Democrat and Republican candidates for lieutenant governor faced off in a debate last week in hopes of differentiating themselves in the race to replace Lt. Gov. Molly Gray, the state’s 83rd office holder.
Appearing together Wednesday night at the Paramount Theater in Rutland were GOP candidates Sen. Joe Benning, R-Caledonia, and Gregory Thayer, a former alderman for Rutland City. On the Democratic side were former Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman; Rep. Charlie Kimbell, D-Woodstock; former Rep. Kitty Toll, D-Danville; and executive director of the Vermont Council on World Affairs Patricia Preston.
Economy first for the GOP candidates
When asked by VTDigger’s debate moderators what’s the most pressing issue facing Vermonters, both GOP candidates said the economy.
Gregory Thayer
“The number one problem is still the same problem that we were facing when Phil Scott first got elected: There is an affordability crisis here today,” Benning said. “I don’t know about any of you, but coming down here from Lyndonville tonight cost me $96 in gas. That is going to be exacerbated many times over as we approach winter and people are trying to put fuel into our heating systems.”
Thayer echoed that sentiment.
“It’s affordability, it’s the cost of living,” he said. “… It’s not all about creating new taxes; it’s about finding ways to make things happen, to make things work, that will help the everyday Vermonter. And again, it’s not about big government, it’s about everyday people … government cannot be all things to all people, period.”
Democrats prioritize climate change, housing
The four Democrat candidates, who took the stage earlier in the evening, were asked what their top priorities would be if elected.
Zuckerman said housing.
“We’re seeing long-term rentals become Airbnbs and people can’t afford to live in our communities,” he said. “We do need to invest in housing but not just with the COVID money. That is fortunate that we have these extra hundreds of millions of dollars, but we have to find the long-term sustainable funding that is greater than we have been doing.”
David Zuckerman
Zuckerman said he’d like to see housing policies incorporate climate mitigation.
“Ultimately, our housing stock is also part of our climate crisis,” he said. “Thirty-four percent of our carbon emissions are from heating in our homes, not only due to what we heat our homes with, but also how poorly insulated [is] old housing stock that we have.”
Toll said the climate is the biggest priority for her. She expressed disappointment that there wasn’t a major overhaul of the state’s energy sector via the “clean heat standard,” which was vetoed by the governor.
“If it’s not the clean heat standard, another plan should be put on the table,” Toll said.
The clean heat standard would have created financial incentives to switch heating systems from carbon-based (heating oil, natural gas) to electric-based technologies such as cold climate heat pumps.
Preston also emphasized climate change as an issue of top importance.
“We are facing an existential climate crisis, and for me, I think that we could build a green economy which ties back to another priority, which is I think we need to strengthen our rural communities,” she said.
She also mentioned the need to address workforce shortages, affordability, and modernizing Act 250 to address housing.
Kimbell focused on the housing crisis when asked what his priority would be.
“What I would do is make sure that we don’t lose focus, and that we look at building new, at renovating existing homes, and then also look at readapting commercial [properties].
GOP candidates disagree on election integrity
The two GOP candidates disagreed on the matter of election integrity. When asked about the legitimacy of the last presidential election, Thayer and Benning gave opposing answers.
“I’m not sure that they are legitimate but they are what they are,” Thayer said of the results. “We have the Constitution and we need to adhere to that document.”
Thayer suggested that Vermonters should learn more about what happened in the election of 2020, and he recommended folks watch a documentary film that puts forth the theory that mail-in ballots were a primary culprit in numerous voter fraud allegations.
“I also believe that people ought to watch the movie “2000 Mules” — they’ll learn a lot, it’s an eye-opener,” he said. “I think it’s important to know everything, to see the whole spectrum.”
Benning said President Joe Biden was the legitimate winner of the 2020 election.
“I do believe that the election was legitimate,” Benning said. “I as a lawyer sat patiently waiting while allegations were raised. … The party has got to wake up and recognize, we have to move on from the 2020 election.”
Benning continued that “there was absolutely no evidence” of election fraud in the 2020 election, despite the belief by many voters of all parties that mail-in voting leads to cheating.
“It is unfortunate that my party is now finding itself in a situation where we carry the seed that has been planted — every election from now on is going to be challenged by the loser,” Benning said.
As recently as October 2020, Democrat Hillary Clinton said the 2016 presidential election, in which she lost to Donald Trump, was “not on the level.”
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, who lost a race against Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp in 2018, told CNN in December that “the game was rigged against the voters of Georgia.”
Watch the full debate here.
Michael Bielawski is a reporter for True North. Send him news tips at bielawski82@yahoo.com and follow him on Twitter @TrueNorthMikeB.
In response to Mr Benning.
I just wanted to make it clear that I approached you as you were leaving the stage and it was to call you out for attacking another Republican for practicing his constitutional right to attend the hearing on January 6th
The specific reason I did that is because you were upset to think that he would call you and Phil Scott out and ask the Republican party to remove you from the party…
One of these things is a constitutional right and the other thing is exposing both you and Phil as traitors to our party.
And then I’m just rereading this article I’d like to ask you to explain to every Republican in the state of Vermont just would have Phil Scott Republican is and what a Donald Trump Republican is…
I can’t wait to hear that doozy because anybody that lived under Trump had one heck of a life that was safe and secure from illegal aliens on the border and they had the ability to put gas in their car and food on their table and their babies had formula and there was heating fuel at an excellent price and propane was comparable.
Now I think everybody already knows what Scott Republican is… It’s a play on words…
Why don’t you come out and say you’re a Biden Republican.
I can’t even say it without laughing out loud!
How can you be a Republican when you denounce the best president in recent history, president Donald j Trump?
I mean you’re pretty good at bullcraping people Joe but I really want to hear the explanation on this one..
Joe Benning who claims that no voter fraud took place in the presidential election.
I explained to Joe Benning that it took 3 years to exonerate Donald Trump from The hoax from Mr Biden and the rest of these Democrats that he was involved with Russian collusion.
Every newspaper ran with it every TV station ran with it and anybody against Trump ran with it knowing full well it was false propaganda.
I’m going to guess you’re aware of it Joe because you seem to be real interested in politics… Tom fitton had to sue the corrupt government to receive the paperwork that exposed Hillary Clinton and a corrupt FBI in conjuring up those charges against our president..
Now Joe you’re a lawyer was it criminal? Do people belong in jail for those offenses against a sitting president?
Now all of the voter fraud is beginning to be exposed…
Of course with the help of local media and media across the country a joke is made about the claims to fraudulent voting.
I don’t think it’s funny at all.. a corrupt government should not be tolerated by anyone in America… As a lawyer you should be totally opposed to it.
And you claim to be a Republican so shouldn’t you be really working hard to expose voter fraud not only in the presidential election but in the state of Vermont..
I believe Tom fitton of judicial watch has called out our state as being ripe for fraud.
How are we supposed to trust you as a politician especially a lawyer who gets on stage and makes fraudulent claims about the voting and about the reason the courts were not hearing the cases. Why wouldn’t you first seek the facts and the truth of what took place?
Is it because you’re afraid the news media in the state of Vermont will begin to attack you because you want to find out the truth? I think so.
The truth is beginning to come out and eventually all states will release what took place..
I’m just amazed at the number of people seeking political office in our state that refuse to honor our Constitution and their oath of office to defend our constitution.
I just saw this posted so I came on here to make these comments because I thought I would expose you to what’s really taking place in America..
It’s always it’s a pleasure to converse with you…
Now unblock me from your political pages so I can make truthful comments that people can see… After all Joe aren’t you in favor of honesty and integrity?
What are you running away from? An interested lifelong resident of the state of Vermont who wants to question our Jersey senator?
Come on man!
https://www.brianference.com/news/unanimous-resolution-maricopa-county-republican-committee-executive-board-rejects-2020-presidential-election/
I think this might be one of the things that I posted that’s upsetting Joe Benning as truthful as it is
I can’t believe there’s anyone in the Republican party that would support higher taxes and higher fuel prices and higher food prices and record inflation like Mr Benning who is running to be our lieutenant governor
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid02TaU4RxSpptfHWax5JFmSFa2LEm3shz2YRC9kLD9Pwj8dWzMNeUu1TCKc6BqBgpo1l&id=100069630234783
I attended the debates at the Paramount theater about a week ago and I listened intently to what each candidate had to say..
After listening to the Democratic candidates I realized that each one of them brought the same thing to the stage although they each had a claim to something definite they would like to try to accomplish.
However not many of these things were intended to help out the hardworking taxpayers in the state of Vermont who struggle on a daily basis and live hand to mouth.
We know that these people have pushed to defund the police
We know that they are pushing for reform of our judicial system which allows criminals to roam free with no repercussions for their actions
None of them stressed the importance of our constitutional rights and that they would stand by them regardless of what others pushed them to do.
None of them showed the desire to protect the sanctity of life of The unborn.
More than 1.5 billion babies have been aborted worldwide since Roe v Wade
However each and every one of them stressed that they would violate the law-abiding, tax paying hard, working vermonters right to own guns.
This should scare each and every one of you. I know they didn’t mention it on the stage but they’re all in favor of red flag laws…
I don’t agree with red flag laws because they go against our constitutional rights to illegal search and seizure.
However this should be a red flag law to every person in the state of Vermont and across our country.
They are all in favor of the green New deal which will bury vermonters in debt and destroy our right to remain warm in the winter and will eventually kill off the elderly in the state because they can’t afford to be warm..
My biggest interest was the Republican debate for lieutenant governor.
As much as I didn’t care for the Democrat candidates one of the people running is very disturbing and is very anti-vermont and he does not represent the Republicans in the state of Vermont who not only hold our constitutional rights at heart but we also love life and are totally against the slaughter of The unborn.
Joe Benning goes on to attack the Republican party while looking them in the eye along with support from others in the Republican party who have turned their backs on what we stand for.
Joe Benning is in favor of the slaughter of The unborn and the mutilation of our children and he voted for prop 5 twice.
Joe is proud of that fact and he tries to cover it up by saying he’s protecting rights.
If protecting the slaughter of The unborn is right Joe Benning you are completely misguided.
If you don’t know what that is maybe you should go read it because it’s disturbing and disgusting.
I heard Joe mention several times that he was a successful attorney attorney.
I have two question with his record of destroying the Republican party in the state of Vermont if that qualifies him anymore for that position then a man who was one of us that supports us and our Republican values.
I was saddened to see Joe Benning attack Gregory Thayer because Gregory felt it an honor to take advantage of his constitutional rights to go to our nation’s capital on January 6th and witness history in the making…
I don’t believe Greg went there with any ill intent as Joe Benning would like to indicate.
What happened at the Capitol was very unfortunate…
We have a sham of a hearing taking place without proper representation from the side of the defense..
Joe with your many years of claiming to stand up for Republican values and constitutional rights do you really think as an attorney that this is the constitutional way to run a hearing that completely defies 250 years of History in the United States of America?
You also tried to embarrass Greg because of his asking folks to take a look at 2000 mules and see what it exposes about fraudulent voting in the United States of America.
I think that’s a very legit question and it probably would do you some good to watch it because it completely goes against your claims that no fraudulent voting took place in the presidential election.
Let’s not forget it took how many years to finally dispel the sham of the Russian collusion that supposedly involved Donald Trump.
They are still in the process of trying to get Hunter biden’s laptop exposed to the American people..
The FBI claims now they can’t find it… That’s very suspect to me… However there are copies of it that have been documented as being copies of it and why aren’t you calling for that to be exposed to the people in Vermont so they can see the corruption of the president that both you and our governor stand behind.
Do you really support the damage that has been done to America and to the state of Vermont under your watch and your indignant attitude toward the people of Vermont by supporting Joe Biden.
Hopefully by now Joe Benning you realize the Russian collusion of Donald Trump has been completely exposed as Hillary Clinton paying for a dossier and our FBI being involved in corrupt activity to unseat the sitting president..
And you know what sad Joe is that judicial watch has to sue the Biden government to get the documents that the American people should be looking at to prove what took place. As an attorney you should be shivering in your boots supporting this time of corrupt activity in our capital in Washington DC.
I have yet to hear one peep out of you regarding that absolute disgrace and disregard for the laws in America and the involvement of our law enforcement in carrying out such an injustice against the best president in recent history Donald Trump.
As I recall you and our governor and our speaker of the House and many of the Republicans in Vermont government signed a petition to remove the best president and recent history from office. And that was before our great president Donald Trump had a chance to even take advantage of his constitutional rights.
Joe you know as an attorney that everyone is entitled to their constitutional rights of being innocent until proven guilty yet you violate the very laws that you are supposed to be upholding…
You claim no fraudulent voting took place and you claim that no court would hear it…
As an attorney you should know that number one you have no clue if fraudulent voting took place because you are hell-bent on destroying Republican values and what we stand for by making those claims.
You should also know as an attorney that those cases weren’t being refused to be heard because no fraudulent voting took place it was for other reasons.
How can we believe you are going to lead our state and do what is best for the people in the state of Vermont when you are willing to deceive us before you are even elected.
And as a senator serving in the Vermont capital you are completely attempting to destroy the Republican party by your fraudulent claims.
I truly believe if you were a republican you would be digging long and hard to find the facts that prove voter fraud took place and that hearing should take place to expose it.
Heck Joe you could start with the state of Vermont…
I believe judicial watch has exposed us as one of the states ripe for voter fraud
I think you’re atacks on a member of the Republican party, Gregory Thayer, who is your opponent are totally uncalled for because of your hatred for president Donald Trump.
You openly have claimed you did not vote for Donald Trump along with our governor..
You have however failed to disclose who you did vote for..
You also told me at the Paramount theater when I spoke to you that Phil Scott should never have exposed that he voted for Joe Biden.
Honesty is a virtue Joe!
Something that is totally lacking with you..
I would like to end with this.
Our government is supposed to be a government of we the people.
Donald Trump tried everything in his power to return the government to we the people and he was hated for that.
I admire Gregory Thayer for being an average everyday citizen in the state of Vermont who has guts enough to go up there without being a polished politician and speak to us from the bottom of his heart.. that is pure bravery on his part.
He knew he would be attacked for supporting our constitution by a man who does not support it.
In spite of that he got up there and tried to speak without making mistakes and presenting what could be good things for the state of Vermont if he was elected.
I think Greg has some wonderful ideas and qualifications to go along with them.
We are on the verge of losing the state of Vermont.
We need to make hard choices and none of them are easy for us and change needs to happen.
Gregory Thayer is one of us… We the people!
I think it’s time to send Greg to the golden dome and erase its name as the dome of gloom and bring some decency to the state of Vermont which is a goal I am sure he can achieve.
I’m encouraging everyone in the state of Vermont Democrat or Republican to think about what’s happening to our state and what Greg can do to help both sides of the aisle become self-sufficient in a state that’s failing miserably.
Thank you for your excellent comments, and your heartfelt concern for all of us in Vermont. If possible can you post your comments in other newspapers across Vermont, for example the Randolph Herald? Thank you and God bless you.
Re: “You have however failed to disclose who you did vote for..
You also told me at the Paramount theater when I spoke to you that Phil Scott should never have exposed that he voted for Joe Biden. Honesty is a virtue Joe! Something that is totally lacking with you.”
Richard, you know the above statement is a lie. In a fairly lengthy conversation with you after the debate you asked me who I voted for. I pointed across the room and showed you a woman in a white blouse (my wife) and told you I wrote her in. You are entitled to your opinion about me, but not entitled to lie about facts.
And I stand by what I said about Phil Scott’s decision to announce he’d voted for Joe Biden. I did not agree with his decision to make that public. I have repeatedly said the two divisions in the Republican party (Scott forces and Trump forces) need to figure out how to work together to face the juggernaut coming at us. I stand by that statement too.
Joe Benning now I get to call you out for the liar you are
You told me you voted for your wife and she appeared on the ballot as your vote
You also went on to tell me after I told you about the destruction that’s being caused not only in the state of Vermont but across the Nation at the hands of Joe Biden and it was discussing that both you and our governor
that supported him that you told wished Phil Scott had never admitted to the fact that he voted for Joe Biden.
I asked you why you thought it was acceptable to lie about stuff.
I also went on to see if he’s proud of it why would he try to hide it.
Those are the facts Joe Benning…
Why you feel the need to lie about them I don’t know..
I said to you you keep admitting you did not vote for Trump however I never did ask who you voted for but I said it’s sad that you are a rino to the Republican party, which you are.
You are a sellout to the Republican values that we hold so dear..
Why did you block me on Twitter Joe you didn’t like the comments you didn’t like the truth.
You support the slaughter of The unborn and the mutilation of our children by voting for prop 5 and with your indignant attitude you stand up there with that ignorant smirk on your face like you’re proud of it.
I said this to you at the Paramount theater as well…as an attorney you should know the rule of law and that none of the facts are out as far as fraudulent voting goes but you’re ready to hang anyone that wants to support our Constitution and do what is best for this country..
I also said you go after those that wanted to participate in a constitutional right who had absolutely no idea what was going to take place at the Capitol on January 6th.
I also went on to tell you that the committee that was formed is a sham it’s a made for TV double feature science fiction picture show loaded by Nancy pelosi with a couple of rinos just like yourself who have no goal in life but to destroy the Republican party and America.
I said said to you as a lawyer you know what’s going on is completely wrong and you sit on a stage and spew these lies and you try to convince people that because you are an attorney they should believe your lies.
If anything by now Joe you should be aware the FBI refuses to release any information regarding their involvement in the January 6th fiasco..
We also know there are plenty of videos out there that have not been shown to the American public because they don’t tell the same story that people like you would like us to believe about Donald Trump.
As far as fraudulent voting goes it’s being exposed daily.
Your claim the courts would not hear it because the votes were not fraudulent is one of the biggest lies I’ve heard to date.
I told you I had videos to contradict that but I guess you’re not interested in the truth Joe you’re interested in your own political goals and I guess part of that is bashing the best president in recent history and blocking those that have the balls to call you out on it.
Face it Joe you’re not honest with the Republicans or the Republican party, you’re a disgrace.
So please explain up here why you blocked me on Twitter Joe because I call you out for your lies and your attempt to destroy Donald Trump so you can get elected in the state of Vermont.
Hey I found a pigeon feather on the ground the other day maybe it’s one you could put in your cap to make you feel successful.
And the last thing I’ll close with is that you are one of the most disgraceful people that I have ever encountered when you try to chastise Gregory Thayer who’s not a polished lawyer doesn’t have the same amount of bull crap that you profess but is willing to get up there in front of an audience on a televised set and the people in the state of Vermont what he really wants to do for them.
Just what does Gregory there going to the state capitol on January 6th have to do with serving the people in the state of Vermont?
It’s nothing at all except the tool for you to use against the candidate who holds all of the Republican values to heart.
And the and there’s a couple of differences between you and Greg.
He’s a republican you’re a turncoat
Greg has a number of solutions to try to help the hard-working vermonter.. and you are I or no one knows if they will work until they are presented and worked on and see how it turns out.
You’ve got a bunch of pleas for free gas money so you can ride around the state on your motorcycle on the taxpayers dollar and anyone in the Republican party that’s been awake since the destruction of Donald Trump can witness what you and your turnco buddies have done not only to the state of Vermont but across this country.
I told you a long time ago on Facebook and you got ticked off and left the page because others started chiming in too about you being a fraud…and what I said to you was this and it’s absolutely true:
I said after speaking to you and hearing your line of bull crap that I finally realized after all of the trips to Montpelier and wondering why they built those doors 10 ft tall and 4 ft wide I finally found the answer after my discussion with you…. And I told you it’s so you can get your big head through those doors..
I stand by that statement today and it’s despicable that you would try to lie about people.
Now unblock block me from Twitter on your political page so I can let real Republicans know just what you are about.
You know I think it’s really disrespectful of a political candidate to block a voting citizen in the state of Vermont from their page.
Just what are you afraid of Joe?
THE TRUTH?
You’re a disgrace Joe
a republican that supports the slaughter of The unborn.
You know Mr Benning my father raised six children in this state.
When we were growing up he used to line us up like a set of stairs and talk to us
He always told us that there is not any man that is better than any other man…
He said we all put our pants on the same way and we all go in the ground the same way.
But the words that I have held dear my whole life and I think my brothers and my sister have is the following and I think you can learn from this….
A man is only as good as his word.
You know Joe my whole life I’ve made it a point not to lie and I think you’re a despicable human being for claiming that I did.
I hope people think really hard if they’re thinking of voting for you when we have a legit candidate Greg Thayer who’s ready to go up there and do a job for everybody that will work well for everybody.
Here’s where we should be in the VTGOP
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r156NzlHmJ4&t=38s
Instead, we’re Marxist light, well-spoken wordsmiths shilling for the New World Order and looking to be not part of the United States of America, but the first Colony of the United Nations.
And why is the only solution for climate change requiring us to be communist? Why?
Zuckerman’s position simply echoes the Biden administration who is encouraging local municipalities across the nation to change zoning rules to create higher-density neighborhoods. The plan has elements of the racial and environmental agendas Biden has been advancing.
“One of the most significant issues constraining housing supply and production is the lack of available and affordable land, which is in large part driven by state and local zoning and land use laws and regulations that limit housing density,” a May 16 White House statement announcing the plan said. “Exclusionary land use and zoning policies constrain land use, artificially inflate prices, perpetuate historical patterns of segregation, keep workers in lower productivity regions, and limit economic growth.”
So there you have it. The guy is merely a parrot for the inept, incompetent president.
Biden Admin parrots the New World Order
“You will own nothing and be happy.”
Which is the calling card of every slave master since time began.
Traitors to God and Country, pretty simple, as some used to say so many times….”They are on the wrong side of history.”…..of course he was never a big fan of the Bible or guns…..too bad, if he read the Bible, he’d know it was himself that was on the wrong side of history.
So how is Vermont going to keep all this electric things going…cannot keep our lights on in a rain storm.
Lights went out in Newfane for five hours on Sunday when huge tree took down the power lines on Rt.30. Wasn’t an ice storm, raining, just windy. Like these wind bag politicians.
Senator Benning must also be a member of the Flat Earth Society if he believes the 2020 election was legitimate. The so called plandemic paved the way for unconstitutional election laws in numerous states. Usually, to find evidence of a crime, a court has to hear the evidence. Every court came up with the lame excuse that those bringing cases forward of illegal voting, ballot harvesting, early voting, counting ballots after the time expired and fake ballots to name a few issues were rejected due to plaintiff standing. No evidence was presented to any court so saying there was no evidence is not true. As a lawyer, he should know this. Rumer has it that he voted for Joe Biden. That should tell you all you need to know. According to these deniers, the movie 2,000 mules is fiction but they probably haven’t watched it.
2000 Mules. Watch it people! The fraud was real.
To all the Big Government Worshippers:
Can you see now why we don’t want and shouldn’t have BIG GOVERNMENT???
The government does Not Care About Us At All.
People are in truly in dire straits today from Biden’s disaster and they want us to watch the weather.
Five dollar a gallon gas, all in the name of climate change and the New Green Steal. Oh, but let’s go to Saudi Arabia to beg them to pump more oil. We have more oil in Alaska than Saudi Arabia.
Ah, Mr. Benning, are you listening? Stop trashing your own party !
“…every election from now on is going to be challenged by the loser,” Yes I agree, but it started way before Trump and the 2020 GOP.
Maybe I should send him a copy of 200 mules…..
The VTGOP should buy every candidate and every member of government a copy of 200) mules……
Education and investigative reporting find amazing things… of course they will do nothing,…they are run and operated completely by rinos.
If only it were but ‘200 mules’, Neil.
The problem is, of course, that it’s ‘2000 mules’. And then, only in those few districts the researchers chose to consider. My little district of Westminster, VT, like many other VT districts, received ‘Zuckerbucks’ to facilitate mail-in balloting, and we still don’t have the processes in place to catch cheaters. It just leads one to ask what the money was actually used for – at the expense of offending our otherwise hard working election officials.
I had a long conversation with one of my reps the other day.
I have been calling my other rep who happens to be Tom burditt
And after a couple of calls with no answer I finally left a message and I asked him to call me back because I wanted to discuss the election with him.
Tom doesn’t want to call me back because he’s another one of the Republicans that sold out Donald Trump when Patty McCoy and Joe Benning and the rest of the rinos in our party we’re signing a petition to try to disgrace Donald Trump.
I don’t care if you like Trump or not but the guy did a hell of a job for America and I sure miss those times when I could buy gas and food in the same day.
So anyhow I was speaking to my other rep and I said we have two people running for lieutenant governor on the Republican ticket.
I said one of those guys claims he didn’t vote for Donald Trump and supports Joe Biden.
I said the second issue is he claims in these speeches he knows all of the Republican values and he supports them.
So I asked do we support the slaughter of The unborn now because I thought everybody was marching in Montpelier a while back to prevent it and the leaders of our Republican party were up there fighting like hell asking everyone to show up in March against this atrocity taking place not only in Vermont but across America…
He said of course we don’t support abortion Republicans are against it.
So I asked him at that point if that’s true why don’t I see on all of the Republican pages I belong to anyone denouncing Joe Benning and supporting Gregory Thayer who is totally opposed to abortion and who has been crisscrossing the state of Vermont speaking out about critical race theory and the destruction the educational system is doing in the state of Vermont.
I asked aren’t we supporting Greg Thayer for lieutenant governor since he completely represents what Republicans stand for.
I was told that the authorities in the Republican party have decided that they are backing Joe Benning for lieutenant governor
I said does anyone in our party understand why we can’t get people to go to the polls to vote?
And he asked is it because you think we don’t have enough candidates what do you think it is…
I said people are sick of voting for the candidates that are destroying us and Joe Benning is a prime example of that.
I said he’s a rhino to our party and not only that we have a wonderful gentleman in Greg Thayer that we could be promoting and voting for.
His words were I don’t know what to tell you..
And I said I wish I had answers to everything but I’m on many pages talking to many people and Republicans are sick of having these liars and traitors cramed down our throats.
I said the Republican party gives us no incentive to vote for anybody because they always seem to be in hiding with the candidates they promote and expect to cram them down our throats thinking we will vote for them…
I don’t know about anyone else in the state of Vermont but I am sick of rinos and I’m sick of re-electing them…
I don’t think we’re saving our butts at all I think we’re selling ourselves out when we do that.
I just hope everyone opens their eyes and in this primary it’s not real hard to tell who’s lying to us and who’s a rino.
And we have a gentleman Greg Thayer that’s truly worthy of our votes and he has some good ideas that can be tossed around in my failure to save us some tax dollars and make us safer and start to get our kids and education instead of an indoctrination and our public schools.
I’m going to encourage everyone to show up and vote because there are some candidates worthy of our vote on the others I suggest you leave them blank.
I’m always ready to listen and open to everybody else’s opinions but I’m not ready to sell our state out to a bunch of indignant people who have no respect for the voting public.
This is really a display of folks who aim to “represent” their fellow citizens vs folks who want to “rule” us with their own agendas.
Well, at least one of these candidates ” Gregory Thayer ” has some common sense
and what’s needed in the state. The other candidate ” Zuckerman ” not so much !!
Wake up, people………….. it’s your tax dollars being flushed away on nonsense.
Responsible thinking vs. ideology, what a choice. and to think people keep supporting a higher cost of living.