I finally get an opponent

I finally get an opponent, and it still looks like only Mountain Times, Bennington Banner, and Brattleboro Reformer have picked up on the news that I am in the race.  At least that's what the web searches suggest.  The news release went to a couple of dozen email addresses at Vermont news organizations.

The governor's website hasn't changed since 2020, so there is nothing to critique. It's a smart strategy for an incumbent, as is the prefiguring of the media coverage. He started with some tweets about how he never runs a negative campaign. Sure, but he has people for that.

One way to try for a summertime snoozer of a campaign is to undermine other candidates before they even start. At the press conference on Tuesday, the governor again reassured reporters that he doesn't participate in the negative campaign and then said that he would debate opponents that he felt were "legitimate." The voters are no doubt appreciative to have a sitting governor decide who is and isn't a legitimate candidate. Does it put convenience ahead of democracy, though? Will he also feel like judging the legitimacy of election results? It's a long shot, but if he loses the primary, would he accept defeat?

If the governor doesn't want to campaign and doesn't want to debate, that's his decision, and voters may want to consider that an indication of his interest in holding the job. After six years, it must feel like it is time for a rest. 

As long as the media does its job and covers my campaign, then whether the governor takes the summer off or not affects all Vermonters equally, so I wouldn't complain about unequal treatment.