(Host) Dean supporters in Brattleboro got a double dose of campaign politics Wednesday night. Burlington Mayor Peter Clavelle was the guest speaker at a Howard Dean “Meet-up” in the southern Vermont town. The seven-term Progressive – who also ran as a Democrat in his last election – is seeking the Democratic nomination for governor.
The monthly Brattleboro gathering is one of many so-called Meet-ups organized through the Internet to occur simultaneously around the country. The purpose of Wednesday’s meeting was to organize volunteers to canvas for Dean in New Hampshire.
The Dean campaign plans to send five busloads of Vermonters to the Granite State every Saturday until the primary. Meet-Up organizer Franz Reichsman credited Clavelle with drawing a larger-than-normal turnout.
(Reichsman) “I think Democrats are very curious about him. He’s in a unique position in Vermont politics right now. Other people are also talking about how to bring the Democrats and Progressives closer together on electoral issues. So it’s an exciting period in Vermont politics and I think that’s reflected in the extra turnout that we had here tonight.”
(Host) Clavelle focused his formal remarks on Dean but answered questions afterwards about his own campaign. Someone asked if he was testing the political waters in Southern Vermont.
(Clavelle) “I’m not testing the waters. I’ve dived into the waters. I am committed to running and you will be seeing a lot of me down here.”
(Host) Clavelle said that although he’s running as a Democrat his politics are “small P” progressive.