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"does it really make a difference??"

No, and that's the point. Terje Anderson has already expressed it eloquently enough: Salmon was voted in two years along with the rest of the 2006 tidal wave of Democrats simply because of the (D) after his name (even then, I couldn't fathom how he beat Randy Brock, who was doing a perfectly fine job); he still has no real shot at the governor's office next year and may have just junked his chances at re-election to his current office.

People voted for him in 2006 for two reasons, and two reasons only:

1. He's a Democrat in Vermont.

2. His last name is Salmon.

No one ran against him in 2008 for one reason only:

1. He was overseas and no one wanted to run against someone Serving His Country.

In 2010, he'll no longer be a Democrat, he'll no longer be overseas, and to many of the Democratic faithful who voted for the name "Salmon"... his new name will likely be "Mud".

I suspect Mr. Salmon will really come to regret this hasty, ill-informed, and purely politically selfish decision. What then?
-- Posted by That Guy on Tue, Sep 8, 2009, 3:12 pm EST

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does it really make a difference??
-- Posted by None None on Tue, Sep 8, 2009, 2:55 pm EST

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Moderate Democrats and Independents should follow suit on the Democratic party which has abandoned them. Hey folks, when 50% of the democrats in the house vote 0% of the time in favor of the tax payer and small business owner, it is time to jump ship. The Democrats aren't even Democrats in this State, they so far left they crossed over the ditch and are in the other pasture. At least the Republicans are watching out for your pocketbook. Good luck and wise choice Mr. Salmon.
-- Posted by Back Nine on Tue, Sep 8, 2009, 2:46 pm EST

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It would be hard to point to any single significant accomplishment little Tommy Junior has made in the 3 1/2 years he has been Auditor. He just barely ousted the Republican incumbent in 2006 because of his father's name and Democratic voters who only voted for him because of party loyalty. He was re-elected with no real opposition in 2008 (when, to his great credit, he was absent for the campaign while he was serving his country overseas, something we all can respect regards of politics).

As Auditor, he has been a real lightweight in terms of policy. His ego took a beating this spring when his self-serving attempt to "negotiate" between the legislature and the governor's office was rebuffed. So he decided make an opportunistic jump to the Republican party because he knew there was no realistic chance for him to ever get elected Governor as a Democrat.

I hope he is comfortable with his new right wing allies -- he may be surprised to find out that the true believers on the Republican side won't totally embrace him unless he passes a lot of litmus tests on a bunch of divisive issues, especially if he ends up trying to run for Governor or another higher office.

And he'll find out that all those voters who checked the box for him in 2006 just because he was the Democratic candidate with a familiar name will have very little interest in supporting him when he runs for any office as a Republican whose claim to fame (beyond daddy's name) is siding with an increasingly unpopular Republican governor in union-bashing and cutting essential public services while not asking the rich to make any sacrifices.

While Republicans may be celebrating today, what we're really witnessing is the end of what was once a promising political career, a career crashing on the rocks of ego and opportunism.
-- Posted by Terje Anderson on Tue, Sep 8, 2009, 2:35 pm EST

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What's to spin? He wants to be governor, so he took the easiest route there, principles be damned.

When he loses in the primary next year -- and he will -- will he slither right back to the winning side? Are you ready to watch him do it?

He's just as unprincipled a Democrat-turned-Republican as you right-wingers considered that Republican-turned-Democrat traitor Arlen Spector to be.

Right?
-- Posted by That Guy on Tue, Sep 8, 2009, 1:49 pm EST

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I'm not a "lefty" (I bat right and throw right) but I'll tell you how I spin it. Tom Salmon wants to run for governor. All of a sudden there is an opening for a Republican in this slot so all of a sudden he decides that he is a Republican. How's that for commitment?
-- Posted by Michael in Vermont on Tue, Sep 8, 2009, 1:07 pm EST

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Well, well... welcome Tom Salmon!

Oh how will the lefties spin this one... son of a favored former democratic governor and all. Can't wait!
-- Posted by Allen Kuusela on Tue, Sep 8, 2009, 12:42 pm EST

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