(Host) This year’s governor’s race offers a study in contrasts. Peter Shumlin, the Democratic candidate, is a veteran politician with a long record of legislative deal-making.
Republican Brian Dubie is more conservative in style and in his politics. He’s been lieutenant governor for almost eight years, but has had little role in setting policy.
As this grueling campaign enters its final two weeks, both candidates are trying to hone their images before voters cast their ballots.
In the first of two stories, VPR’s John Dillon has this look at Peter Shumlin, and how he may be trying to rein himself in.
(Dillon) The moment was classic Shumlin. And although it happened two years ago, similar issues have come up in this campaign.
A lobbyist for IBM – the state’s largest private employer – blasted Shumlin’s proposal to force Vermont Yankee to cover the full cost of its decommissioning.
John O’Kane, the IBM lobbyist, complained the bill would raise electric rates. Shumlin confronted him.
(O’Kane) "Money has time value, and you’re changing the time."
(Shumlin) "We are not asking for the money. You’re lying about that. We are not asking for the money. The bill says…"
(O’Kane) "Peter, that is.. You just called me a liar.."
(Shumlin) "I said you’re not telling the truth about that, John."
(Dillon) Shumlin later apologized. Still, it’s never good to alienate a huge player in the Vermont economy. And the incident was another reminder that Shumlin’s quick tongue can get him into trouble. Steve Kimbell recently retired as a Statehouse lobbyist. He’s watched Shumlin in action over the years.
(Kimbell) "It’s a great strength that he’s agile verbally. He can react quickly to almost any accusation, suggestion or proposal. But it can also be a great weakness because sometimes enough thought hasn’t gone into what he’s going to say before he says it."
(Dillon) Shumlin acknowledges that he can be too quick with a joke or a sharp remark. He blames it on his dyslexia, a learning disability he confronted in school. He says he compensated for his trouble with the written word by talking fast and often.
(Shumlin) "And I think the perception is that because of that compensation I’m slick. I’m not slick. I’m a country boy from Windham County."
(Dillon) And in his political ads and on the campaign trail, Shumlin appears to want to shape a less off-the-cuff, more deliberative image of himself. Commercials have showed him as a family man, and as a small business owner who knows how to meet a payroll.
(Mullin) "I think he’s trying to present himself as more of one of us, especially to the business community."
(Dillon) Rutland Republican Senator Kevin Mullin admires Shumlin’s political skill. But he doesn’t think Shumlin has vanquished the image of a slick politician.
As a legislative leader, Shumlin is used to making deals. But it’s the nature of political wrangling to leave some unsatisfied. Mullin recalls Shumlin backed out of a political promise on how to pay for a study of a cancer cluster in Rutland Town schools. Mullin says Shumlin assured him the funding mechanism was a done deal. In the end, Mullin says, Shumlin didn’t come through
(Mullin) "And afterwards he had the nerve to come up and put his arm around me in the hall and say, ‘I was with you as long as I could be.’ I think there’s probably a lot of those stories in the building. And it’s hard for people to forget that."
(Dillon) But another longtime lawmaker – who clashed with Shumlin over Vermont Yankee and other issues – disagrees. Dick Mazza is a moderate Democrat who represents Chittenden and Grand Isle counties.
(Mazza) "I believe that he’s really honest and sincere. In all times that I dealt with him, never once has he told me one thing and did another. He always told me exactly what he was going to do."
(Dillon) Mazza doesn’t see that Shumlin has changed his public image. Instead, Mazza says that Shumlin has honed his persuasive verbal skills. Mazza tells the story of a friend who was at home the night before the August primary, undecided about who to vote for.
(Mazza) "And he said, ‘Unbelievable! The phone rang. It’s Peter Shumlin.’ He said, ‘I didn’t know Peter Shumlin. And somehow he got my name, or whatever. And we started talking and he spent some time with me.’ And when he got off the phone, he said, ‘I voted for him today.’ I talk to a lot of people in my business here. And I don’t think anyone did not receive a phone call sometime from Peter Shumlin."
(Dillon) Steve Kimbell – the retired lobbyist – says Shumlin should be careful about remaking himself too much.
(Kimbell) "I do think he’s trying to appear more thoughtful. Ironically, that probably takes him away from his greatest strength, which is he can make politics relevant to the real world that most people under 40 live in – which is going really fast."
(Dillon) Kimbell says Shumlin is like a gifted pitcher. He can throw a 90 mile an hour fastball, but controlling the pitch is sometimes a challenge.
Shumlin is very accomplished at legislative hardball but now voters must decide if those skills are the right fit for the state’s chief executive.
For VPR News, I’m John Dillon.
(Host outro) This afternoon, we’ll look at Brian Dubie’s political image. Listen to All Things Considered starting at 4.