One Door Closes, Many Others Open  
By Rob Roper

The Vermont Republican Party can't find enough words to thank Governor Jim Douglas for his lifetime of service to the state of Vermont and to the VT GOP. It is with both understanding and sadness that we learned of his decision not to seek a fifth term as Governor of the State of Vermont. We understand because anyone who has been working in public service since 1972 - and nobody works harder than Jim Douglas -- has put in his time and earned a break.

While we will certainly miss having Governor Douglas' at the top our ticket, we are by nature an optimistic Party. We look forward not backward, and we see the opportunities that lie before us. Consider the following:

1) Governor Douglas will be handing the baton to his successor in a non-presidential election year that, if trends and poll numbers continue as they are, will be devastating for Democrats. In other words, this is the best possible timing, the best possible environment, and the best opportunity Republicans could possibly ask for to maintain the Governorship for the long term.

2) This makes an already messy Democrat primary an absolute free-for-all. Even before the Governor's announcement, the race had opened up two senate seats (Racine and Bartlett) and the Secretary of State's office (Markowitz). Now it looks like Peter Shumlin will jump in, opening up another senate seat, and we haven't even touched on the likely stampede of Ds who will now vacate positions for a crack at the Lieutenant Governor's race. Republicans can count on a target-rich environment for winning back house and senate seats.

3) The Governor's announcement has energized, well, everybody! If anyone was apathetic toward state and local politics a week ago (and that's not a very big 'if'), they're not now. This means that we will be going into our Party reorganization and candidate recruitment process with peak interest and high level of enthusiasm from our grassroots.

Governor Douglas has carried quite a bit of weight on his shoulders for a quite long time. It's up to us to pick up that weight and start running with it. I think what we will find is that many hands will do light work, and 2010 will be a good year for Vermont Republicans.

Rob Roper is the Chairman of the Vermont Republican Party

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