Re: Re: Jeffords flip

[hopfgapr@sprynet.com]

I think the main arguement about Jeffords is that he just got re-eleceted in Fall 2000 running as a Republican, and any Vermonters that might be upset about that cannot "weigh in" with a vote until 2006.

What changed so dramatically in Jefford's mind in 5 months to make this switch? 

The honest thing to do would have been to make the switch PRIOR to Election day last fall.

I think this is simply about grabbing a Chairmanship (getting 'dissed' by the GOP for a chairmanship), and 'Rolling the Dice' that the Senate will stay in Dem Control even after the 2002 election (an observation made by most pundits...that the Dems would control the Senate in 2002 anyway)

Jeffords saw an opportunity and grabbed it, no mre, no less.

-Paul Hopfgarten
-Derry NH
David Tomm <Nostatic@earthlink.net> wrote:
> It is a big story, and the reaction is typical.  Severin is whining about
how all Democrats are Communists--he hasn't been tackling the major
points of Jeffords beef with the Republicans.  Instead he's just had
callers on calling Jeffords a traitor, a turncoat etc. Really highbrow
and enlightening....

Howie has been slightly better, but not much.  He has a Vermont affiliate
so he's put on a lot of Green Mountain State callers, but it's just more
typical bashing. He has been discussing some of the finer points of the
story but not in too much detail.  I guess it gets in the way of all that
namecalling.

I work evenings so I haven't been able to check in with Brundoy or
Ingraham to get their take on the issue.  My guess is that Bruds is
running with it and is discussing some of the finer points of the story,
particularly with the effect Jeffords decision will have on the Senate.

To this point I've heard no one talk about why Jeffords made the decision
he did and what involvement the Republican Party leadership may have had
in his decision to leave the party.  Luckily I don't get my current
events information from these bottom feeding, highly partisan, ajenda
pushing sources.

Bill O'Neill wrote:

> Did I suggest that callers to talk radio programs were representative
> of the general populace?
>
> So, how IS the story playing out on talk radio in town?  (Hosts as
> well as respondents.)