Modern Vermont Governors HOWARD DEAN
Wholly Subjective Ratings & Evaluations & Brief Comments on Their Respective Contributions According to
MICHAEL J. BADAMO
howard dean is clearly the runt of this litter. Dean is shallow, glib, mean-spirited, and overly ambitious yet Vermonters continue to reward him with term after term. On issues that matter, Dean is regressive and responsive only to the needs of elite vested interests. Taking his lead from the new generation of grossly hypocritical, Bill Clinton-type Democrats, Dean mouths the ancient words of Democratic Party idealism but then repudiates labor and the poor confidant that they have no where else to go. Big money motivates Howard Dean, a spoiled-brat rich kid from Long Island who always gets his own way.
Dean has never had serious opposition in any election campaign. He slid into the Lieutenant Governor's office and took over the top job when Snelling died. He has won easily since because Republicans like to vote for him while their own Party candidates have been either little known or hopelessly right wing.
Of our six modern governors over the last thirty five years, Deane Davis gets my vote for number one, definitely a good guy. I'll rank Phil Hoff a not too shabby number two because Vermont really needed a good kick in the ass. From there, they go down fast. Dick Snelling gets a grudging number three because he represented stability and administrative competence. We'll give Madeline Kunin number four simply because she was less of a snake oil salesman than Tom Salmon, our choice for number five. Howard Dean, of course, is the worst in modern memory.
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to plot the trend.
So what's happening here? Are Vermonters really getting dumber or do we just not care any more? If the past be any guide to the future then we've got trouble down the road. |
