Posted on 09/08/2009 9:56:36 AM PDT by LdSentinal
MONTPELIER — Democratic Vermont Auditor Tom Salmon is switching parties to the GOP.
Salmon announced his plans today, saying he is frustrated with the Democrats’ handling of the budget, and says the party has moved too far to the left.
Salmon says he plans to run for auditor next year, but says if Republican Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie does not run for governor, there’s a very slim chance he might.
Salmon says he’s been considering switching parties for some time and says the Republican party is the closest to accepting the realities of the times. He says when he returned from deployment in Iraq, he witnessed a budget process rife with deficiencies and dysfunction.
well that sounds like a good sign
if there is Dem to GOP party switching in VT or all places can the rest of the nation be far behind?
I was thinking the same thing — Vermont. Have a hunch we are going to be seeing this with the Blue Dogs next.
Wow ... honor in an elected official?
He is announcing his intention to change parties, and intends to run in next year’s election as a Republican? I’m pleasantly surprised.
I believe in a little thing called ‘honor’. If you run with Party’s support, be it Repub or Dem.; you have an obligation to that party. To switch parties after elections is to ‘steal’ votes from people who support the party you were sponsored by. I don’t care which way you flip-flop; there is no honor in deception.
This man sounds like an honorable man; which is very rare.
There must be a mistake. VERMONT???
I thought the GOP had been banned there?!
I think Vermont has been infected with NY and Mass residents moving in. Remember, Vermont was the ONLY state to vote against FDR in each of his 4 elections. One of the Senate seats had been in Republican hands since before Lincoln until a few years ago.
“Tom Salmon is switching parties...”
Tom Salmon? Sounds fishy. Must be a Pisces, probably working for scale.
Is he for real, or is he a RINO?
“...and says the party has moved too far to the left.”
Just now figured that out, did he?
- JP
I think the key to that might be in this:
He says when he returned from deployment in Iraq...
Being in a war zone, I imagine, can clarify your vision on what is fundamentally important in life.
I dunno about that. When you vote, you vote for a person, not a party.
A Republican in Vermont will still be further to the left than, say, a Democrat from a Red district in Oklahoma. The ‘Pub label sounds nice, but we’re still talking about Ben & Jerry land...
Very interesting. Vermont? Amazing.
I think when wealthy libs see their money or trust funds slipping away - they may be getting more conservative.
hey, they do have some of the most relaxed gun laws in the USA!
In one sense I'm glad to hear it, but we need to be careful that this type of thing doesn't end up diluting GOP conservatism even further and pushing the party to the Left even more.
Tom...? Tom Kavet...?
Are you paying attention?
Not a trend, but this is something that happened a bunch in 1993-94.
yep i remember a few Senators who switched - Be Knighthorse Campbell for one. i do hope that this is the beginning of a trend for the next two years. Doubtful i know but dare to dream
Phil Gramm did the same thing when he switched from Dim to GOP when he was in the House. Ran as a ‘pubbie in a Special Election, and won.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.