Emerson Lynn on Politics

Symington: the spark the race needs

    If it is through competition that the best ideas percolate to the top, then Vermonters should encourage House Speaker Gaye Symington to follow through on her thoughts of running for governor. Gov. Jim Douglas vs. Progressive Anthony Pollina is not a race with the gravity sufficient to force a discussion of the issues. With Symington in, it is.

That is important for Vermont.  Our resources are scarce and our challenges plentiful, which dictates the need for leadership that is as bold as it is creative. In a gubernatorial race between Douglas and Pollina the mismatch is unbridgeable; there would be little incentive to test the political marketplace with new ideas. Douglas would be inclined to rest on his laurels, and Pollina could scream to the heavens, but with a voice that would barely project. Symington has been at the legislative center of all debates important to Vermonters. Her bona fides are beyond reproach. Vermonters would get the debate they deserve.

For Ms. Symington it is a decision laced with risk. Pollina had once offered to step back if the Democrats could offer a credible candidate to oppose Douglas. But that window was closed weeks ago, and he says he will remain in the race. It’s difficult to argue otherwise and be fair, but, nonetheless, it’s problematic for Symington. Pollina will take a minimum of 10 to 15 percent of the vote, which makes Symington’s political hill a lot tougher to climb. [Think she may be a proponent of having the Legislature make the ultimate call, courtesy of Instant Runoff Voting?]

She also puts her legislative role at risk. She can’t run for governor and the House. If she runs for governor, the Democrats will have a new Speaker next session. If she runs for governor, and loses, she’s out of office altogether, a thought she must have pondered.

The oddsmakers might not look at her political fortunes with much favorability. Douglas is a popular incumbent, and Pollina is a well-known third-party candidate. The chances of an outright win, are not considerable, even if the state is deep blue and likely to turn out in droves for the Democratic presidential nominee.

But Vermont has two-year term limits and if she acquits herself well, she could use this year’s campaign as a prelude to the following gubernatorial campaign. Douglas will be near the end of what is historically the norm for gubernatorial reigns and Symington could make herself the first among equals in the expected onslaught of Democrats eager to challenge Douglas. The interregnum – for Ms. Symington – would need to be spent keeping her public profile sufficiently polished. In a state Vermont’s size, that’s doable.

Symington says she’s considering the run because she sees the governor as a barrier to progress on issues as pivotal as health care and energy. The Legislature moves one way, he goes another, and the compromise is less than what she believes should prevail.

Fair enough. That clarifies some of the key differences between them. As the legislative session draws to a close, there will be others. The primary challenge will be how to deal with the effects of declining budget revenues. What programs should be cut, which should not? What are the issues facing the state’s economy and how can they be effectively addressed? How do we deal with affordable housing needs? Should the state proceed with negotiations to relicense Vermont Yankee? How do we deal with escalating costs in health care and education? Can we turn the state’s demographic challenges around? How do we deal with the fact that federal revenue to states is in decline? What creative thought could be applied to the state’s dramatic need to repair its roads and bridges?

The issues are too considerable to be allowed to sputter along in a low-wattage gubernatorial campaign. Ms. Symington would be the spark Vermonters need for a vigorous debate as to the course ahead. She would also help her party, which has struggled for months to find a suitable challenger to the governor.

We would expect that she would follow through and become the Democratic Party’s nominee, otherwise, why would she tease the party and then say no?

(Emerson Lynn is editor and publisher of the St. Alban's Messenger where this essay first appeared.)

Comments

[G. Cross]

Emerson Lynn is correct when he states: "Symington has been at the legislative center of all debates important to Vermonters. Her bona fides are beyond reproach. Vermonters would get the debate they deserve." Gaye Symington will bring to the campaign table a discussion of issues not a bunch of slogans. Clearly Symington will be behind and probably remain behind in the creation of catchy sound bites. However, Vermonters have become weary of governance for the here and now by sound bites. We are ready for governace for the future of our children and grandchildren. Gaye Symington will offer that alternative.