Pollina to make campaign announcement

Progressive candidate for governor Anthony Pollina has issued a press release this morning announcing a press conference Thursday in Burlington.

What's it about? Quoting from the release, "the status of his 2008 campaign."

Here's what it says:

Since May 4th Anthony has visited 29 Vermont communities assessing support for his campaign and engaging citizens in a discussion about their priorities.

During that time a Democratic candidate has also entered the race for Governor, raising for some, questions about the dynamics of the campaing and Pollina's next steps. Anthony will respond to these questions Thursday.

-Dan Barlow

Howard Dean: Scrap Electoral College

Just a week after Gov. Douglas vetoed the popular vote bill, Vermont's previous governor has come out in favor of moving away from the Electoral College as a method of electing the president.

Howard Dean gave a 10 question interview with TIME magazine this week and he says this when asked, "Do you favor the elimination of the Electoral College?"

Yes. It's unrepresentative of where the American people are. It was fine for the days of the Pony Express, but it's not necessary to avoid a popular vote on Presidents now.

-Dan Barlow

All local politics are national

The trend in local politics this year seems to be connecting state political movements to the national candidates for president. Vermont Democrats are hoping to ride the coat tails of whomever is the party's candidate for the White House.

But here's an interesting twist: Dean Corren, blogging over at the Vermont Progressive Party blog, suggests that Democrat Gaye Symington is "our very own Hillary." Would that make Progressive Anthony Pollina our "very own Barack Obama?"

Corren concludes:

Perhaps if she sees her campaign failing to take off, she'll follow Hillary's newest example, in beginning to make nice (whether or not for her own positioning) with her fellow Bush opponent, and at the same time undoing the damage and uniting against the real threat.

With Symington and Pollina in the race this year - and Pollina entering it long before Symington even considered running - watch for a lot of talk centering on who exactly is "the spoiler" this year.

-Dan Barlow