Pollina camp prepares for Progressive confab

Aides to Progressive gubernatorial candidate Anthony Pollina are busy planning for the Party’s State Committee Meeting in Montpelier this Sunday. Aides see the event, which will allow supporters to interact with the still-developing Pollina organization, as the campaign’s “internal launch.”

The campaign will introduce supporters to the Pollina 2008 logo and slogan. It will also debut the campaign’s new Web site.

The Pollina campaign wants to use the event to build its grassroots effort. Supporters will be moved through three stations, or “break out groups.” One station will provide instruction on writing letters to newspaper editors in support of Pollina. Another group will allow supporters to film testimonials that will later appear on the Pollina 2008 Web site. The last station will focus on identifying future events and activities for the campaign’s calendar.  

David Mindich, a professor at St. Michael’s College who has written a book about why young people are largely disconnected from the electoral process, will start the meeting off as the Keynote Speaker. The campaign has selected Mindich because it believes his theme gels with Pollina’s message.

Meg Brook, the Progressive Party chair in Chittenden County who is working as the campaign’s coordinator, will give a state of the campaign update. Martha Abbott, the co-chair of the Vermont Progressive Party, will also make remarks.

In an effort to attract supporters, the campaign has opened the event to the public. And members of the press are invited - meaning the event might pay dividends in print and television coverage.