A retired Montreal Expos star known for his zany hijinks off the field has come out of retirement in an unexpected pitch to become the next governor of Vermont.
Bill “Spaceman” Lee has always been a little out there, and so is his progressive platform -- at least for many American voters. The 69-year-old wants to legalize marijuana, tax the rich, institute a Canadian-style health care system and dissolve the border between Vermont and Quebec.
He described his political aspiration simply: “I want to be the Robin Hood of Vermont,” he said in an interview with CTV News.
But for Canadian baseball fans, the former pitcher’s campaign has a particularly enticing catch: the “Spaceman” wants to resurrect the Montreal Expos, the beloved baseball franchise that moved stateside in 2004. Exactly how he’d pull it off as a U.S. governor remains a little foggy, but he says it would undoubtedly be a boost for Vermont.
“’Cause all the Red Sox fans have to travel through this state to get there and we're going to grab 'em by the heels and we're going to shake 'em and all the loose change is going to fall onto (Interstate) 89,” Lee said with a laugh.
That bombastic political style has some comparing the “Spaceman” to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. But Lee’s political leanings swing to the opposite extreme; he was recruited by the Liberty Union Party, the same organization that launched Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders.
If Trump gets elected, Lee says he’d push for Vermont to become a Canadian province.
“We have a clause in our constitution. We can leave because we’re not one of the original colonies,” Lee told CTV News Channel last week. “You’ve got health care, you’ve got everything.”
In an interview with CTV’s Kevin Gallagher, Lee admitted that his political success would reflect poorly on his rivals.
“If I’m the best candidate they can throw out there, it means the people I’m running against must not be that good,” he said.
Lee has never shied away from voicing his opinions. He was an early adopter of recycling and a bold environmentalist more than 30 years ago, during his years as an MLB pitcher. That sort of message could be attractive to Vermont voters, who typically elect liberal-progressive candidates and are proud of their close ties to Canada.
“I’m your worst nightmare -- I’m a liberal with a gun,” Lee said.
Even so, a friend of Lee’s says he doesn’t think he has a chance.
“No, because he’s not taking it serious,” said friend Jack Fontaine.
In the current U.S. political climate, it’s anyone’s guess as to whether the Spaceman’s antics will land him the state seat. Vermont will head to the polls this November.
With a report from CTV’s Kevin Gallagher
