Opinion

Trumpelstiltskin

Once a lovely maiden made the mistake of making a deal with a big bad banker who was about to pull the rug out from under her poor dad. The desperate old man offered his daughter up to the banker as stopgap collateral, believing in her earnest entreaties, that she could indeed spin her way out of his mess.

The deal she agreed to was to build a wall across the southern border of the country, overnight. Sure it was a nutty concept, but she’d do anything to save her father. Then, as if out of nowhere an imp or elf-like creature appeared and offered to help. He was very specific in the details of the deal, as was his wont. “I’ll build your wall, and if you make love to me, I will forgo your debt. Otherwise I will take your firstborn as my own. There is a single caveat here, listen carefully, if you guess my name, all will be even-steven, and you’ll be free and clear with me.”

Primary Day is on in New Hampshire, and we have some winners. In Dixville Notch shortly after midnight, John Kasich got three votes, Donald Trump two votes, and Bernie Sanders got four.

Two other NH towns have midnight voting. Millsfield, gave it to Cruz (9 votes) and Clinton (2 votes, upsetting Sanders), and Hart’s Location chose Kasich and Sanders.

Which is to say, it is Tuesday now, it is snowy, and New Hampshire is going to the polls.

Early/absentee ballots for the Presidential Primary and Annual Town and Town School District election to be held on March 1, are now available in the Brattleboro town clerk’s office. Anyone wishing to vote prior to March 1, may apply for an early/absentee ballot until 5:00 p.m. on Monday, February 29.

Early/absentee ballots may be voted in person in the clerk’s office, mailed to the voter by the clerk’s office, picked up by the voter or delivered to the voter’s residence by two justices of the peace. All voted ballots must be received by the clerk before the polls close on election day in order to be counted. Early/absentee ballots remain sealed until election day. Absentee ballot envelopes are opened at the polling place and ballots are processed through vote tabulators in the same manner as those voted in person that day. For more information or to request an early/absentee ballot call 251-8157.

So, Iowa speaks. Clinton by a hair, and Trump loses to Cruz with Rubio nipping at his heels.

Vermont’s own Bernie Sanders had a good night, coming within less than half a percentage point with Clinton. Basically, a tie. As one commenter somewhere on the Internet pointed out – Sanders was foiled again by the 1%.

Huckabee, O’Malley, and probably a few others soon, will be bowing out of consideration.

On to our neighbors in New Hampshire.

Here’s the complete list of people registered with the Town Clerk in Brattleboro that will be on the ballot this March.

Dick DeGray, Avery Schwenk and David Gartenstein each hope to be elected to the two available one-year seats for Selectboard, indicating that we have an actual competitive race this year.

Kate O’Connor will run unopposed for a 3 year seat.

The volume of presidential campaigns is currently set at maximum, as campaigns scramble to shore up support prior to the nation’s first primaries and the slow descent into summer conventions. Things remain lively for those who like this show:

– Trump says Sarah Palin can have a position in his administration, if elected.

 – Sanders is now besting Clinton in NH by 27 points according to a CNN/WMUR poll.

– NBC is reporting that some of Clinton emails on her private server were designated Top Secret/Special Access.

Watch America’s last 4 presidents each announce that they’re bombing Iraq

Presidents George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and now Obama make their statements over
the span of two decades. 

I am appalled at the incalculable human costs of a demonstrably failed, bipartisan, interventionist foreign policy that has accomplished absolutely nothing for all of the 21st century.

BURLINGTON, Vt., Jan. 15 – U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today announced the winners of his annual State of the Union essay contest for Vermont high school students. Nearly 800 students, a record number, from 39 high schools participated in the contest this year.

A panel of five Vermont teachers served as volunteer judges and selected Meredith Holbrook, a senior at Milton High School, as the winner of the contest. In her essay, Holbrook focused on the need to address domestic economic issues, such as hunger, homelessness and strengthening Social Security in the United States.

BURLINGTON, Vt., Jan. 11 – With President Barack Obama set to deliver his State of the Union address tomorrow evening, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today announced 20 finalists in his annual State of the Union essay contest for Vermont high school students. A record number of Vermont high schools and students participated in Sanders’ contest this year.

This year, 799 students from 39 Vermont high schools wrote essays of 250 words to 500 words detailing their own view of the state of the union. That is a substantial increase from last year when 454 students from 27 schools wrote essays for the senator’s contest.

New polling from a show Sanders within a margin of error with Clinton in Iowa (45% to her 48%), and show him leading her in New Hampshire (50% to her 46%).

Sanders beats or ties the top Republicans in those states. He beats Trump and Cruz by 19 points in New Hampshire.

Clinton would trail Cruz or Rubio in New Hampshire, but would beat Trump in either NH or Iowa. She does least well against Rubio, losing by 12 points.

Cruz beats Trump by a small margin in Iowa. Rubio and Carson are competing for third place there.

Trump beats Cruz in NH.

Gary Johnson has announced his intention of running for the office of President of the United States.

“I do believe that crony capitalism is alive and well. It’s Democrats and Republicans that contribute to that. I’d like to be that choice that is not going to succumb to that.”