mighty name in Vermont politics. But it would be a shame if he were to be elected by name recognition only, thus defeating a solid office-holder, and the only Afro-American ever to be elected to statewide office in Vermont, to boot.

Assistant Judges

Orange County has four candidates for assistant judge this year, two of whom will be elected. The assistant judges are the people who help the "real" judges and administer county government. It's an important office.

Prudence Pease has taken a liking to judging and is the only candidate with experience in the job and hopes to take advantage of the legal training she received her four years on the job. As the incumbent, she likely will be handily reëlected.

We are troubled by the naiveté of one of the other candidates, Republican Joe Anthony, whose resume was padded with Bachelor's and Master's degrees from Hamilton University in Wyoming, which turned out to be a notorious "diploma mill." Anthony says he thought everything was on the up-and-up and he was being awarded a degree that reflected his past experience. He has a surprising amount of trouble understanding why the news media should be interested in the holes in his resume.

For that reason, The Herald recommends a vote for John Upham for the second assistant judge spot. He ran his family store for years and has been a stalwart for the fire department and ambulance.