The extreme imbalance in the Legislature has led the entire caucus of Democrats reaching further and further away for the central functions of government to pursue novelty when what Vermonters truly want is reliability in these uncertain times.
On Friday the Republican State Legislative Committee, the national party organ that deals with state legislative races, announced that a party switch by Louisiana State Rep. Francis Thompson gave the GOP its 24th legislative supermajority.
Part of the reason that Republicans make better coalition builders is because while Democrats preach diversity, it’s actually Republicans who have the more independent-minded legislators and policy advocates. That is the benefit of a big tent that has ideological diversity.
It seems that the “loyalty” that has held their party together is beginning to fray. And this is giving Republicans an opportunity to earn small wins despite a deck stacked against them.
Democrats are now proving that even in the quaint settings of our beloved Green Mountains, the sense of entitlement to power is leading them to abuse the supermajority entrusted to them merely because they are feeling threatened by the minority of the Vermont Progressive Party.
The Democrat Party seems to be bent on further tumult beyond justification. But that’s part of their brand; you can always count on Democrat lawmakers to meddle and complicate something that used to be so simple.
In the upcoming legislative session, House Republicans will have just 38 representatives to oppose a slew of progressive policies planned by Vermont’s majority Democrats. This presents an extraordinary challenge for state Rep. Pattie McCoy, R-Poultney, the House minority leader.
The left has done a fantastic job of convincing Vermonters that the GOP is the party of the wealthy and doesn’t care about others, even though the opposite is the case. That image has to be changed in people’s minds. That is key now to reversing the trend.
VTGOP leaders must recognize the largest voting block in Vermont is not Republicans or Democrats or Progressives. It is those who consider themselves independents. If VTGOP leaders move to rigid right-wing idealogues for comfort, we lose that block.
Republicans are faced with a community that doesn’t trust us. Everything they have heard about us is negative. Most of what they hear has been false. But here we are. The only way I know to change people’s impressions is to roll up your sleeves and engage.
Speaking for myself, and not necessarily for the party as a whole, I want to take this opportunity to repeat what I have been saying during my entire term as chairman; I believe that Donald Trump is part of the past, and I want to focus on the future.
It’s been a difficult week for Republicans. Expectations were high for many across the country, and they didn’t materialize. So what happened? Well, I will admit that I have a lot more questions than answers.