Read Bakke's book called "The Grid" and you will understand how messed up it is. That will bring civilization down and it's what the terrorists and hackers go after. ATMs, drinking fountains, gas pumps, cellphones, etc. won't work when there's no energy! People will just scream and kill each other. This person, regardless of what sex she is, is onto something, too. I was in Vermont and they were very proud of how cold it was in the little schoolhouse out in the countryside. Living in the Dream. I also lived in SFO for awhile and used to drive across the Richmond Bridge and look down at the huge boats coming up the Bay and offloading their cargos of oil from who knows where. "Protected" by only a chain link fence. How stupid can these people be? All for money. Let's do it now with computers! They're just wonderful! Paper and pen and sliderule? Those are so old school (as they like to say).
1
I wish this article provided more information regarding Ms. Hallquist's views on the electric grid. I read this article hoping to hear these views. I was greatly disappointed.
1
It's refreshing to see a candidate who would want to understand something before blindly follow party politics. And, our power grid is important.
At what point do we consider the sexuality of the candidate? I don't expect to be involved in any activities related to that with anyone in government; no reason to care.
1
"nuns at school beat her and recommended her parents treat her nonconformity with an exorcism." How horrific. Her story rings true. As a child in a Catholic grade school, I witnessed similar beatings. More powe and victory r to Ms. Hallquist.
3
“We can grow the hell out of this rural economy if we connect every home and business to fiber optic cable” - absolutely agree. Here in Montpelier, the state capital, there is no residential fiber internet - and I suspect prohibitively expensive commercial options. Many of us are working from home and are subject to monopolistic (old coaxial) cable package options with pitiful upstream bandwidth. It just makes this town unattractive for startups and work-at-home professionals. Otherwise, it's lovely here. Go Christine!
2
If you have not seen the excellent documentary about Christine's transition and her views on the grid, see "Denial" from 2014 by Derek Hallquist. It is an amazing film. Go Christine!
1
Both VT candidates for governor sound much better than the choices we have in neighboring NY State. Best of luck Christine!
3
Why mention she was "walking by the treatment center" it potentially infers she was visiting there and including careless (un)intentional inferences like that in your story could be used to try and torpedo her candidacy. The quote would read the unimpeachable source was the NYT.
Would you have included that bit of info if she was cis amab and not a trans person like me?
2
He. If journalist can't get that straight then what other physical truths are being ignored in the interest of PC?
2
This is inspirational. Someone going into politics for seemingly all the right reasons. Wish I could vote in Vermont.
I did send a contribution. A little goes a long way in Vermont. Please do the same!
christineforvermont.com
5
Speaking as VT resident who voted Democrat in every election from 1992 through to and including 2012, Hallquist is free to demean F-35 opposition as "extremely progressive" or the "thought police."
Reality is, whether it was disastrous former Democratic Party Governor Peter Shumlin; or Senator Patrick Leahy and his dirty deal to force F-35 basing in VT's most densely populated area (regardless of Air Force's own rating criteria, see Boston Globe's article by Bryan Bender); or Christine Hallquist's strong support for F-35 now, current iteration of VT Democratic Party has repeatedly put military Keynesianism of Lockheed's budget-busting F-35 fighter jet ahead of health and home values of VT's most vulnerable residents. 3 other candidates in gubernatorial primary opposed F-35 but plurality chose Hallquist, the pro-F-35 "Chamber of Commerce" Democrat. So conclusion of anyone watching is VT Democrats favor F-35's "not suitable for residential use zone" that threatens thousands, including immigrant refugees; working poor; elderly; veterans and long-time VT residents. Democrats are in favor of F-35's flight path directly over public K-12 schools; places of worship; and child care facilities smack dab in the core of VT most densely populated area.
When Democrats serve up intervention-first, regime change hawks like Hillary Clinton; or F-35 fighter jet enthusiasts like Hallquist, don't be surprised when voters shrug their shoulders and turn away from the party.
2
I hope she wins.
5
this is a distraction - governance systems in this country and world are failing massively and the times can't seem to grasp it, or put it together. if robber baron inequality isn't enough, try environmental collapse. expecting a traditional democrat to win the next election is as unlikely as that for a traditional gop candidate. time to back serious change or this ships gonna flip...and yes, you should be nervous.
1
Reading this and remembering my father...a polite, open-minded New England Democrat. Years ago, Dukakis left Boston to campaign for the WH. Reading The Globe at the table my dad was thrilled. "Well that's good. That'll put Evelyn Murphy in charge of the State House; she should have been governor to begin with." I heard it that morning at 19 years old: gender, sexual preference, ethnicity aside, shouldn't we endorse the most qualified individual on the ticket?
6
Regardless if her ideas and fortitude will carry the day – she's got guts - putting herself out there like this. Even without her background, not many of us are willing to do that. For that alone she's got my respect.
3
She sounds smart and grounded to me. I didn't see it in the article, but is she pro nuclear power?
4
The headline says Christine Hallquist wants to talk about the power grid but there's only one paragraph about it! As someone who spent most of their career working for an electric utility, I think there is much to talk about. I see her gender status as meta - I am happy to have someone with broader, and deeper, life experience, on the ballot, but let's listen to what else she has to say.
8
Glad to see a candidate who wants to discuss issues especially an infrastructure issue.
6
Quaff this shot of wry Vermont humor, "You can't get there from here!"
The Left has one impulse—petal to the metal. It can only want everything at once, and yesterday. I believe the United States is under existential treat; by which I mean, a treat distinct and rare enough that it can't be fixed by voting. In response, as a nation, we are, simply put, silly.
Dead right or liberal to extinction?
3
New York Times, with climate change in dire straits as reported this week: please follow up on the many, many requests in these comments for a follow-up detailed energy story. The identity politics segment should be smaller and this candidate's abilities illustrated in greater detail for quality political journalism.
16
I was hoping the article was going to talk more about Christine's plan for the power grid, but alas the article still mainly talked about her gender identity. Maybe the author could do Christine a favor and let her talk about her plan for the power grid.
13
This makes me want to move to VT just so I could vote for Ms. Hallquist. Vermont and the good people who live there are exceptional in so many ways. The rest of the country lags behind them. It is the most European style state in the nation policy wise. North to the future! Godspeed.
8
Based on the title of this story, I was very interested in reading what Ms Hallquist had to say about the power grid. Unfortunately, I had to wade through paragraphs about her gender and its role in the election. What kind of politics is the New York Times playing here?
9
Thank you! - finally someone gets it -
Our electric grid is the heart beat of this Nation.
This country without electricity would be literally starving within a week - all food needs to be cooled-
No gas station pumps work? No gasoline
No computers? No money or communications
No water pumps? No drinking water
No electric boiler switches? No heat
And that’s the short list —-
12
Ms. Hallquist is a contender for governor because she is a spectacle. When that day comes that she is no longer a spectacle, the attention currently being paid her will vanish as well.
This is just another version of celebrity-spectacle politics; Americans are trying out different flavors because vanilla and chocolate don't work anymore. Cynthia Nixon, Jesse Ventura and the transgender candidate in Virginia- spectacles, the entire lot of them. They would not garner 100 votes if it were not for the novelty of their candidacy. More important, they are profoundly unqualified for the positions they seek.
6
All other considerations aside, it seems Ms Hallquist is an intelligent, thinking member of our species. That is what we should be looking for in a politician.
Given her backstory, I am confident she has the moxie to push on, despite the ignorant—although perhaps well-intended—"evangelistic" push-back she'll unfortunately—however undoubtedly—encounter along her way. Anyone who has managed to come out of adolescence and through adulthood as a transgender human understands adversity and has a natural affinity toward understanding and solving problems. Would that all of our politicians were so well-equipped to go into office, ready to commiserate with her constituents about issues and their difficulty being heard. That she includes important issues, such as the importance of the power grid, among her priorities says a lot about what she hopes to accomplish.
I wish I could think T-rump will avoid reacting to her campaign in his late-night/early-morning, hate-filled tweeted tirades; however, I fear he doesn’t have the discipline or the reserve to leave this one alone. That she is a transgender woman might cause him to think she's vulnerable and open to attack by him and his neo-nasty followers; he will see her transgenderism as an Achilles' heel, not as a trial by fire. I trust she knows that she has many fans and supporters wishing her god-speed.
I certainly wish her a successful campaign and consequent election to office.
2
What we don't need in Vermont is Democrats in control of state government like they were under Peter Shumlin (Gov, House, Senate). We need Phil Scott to counter balance the D's love affair with taxes and regulations.
2
@Alan Day
If one takes an unbiased look at different states with different approaches to government around the country, I at least find States with reasonable state taxes and common sense environmental regulations (including guns) you will find quality public schools, working infrastructure, clean water to drink and clean air to breath, very low crime and thriving local economies with a plan for the future.
In states who residents refuse to accept their responsibilities and elect "no taxes, and hell regulation politicians" have unfortunately found their states basically bankrupt with failing school systems, polluted public water systems and basically no new industry beyond what someone's family did in the "good old days". Basically a painful downhill road to nowhere.
I guess voters will have to make their own choices in November for what its in their personal best interest, for both themselves and their families.
As a progressive independent, Ms. Hallquist, is looking petty good to me - Vermont is lucky to have an intelligent and capable choice for their next governor.
2
Nice try, but Hallquist's experience bringing an energy company into profitability in no way matches up with your GOP-pablum story.
3
Seems to undercut Feminism now that people who grew up with male privilege can now claim the privileges of being a female too.
6
I lived in Vermont for decades, was born there and taught high school English. And right now I'd like to encourage all voters in Vermont to do the right thing: elect Christine Hallquist as your next governor. As a gay man, married to a man (who also lived decades in Vermont), I recall with fondness how daring Vermonters were to allow for gay marriage. Now Vermont can be another front-runner by electing this woman with great political ideas to lead the state just as I hope the voters in Georgia finally elect a woman, in their case a black one. We need to start taking back the statehouses. And hopefully the Congress--and, of course, the White House. Brava, Ms. Hallquist.
13
I don't believe in voting for someone based on gender or sexual identity.
Better to base your vote on more pragmatic attributes.
2
I hope Christine wins, but under no circumstances can we claim that this was a win by a woman. Christine has benefited from a lifetime of white male privilege, and that is a huge advantage over female candidates. I wish her victory, but please let's not pretend that her lifetime of privilege did not help her get to this place. That being said "Go, Christine!"
5
Way to undercut her there. But you threw in a “Go, Christine!”, so I guess that was supposed to take some of the sting out of your snark.
Look, no candidate is perfect. Ms. Hallquist lived part of her life as a man, this is true, but from what I can gather she never totally identified as one and she doesn’t totally identify as a woman now: she seems very upfront about the fact that she is a transgender woman. Your complaint about her benefiting from white male privilege really overlooks the fact that this particular white male, until transitioning, spent most of life hiding her true self, which is not something white males riding their wave of privilege typically tend to do. A transgender individual of any race is hardly a “privileged” person in your rain-on-Ms. Hallquist’s-parade definition of the term.
I don’t know what else to say except, for Vermonters, on Election Day it’s either Ms. Hallquist or Mr. Scott, a Republican guy whose popularity has apparently plummeted. They can elect a white man in whom they seem to have lost some faith or they can elect a transgender woman who thinks before she speaks, once ran a company, and is interested in improving rural Vermonters’ access to electricity. It’s up to them. Thankfully, it’s not up to you.
1
Anyone who has concerns about the fragility of our national power grid should read Ted Koppel's "Lights Out". It is an in depth investigation on the dangers we all would face if the grid were ever compromised.
5
I applaud Ms. Hallquist for insisting on being called transgendered.
I myself prefer to called Chinese or Chinese-American rather than Asian, especially since we are often lumped together, and that does not do any justice to the individual groups and their culture.
I also like that Ms. Hallquist's unique life experience gives her a broader perspective on life than most of us will ever have. On top of that, what she says makes a lot of sense. I like her independence.
7
Right on, Christine! As a vacation home owner in northern Vermont, I was delighted to see Christine come into the local bakery this summer, an everyday person. Power is a huge issue for us and many rural northern Vermonters who would be able to work at home, run small businesses, and just keep in touch more easily with cell phone and high speed internet connections. I wish I could vote for you!
16
Kudos to Ms. Hallquist: she sounds like a grounded, competent and excellent choice for governor. Best of luck to her.
15
Our current VT governor's popularity has decreased mainly because he supported mild gun control legislation. It's not clear that this will translate in to a benefit for Ms. Hallquist.
31
@Rick Our current governor also declined to work with the legislature when all three parties had put together a budget. Mr. Veto when it counts!
We might not all agree later with a Gov. Hallquist, but Vermont voters can know their concerns will have been heard and efforts made to find fair solutions. She is what everyone says they want in a politician, so it's time to step up.
Vote Hallquist on Nov. 6! Or now in early voting!
7
@Rick
I think it's declined, too, because of his refusal to give direct answers to tough questions. He's very short-sighted about the challenge of keeping young people in the state: his public education policy is detrimental, so how will that attract young families? Finally, his conflict of interests with Dubois Construction ("I'm just the bank," he said last week) is disturbing and dishonest.
I voted for Christine in early voting and hope other Vermonters will too. Here's why:
Christine listens. She has an Open door and open mind. 5 years as CEO of Vermont Electric Coop. She's a confident and inspiring leader.
She has extensive experience and expertise working with all levels of Vermont government. She knows the system.
Christine gets big things done on time and at low cost. She led Vermont Electric Coop out of debt to sound financial operation.
She will build a culture of cooperation that makes government work for all of us.
122
According to my Sunday school teaching mother, the soul doesn't have a sex. Christine Hallquist is a human being making a positive contribution in this life. I think that's what good souls are here to do.
27
Here's to Christine from a trans-sister wishing for success as Governor of Vermont.
13
She would like to talk more about the power grid and less about her change of gender, but this article, like the rest of them, does talk only about her gender change, not a word about her grid ideas, besides that she wants to string up fiber-optic cables with the powerlines. Sad for NYT.
34
Sad yes but not atypical for the NYT.
4
@ivo skoric, as someone who lives in Vermont, and who used to vote Democrat in every election until Peter Shumlin's reelection run vs Scott Milne in 2014, pro-environment Vermonters know full well what Hallquist's power grid plan is. It is the exact same as the disastrous Shumlin years, when Democrats had one-party control over Montpelier.
Like Shumlin, Hallquists supports the destruction of open space and natural resources protection zoning, to provide special fast-tracked exemptions to industrial energy developers and Democratic Party campaign donors like David Blittersdorf and Duane Peterson. Like Shumlin, Hallquist believes in the end of what was once a 40 year bipartisan commitment to protect the ridge lines, so out-of-state, multi-national wind developers can put gigantic wind towers in sensitive Arctic habitat to kill bats and birds. Like Shumlin, Hallquist does not support Act 250 land use planning for these initiatives; nor even his own party's zoning, as initiated under Governor Kunin's Act 200.
The current Democratic Party believes it is "pro-environment" if all it discusses is climate change, regardless of impact on open space, zoning, headwater, destruction of habitat and entire ecosystems, etc. Regardless of population growth.
In Vermont, at least, it is a strange and topsy-turvy world, but the reality is the Vermont GOP is actually more pro-environment than Vermont Democrats.
Not to mention, as article mentions, Hallquist's outrageous F35 support.
1
On the one hand it would be nice if there simply were no elephant in the room. On the other hand when I realized that one of the female characters on the new Star Trek show was named Michael and nobody was mentioning it at all (and why would they?) I felt the need to get this non-cis naming choice verified in case I was having some kind of dissociative impairment. It turns out that the impairment was one of age and cultural constructs and that the elephant in the room belongs entirely to me.
Me and my aging elephant are on our way out but in the time that remains please forgive me if I fail to adopt the gender neutral pronoun "hen." I'm too busy studying Klingon linguistics to bother with that nonsense.
7
Vermont is close by and I go there quite often. I love Vermont because most Vermonters reject the politics of division. They are Americans and feel the pain more than most. During my lifetime Vermont has gone from being the most Republican State in the Union to the most American. From Brattleboro and Bennington to the Northeast Kingdom and the Champlain Valley, Vermont has seen diversity take it from Mississippi North to one of the best educated and healthiest states in the Union.
Maybe it is Quebec on its Northern Border a province that has gone from the lowest taxed smallest government, poorest place and most conservative place north of Mexico to a rich dynamic and optimistic liberal democracy. Vermont is the rural outlier in the American mosaic.
Sherbrooke a city few Americans have ever heard of is only 40 minutes from the Vermont border yet has a population double that of Vermont's largest city and is booming as new Canadians from Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean arrive to fill only a small portion of people needed to fill its labour needs.
I don't know what to comment the USA is now our enemy as we are three month into our war between Canadian values and the conservative values of Saudi Arabia. The USA has chosen Saudi values. Christine Hallquist who would be reviled in Saudi Arabia and Red America would be just another Quebecer. We are America and you are becoming Saudi Arabia and the world already has one too many Saudi Arabias.
7
So proud of her, and so proud of Vermont. I hope she wins.
That being said, a Republican who has the guts to enact any regulation related to gun control can't be that bad.
Nonetheless: "Go Christine!"
16
@Eric
Exactly right, our current governor is not bad, and he was bold and courageous about guns (for a Republican that is, for anyone else it was just be called common sense), but still, not bold about anything else whatsoever. Little gets done in fact. Everything is mild and slow to the extreme and he does not work so well with other politicians. His overall thought and plan is no new taxes and nothing else. We need big ideas, innovation, bold thoughts, some movement, some shaking up, we need Christine.
3
“And by moving electricity production away from fossil fuel she believes ‘the electric grid could be the tool to solve climate change.’”
Bravo Ms. Hallquist - let the media make their conversation about whatever gets more pageviews. Make your conversation about what’s important for Vermonters, and the world.
The article doesn’t say how she proposes to move electricity production away from fossil fuel, but it’s a goal she’ll never achieve if she expects to do it with wind and solar. In Vermont. the sun only delivers 11% of solar panels’ capacity due to weather and latitude. Erecting wind turbines requires destruction of the state’s pristine mountain ridgelines, leaving Vermonters currently dependent on methane (“natural gas”) piped in from Canadian energy behemoth Gaz Metro.
The obvious answer is replacing it by recommissioning (win an “r”) 100% carbon-free Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant, closed in 2013 by a governor with ties to Gaz Metro itself. If that option isn’t first on the list of anyone’s solutions, she/he doesn’t know enough about grid electricity. Or climate change.
5
Power can be stored, battery like, by pumping water into a lake some elevation above the source.
I almost wish the author led with all the mini controversies he saved for the end. A member of a minority group who stands up to the bullying activists claiming to speak for the entire community is a huge rebuke to identity politics. It underscores Ms. Hallquist’s independence and pragmatism, qualities too many liberals have decided to reject.
6
@Mr. Grieves, Hallquist pretends to care about the marginalized and then does the exact opposite, marginalizing and smearing the opposition of the weakest, poorest, most vulnerable Vermonters subject to the F-35 fighter jet basing as "extreme progressives" and members of the "thought police." I was not aware that the working poor; working class; immigrant refugees; elderly; and veterans, living in the F-35's new "not suitable for residential use zone," and without access to the big money or law firms, are "bullying activists."
They are human beings whose sole and biggest asset is their home, and thanks to the callous disregard of the Vermont Democratic Party and their rabid support for Lockheed's budget-busting F-35 fighter, that asset is now in economic free-fall. Which happens to be very convenient for the Chamber of Commerce Democrats and real estate developer campaign donors who covet the land these homes sit on and forced rezoning of these neighborhoods to commercial from residential. Including Patrick Leahy's real estate developer cousin-in-law, Ernie Pomerleau.
This is today's Vermont Democratic Party and Hallquist's support for military Keynesianism uber alles, exposes them for what they are.
1
@Mr. Grieves, and, BTW, your point about the rise of identity politics among "liberals" and today's Democratic Party is very well-taken. However, it is not on point in this instance. It is quite the contrary.
Although I don't think most Vermonters care one way or another about Hallquist's identity (and are instead justifiably focused on her policies), in a way, Hallquist represents the continuing rise of identity politics in the Democratic Party to serve as a fig leaf or red herring to distract from the Democratic Party's complete fusion with the military-industrial complex and national security state. Whether it was Hillary's vote to authorize Iraq and then, with Obama, doubling down on the neo-con, regime change nonsense in Libya and Syria; or Obama's unfortunate continuation of Iraq & Afghanistan his entire 8 years, ending his presidency with shameful distinction of longest wartime president in US history, or Hallquist's F35 support, this is not Bobby Kennedy or Frank Church's Democratic Party anymore.
2
Vote for someone who knows STEM stuff and how to go about solving real problems in the real world? Too sensible.
9
i hope it is ok to compliment Headline and Photo -- both are so bold, confident, competent! Now, to the story.
5
Christine Hallquist's refusal to be dragged into the cauldron of identity politics is a breath of fresh air. Progressives sometimes are their own worst enemy. Consider the huge tactical blunder of the Obama administration's trans bathroom injunction right before the election.
Rest assured Hallquist will do her best for the trans community. More importantly to being elected and governing, she is highly qualified and kind. As a part-time VT resident, I fully support her pragmatic outlook. We need more problem solvers like Hallquist and fewer ideologues.
57
@DJ
"Christine Hallquist's refusal to be dragged into the cauldron of identity politics is a breath of fresh air."
To be clear, I don't favor discrimination. But someone who does around as the "first transgender candidate" is wearing identity politics on their sleeves.
4
I have been concerned about the power grid since storm Sandy. Access by hacking mail, bank accounts, private lives etc have become common, and our power grid is dangerously vulnerable to attack by any enemy. Why is this not a serious concern of the government? Without power, all transactions stop, stock markets, computers, pumping gas, heat, light,
medical emergencies....scarey and another ignored catastrophe in the making.
28
I would vote for her regardless of gender, it is her mind and her beliefs and character that make her great .. not her sex.
39
In a truly great America, the gender choice of the candidate would be a non-starter. I'll spend part of the day reading her issues stance. I am disappointed that the Times made gender the main topic of the story.
30
alas, like the recent hurricane devastation, it doesn't have to be pleasant, happy, or good news to be newsworthy.
one day the first-this, first-that novelty will be a relic of the past and no longer qualify as news. by then, we may be on to other issues, such as the first GMO candidate for dogcatcher.
until then, when the catchers bite the dogs, it's still news.
but the 43rd transgender nominee for an office will be no story at all.
4
@Tom
Except that gender is not a "choice".
4
@Greg thx for the reminder. :)
If she weren't transgender, she wouldn't be in the news.
The biggest problem in Vermont is the economy, which stinks. And it stinks because of a history of leftist inspired policies that have made it very difficult for businesses to proper, but the best place in the country to live if you require government assistance.
10
@Mr. Moderate
Ms. Hallquist is addressing those economic problems directly; certainly not one person on earth has simple solutions for those. Meanwhile, Vermonters are so far happy to share with their neighbors and refuse to sacrifice education and the environment--our futures--to short-term economic gain. It's more difficult that way, but it's better in the long run. Vermonters are hearty, practical folks not afraid to have Vision too. I'm sure you wish us well.
14
@Mr. Moderate If Trump wasn't a liar, cheat and horrible president, he wouldn't be in the news either. What is your point? People are in the news for all kinds of reasons. She has an interesting political agenda AND is breaking through a barrier for others who come after her. Do you understand the chemistry behind being trans?
11
@Mr. Moderate. Quite to the contrary, Vermont is doing well economically and it seems that has been the case through the ups and downs of the national economy over the years. Yes, like any state, there are areas that do well and areas that are always struggling. True for California, true for Texas, true for any state were the economy is strong. There are always areas where prosperity fails to ever materialize. As for leftist policies, the most economically vibrant parts of the USA are in states that have high taxes and a strong infrastructure (including great schools at all levels including higher education). If that is leftist, the whole country should follow suit. Believe it or not, companies that pay above average salaries want a highly educated population and a strong infrastructure. They can't get people to move to Nowhere Kansas with the enticements that the taxes are low and the government and population are right wing. No, people who make up a highly skilled and educated workforce want to live somewhere that has others who are highly educated, has a strong school system and a strong infrastructure. BTW, yes, being transgender gets her in the news but it's her ideas and work ethic that will get her elected. Once she is, people will forget about her gender and decide if they want to reelect her based on her record.
10
I'd vote for her, in a minute. But, really, she has little chance of winning in a general election.....because of her trans-gender 'status' and physical appearnce. Sad to say....
There, I said it :(
4
If that were true our president would be John Kerry. i might have agreed w you 20 years ago or even 10.
2
@DJS MD,JD I wouldn't be so sure. In Vermont this particular transgender Democrat has a very good chance to beat an unpopular Republican. Come visit us sometime.
11
@DJS MD,JD
So we don’t sit back and accept defeat for those reasons .
We teach our children and anyone else who has an open mind or even just a mind! That she-the person is running for office not she the female or male.
Her sex should not be the issue
Anyone’s sex should not be the issue.
Look at the calendar!!
What year is it?
1950what??
2018!! FGS everyone!!! get with the times!!
1
Weallwish: Her great successes! Good on her.
9
Will be voting happily for Christine and hope many other Vermonters will do the same. She is smart and fresh and brave and kind and I am confident she will do a good job.
What she did with the power company was so small thing. We need smart capable leaders who know a great many things about power grids and how to change up our state, and the world, through cleaner energy.
We have one astonishing power company here - Green Mountain Power - that is run so well in so many ways (customers and employees are all quite happy and well-tended to and much focus on clean energy) that I have often thought that the woman who runs that company should also think strongly about public service here in Vermont.
Forget Harvard and Yale - go run a flexible successful green power company for a decade!
138
@moosemaps
Don't wait, moosemaps! Vote for her early, as we all did!
Your neighbor in Fayston, a town bordering on yours.
8
@Old Mountain Man
I made a mistake. Fayston borders on Warren, where another comment maker lives. Apologies to both!
@moosemaps
that should of course read - no small thing!
1
I agree with Ms. Hallquist that clean power and high speed internet should be priorities for any government right now.
I hope she wins.
74
Christine is a great candidate. Her ideas and experience are perfect for the State of Vermont.
Scott is a minoritarian who has abused his power to attack Vermont's democracy repeatedly, vetoing three tri-partisan budgets just in the last year.
Vote Hallquist Vermonters!
42
I feel sorry for Ms. Hallquist. She may have a plethora of good ideas for Vermont, although I'm not so sure the electric grid makes the short list of pressing Vermont issues, but her gender transformation speaks louder than the issues she champions. The NYT does her no service either, focusing more on her personal life than her abilities and qualifications to administer the state of Vermont. She makes no comment or meaningful remarks about the state's number one problem, opioid addiction. Why?
9
@Kurt Pickard what information leads you to dismiss the power grid and talk about what Vermont's #1 problem must be?
The power grid in the entire northeast is a problem, and a particularly large problem in the Northeast Kingdom. Frequent storms, rugged terrain, and antiquated equipment lead to frequent and persistent outages. It makes it difficult for companies to locate there, even though many want to.
Hint: it is all related. A modern power grid and internet means JOBS. Improving the jobs situation in rural areas means alleviating the opioid problem.
40
@Kurt Pickard - Why do you feel sorry for her? I doubt she wants or needs your pity. She strikes me as competent and caring, and I'm sorry I'm not a Vermonter and can't vote for her. It's such a refreshing change to hear from someone who sounds intelligent, can string together complete sentences, is knowledgeable about topics, appears willing to learn, and is striding forward despite bigots, morons, and naysayers - and isn't giving them a voice in her political campaign. The Republican party could learn a thing or two from Christine Hallquist.
If Ms. Hallquist becomes governor, she will have to deal with Vermont's drug problem. But drugs have been impacting rural communities for a long time now, and nothing has been done to improve those communities. When communities are improved - when they have, say, consistent access to electrical power, for example - the specter and allure of drugs tends to decline. When we invest in our rural communities and their people, we help them. What is Trump doing for rural America again, besides lying that coal is going to come back?
33
@Lindsay K
"But drugs have been impacting rural communities for a long time now, and nothing has been done to improve those communities." So forget about the opioid epidemic and concentrate on keeping the lights on? You'd better rethink that one Lindsay.
Good Luck Ms. Hallquist, were I a Vermonter you'd have my vote.
33
A bright well educated person with a background in hard science.
I hope purity tests don't sink her campaign.
43
@mpound
There's a lot, actually. The Internet is a resource you can use to find it.
I was hoping to learn more about her energy proposal.
51
Engineering evolution: 1. Pick up the stick 2. Sharpen the stick. 3. Burn the stick. 4. Build with sticks. 5. Break the stick down to molecules and reassemble them into a different substance (nylon). 6. Break the atoms down and reassembled them (true alchemy) AND generate energy on the scale of e=mc2 in order to reverse climate destruction. I’ll sign onto her train when she endorses step 6.
1
Hey, NY Times, I would have liked to read more about her ideas on the electrical grid and less about her gender identity. We'll know we've truly made progress when we can do that.
129
Her ideas make me want to vote for her and that she calls herself a "transgendered woman" and not "a woman" makes me respect her. It is hard to grow up a woman as I'm sure it is hard to grow up trans. I didn't grow up trans and she didn't grow up identified as a woman so it shows respect to all those who did with the "transgendered woman" identifier. But mostly, I want to hear more about any idea that addresses climate change. We are past due and in the 11th hour.
66
@RCJCHC This story didn't quite do it the justice it deserves, but energy is (as noted here) her professional background, and the clean-energy/climate change challenge is a major point of interest and policy in her campaign.
5
Well said. Could not agree more.
4
Imagine a world where you really are judged by the content of your character... now vote for it! Best of luck Ms. Hallquist
37
This article reminds me of the Monty Python skit about the composer Harry "Two Sheds", who wanted to talk about his music but all the interviewer wanted to talk about was his two sheds.
55
It was actually Arthur "Two Sheds" Jackson. But I digress...
1
Two short paragraphs reference electric power. The rest is gender. Somewhat of a deceiving headline. We need to elect people that understand energy issues and the environment.
61
@ActionMan we need people who bother to read details - like the fact that Ms. Hallquist is the former CEO of Vermont Electric.
20
I hope she wins and maybe someday gender will be so insignificant, to who the candidate is, that it is not even mentioned.
20
Judging from the comments of my admittedly liberal neighbors and friends, Christine has a lot going for her in the character, honesty, and brains department. Unfortunatley, some people are swayed by the optics and will vore for her no-new-taxes, good ole boy opponent - voting against their own self-interest. Vermonters need to get over themselves and vote for Christine and a healthy future for our state.
95
Sounds like Ms. Hallquist has executive experience in a relevant industry, and is focused on specific, concrete issues that affect people's lives very directly.
I hope that's enough, and I wish her well.
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