Amid Kavanaugh circus, social media also filled with resignations, endorsements, peacemaking and more

/ September 27, 2018

In a wild week dominated by such Twitter-rant hashtags as #KavanaughHearings and #MeToo, social media junkies in Vermont were able to follow other important happenings closer to home.

Bennington Rep. Kiah Morris continued her retreat from public office on Tuesday by announcing her immediate resignation, which she shared on Twitter and Facebook.

On Aug. 24, the Vermont House’s only African-American lawmaker said on Facebook she would not continue her race for re-election due to political discourse where “social media has been divisive, inflammatory and at times, even dangerous.” Despite saying at the time, “I will finish out my term and pass on the mantle at the end of this year,” Morris resigned this week, citing family health issues and “continued harassment.”

Democrats’ A-team

The Vermont Democrats tweeted a statement announcing official party endorsements for this November’s general election.

The endorsements are as follows:

United States Senator: Bernie Sanders
United States Representative: Peter Welch
Governor: Christine Hallquist
Lieutenant Governor: David Zuckerman
Treasurer: Beth Pearce
Secretary of State: Jim Condos
Auditor: Doug Hoffer
Attorney General: TJ Donovan

Sanders is quoted as saying, “When we stand together, our state can lead the fight to guarantee health care for all, paid sick and family leave, living wages, and a clean environment. When Vermonters make their voice heard and vote, there is no limit to what we can accomplish.”

Vermont Democratic Party Chair Terje Anderson said, “I’m so excited to be working every day to elect this tremendous slate of Democratic candidates. Together, we are shaping the future of our state for generations to come.”

Early education

Let’s Grow Kids posted statements by various state leaders indicating their positions for or against expanding early childhood education. Several responded — all in favor of expanding pre-K programs.

In his response, Gov. Phil Scott praised state-run pre-K education: “Many families will have to choose between careers and child care,” he wrote. “No parent should have to make that choice and that is why I will continue to focus on investments in this area.”

State Treasurer Beth Pearce, in her response, cited a study by the Vermont Business Roundtable that Vermont gets $3.08 in return for every dollar invested in early education programs for ages 1-to-5.

No politicians opposed the program, even though a 2010 Head Start Impact Study of 5,000 students released by the U.S. Agency for Health & Human Services found that the advantages gained from the taxpayer-funded program “yielded only a few statistically significant differences in outcomes at the end of first grade.”

Public relations

Republican candidate for lieutenant governor Don Turner shared his first TV ad, which plays up his willingness to work across party lines but also advance Republican values where necessary. Turner is running against incumbent Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman, a Progressive and Democrat.

“I’ve always looked to the other party looking for common ground,” he says in the ad. “But I also stand my ground when it comes to spending. I’d like to keep working for you to lower your cost of living.”

The video shows a picture of Turner sitting with House Majority Leader Mitzi Johnson, D-South Hero, his Democrat counterpart. The two can frequently be seen hammering out party disagreements during breaks in the House chamber.

Regretful tweets

Democrats continue to look to capitalize on an alleged social media gaffe by GOP party leader Chet Greenwood. Greenwood neither admitted nor denied tweeting the comment, “I think Christine was having a sexual fantasy,” an apparent reference to Christine Blasey Ford, Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s main accuser.

Greenwood claims he can’t remember posting the tweet, but he is not necessarily denying it.

The chairman is not the only public figure to land in hot water over a tweet. Burlington Free Press executive editor Denis Finley was fired earlier this year for a tweet that poked fun at the notion of having a third gender option available for the driver’s license application.

Firestarter

Numerous posts highlighted that Tuesday was National Voter Registration Day. Young Democrats of America posted a provocative and inflammatory ad insinuating that only angry, old, white people vote conservative, and that it’s up to young people to come out and represent the left.

One older white male in the video states; “Tax cuts for the rich, hell yea. I’m rich as f—.”

Another older lady says; “Climate change? That’s a you problem, I’ll be dead soon.”

Near the end, another guy says; “We’ll be there, but you won’t.” He is referencing to the perceived lack of voter turnout among young people.

The notion that young people lean left politically is a common assumption, but the upcoming “Generation Z” cohort is predicted by some analysts to be much more conservative.

Peacemaker Phil

Meanwhile, Gov. Phil Scott did his best to de-escalate political tensions via the following post about why Vermonters need to cool off the hurtful political rhetoric and start being more civil to each other.

The political discourse in Vermont has gotten so tense that one community leader, Asher Crispe, has taken the initiative to get non-like-minded people in the same room to practice political discourse in a civil manner.

Michael Bielawski is a reporter for True North Reports. Send him news tips at bielawski82@yahoo.com and follow him on Twitter @TrueNorthMikeB.

Image courtesy of U.S. Congress

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6 thoughts on “Amid Kavanaugh circus, social media also filled with resignations, endorsements, peacemaking and more”

  1. I haven’t voted for a Democrat in this state since 1973, It is becoming more apparent everyday why I made the right choice.

  2. United States Senator: Bernie Sanders
    United States Representative: Peter Welch
    Governor: Christine Hallquist
    Lieutenant Governor: David Zuckerman
    Treasurer: Beth Pearce
    Secretary of State: Jim Condos
    Auditor: Doug Hoffer
    Attorney General: TJ Donovan

    It’s thoughtful for the Vermont Commiecrat party to provide a list of candidates to vote against as a public service.

  3. Leahy is a disgrace to his position of representing Vermont and I hope my fellow Patriotic Americans understand he doesn’t represent all Vermonters not even close. I denounce his abhorrent statements and disrespectful attitude in his questions to the Honorable Judge Kavanaugh. Leahy is apart of our corrupted Govt Bureaucrat problem hes extremely unprofessiobal and what I saw earlier in Leahy he doesnt care about anyone but his money and power hes an immature radical leftist anti Constitution anti American hypocrite liar. What a disgraceful farce the left has made our Country look like. Thank you Senator Graham for your backbone towards these snakes.

    • Couldn’t have said it better myself. What the democrats did to judge Kavanaugh was an embarrassment to our State and this nation. Our enemies are enjoying this and our allies must be in disbelief. So shameful as to what they did to this man and his family.

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