Rembarkable

I've purposely stayed away from politics in this blog because, quite frankly, to me it's all become bad theater on the national level. I can't laugh at it any more because the joke is so clearly on us, not the politicians.

However, here in my beloved state of Vermont, we've had what I think is a remarkable campaign for governor on the Democratic side. (George W. Bush forever made me a Democrat so I don't even acknowledge Republican candidates any longer.)

Our soon-to-be-unlamented-past-governor, Jim Douglas, got his head handed to him by our state legislature in 2009 over the state budget and gay marriage. He vetoed both, tried to finagle the legislature, and was overruled both times.

Here in the Green Mountain State, we have a really clean state government. Our state is small enough for just about anyone who gets up out of his or her chair to know someone who's been elected to state government. Our state public radio station does a pretty fair job of covering Montpelier (or as one wag once named it, Mont-Peculiar) so the majority of the population knows a fair amount of what's going on.

We also have a habit of not throwing someone out of office unless they are truly, truly awful. It's pretty well accepted that Douglas was starting to stink like unturned compost, which is why he decided not to run for re-election because there was a real chance he was going to break that pattern.

Which meant that for the first time in six years, the Dems had a shot at regaining the Governor's office under the golden dome. (On a side note, if you ever have the chance to visit our state capital building, you really should. It is beautiful and elegant.)

The scramble was on early in the year and we ended up with five terrific people running to represent the Dems in the Governor's race. I think, given the stinky nature of what passes for politics in America 2010, that their mutual promise to maintain a positive campaign—and the fact that they kept that promise—is truly, truly remarkable.

I could have voted for any of the five and slept well last night. In November, I will vote for the Democratic candidate and know that we will have, once again, competence in our governor's office.

As I write this, the two top candidates are separated by less than 200 votes and the third place is less than 1,000 behind them so we may be headed for a recount.

Though maybe not. Recounts cost money. Vermont's budget is strained and the three top vote getters may agree to forego in those interests.

But once again, the politicians in this state (see Patrick Leahy, Bernie Sanders, Peter Welch and everyone who supported civil unions in 2000, gay marriage in 2009, and supported shutting down Vermont Yankee) make me proud to be a Vermonter.

A five-way race run on issues without mud, rancor or hate. In America 2010.

Remarkable.