Sunday's debate a success, according to campaign leaders

Gov. Jim Douglas (R-Middlebury), House Speaker Gaye Symington (D-Jericho) and Anthony Pollina (I-Middlesex) squared off in their first gubernatorial debate yesterday evening in Waitsfield, sparing over environmental issues and food policy for over an hour.

The three major candidates presented their positions and defended their records on everything from fuel to the food they had eaten that day.

The debate, which was originally to be held on the lawn, had to be moved underneath a covered pavilion due to a torrential downpour, only to be held up once more as a state trooper physically removed Liberty Union gubernatorial candidate Peter Diamondstone from the stage. Diamondstone was protesting the decision to leave him out of the debate.

After the scuffle, the candidates discussed the topics of high housing costs, the deteriorating Vermont Yankee, and farming policy for the next hour and a half, then mixed and mingled with voters at an informal gathering.

Leaders from all three campaigns felt the event was universally positive and an effective forum to spread their respective messages, as well as an opportunity to establish themselves as the choice to be the Green Mountain State's governor.

However, Dennise Casey, Douglas' campaign manager, told PolitickerVT.com that what was "most-telling about the debate was that neither of the governor's two challengers could distinguish themselves from one another," citing the fact that both Symington and Pollina supported past initiatives that would raise taxes.

The Symington campaign's communication director Michael Carrese said that the "sharp differences" between the House Speaker and the incumbent were made clear to the audience, specifically noting the governor's lack of leadership dealing with Vermont Yankee and breaking constituents' dependence on oil.

Pollina's campaign manager Meg Brook was extremely pleased with the audience's reaction to her candidate, and said that many people who were at first Symington supporters switched to Pollina.

The campaign leaders were also pleased with the opportunity the debate presented for Vermonters to get to know the candidates and their positions.

Said Carrese of the politicians' accessibility: "There are no rope lines in Vermont."