wv and vt 1988

[WalterMitty]

isnt it somewhat odd that wv went for dukakis and vt didnt? 

[crypto-fascist superhero]

No.

[MilesC56]

Given both the states' histories, not particularly.

[WalterMitty]

Given both the states' histories, not particularly.

somewhat true.  but this was1988 not 1908.  not ancient history.

i know the yankee republicans werent yet extinct in vt.  but why did the new england liberal do better in wv than vt?

[OC]

Lloyd Bentsen the student of Jim Wright Speaker of the House was on the ticket and HW bush was also a new englander from Connecticut.

[Senator Snowstalker]

Not at all. WV's economy was doing poorly at the time, and Bush was likely more appealing than Reagan to New England Republicans.

[Nym90]

Considering that at the time WV had only voted Republican three times since 1928 and VT had only voted Democratic once ever, it definitely wasn't at all surprising.

In retrospect, though, it certainly illustrates how attitudes have changed in these states in the past 25 years.

[cope1989]

New Englanders were still holding out hope that Bush would govern like moderate Republican presidents in the past. They were mistaken and punished him in 1992.

Dukakis ran an economically populist campaign. He was a typical, unoffensive, new deal type Democrat (despite the Bush campaign's best attempts to turn him into a leftist nutjob) and those Democrats typically did very well in West Virginia.

[GPORTER]

New Englanders were still holding out hope that Bush would govern like moderate Republican presidents in the past. They were mistaken and punished him in 1992.

Dukakis ran an economically populist campaign. He was a typical, unoffensive, new deal type Democrat (despite the Bush campaign's best attempts to turn him into a leftist nutjob) and those Democrats typically did very well in West Virginia.

Dukakis was a liberal on issues such as taxes and crime.

[cope1989]

New Englanders were still holding out hope that Bush would govern like moderate Republican presidents in the past. They were mistaken and punished him in 1992.

Dukakis ran an economically populist campaign. He was a typical, unoffensive, new deal type Democrat (despite the Bush campaign's best attempts to turn him into a leftist nutjob) and those Democrats typically did very well in West Virginia.

Dukakis was a liberal on issues such as taxes and crime.

Ahh, I see Lee Atwater had an effect on you. Dukakis really wasn't in far left field on crime, but the Bush campaign made it seem that way. They ran the Willie Horton ad, which was incredibly controversial, but succeeded in making Dukakis look like a wimpy liberal when it came to crime. And maybe he was...but the prison furlough program that Dukakis was criticized for was actually first implemented by the governor of California - Ronald Reagan!

[hopper]

New Englanders were still holding out hope that Bush would govern like moderate Republican presidents in the past. They were mistaken and punished him in 1992.

Dukakis ran an economically populist campaign. He was a typical, unoffensive, new deal type Democrat (despite the Bush campaign's best attempts to turn him into a leftist nutjob) and those Democrats typically did very well in West Virginia.

What? The New England states voted for Ronald Reagan(a conservative) twice except for RI which voted for Carter in 1980. Bush H.W. wasn't more moderate than Reagan? The guy raised taxes even after he said "no new taxes".

[cope1989]

New Englanders were still holding out hope that Bush would govern like moderate Republican presidents in the past. They were mistaken and punished him in 1992.

Dukakis ran an economically populist campaign. He was a typical, unoffensive, new deal type Democrat (despite the Bush campaign's best attempts to turn him into a leftist nutjob) and those Democrats typically did very well in West Virginia.

What? The New England states voted for Ronald Reagan(a conservative) twice except for RI which voted for Carter in 1980. Bush H.W. wasn't more moderate than Reagan? The guy raised taxes even after he said "no new taxes".

Even in the 1980s New England, specifically the more rural areas, was Republican based on history and tradition. Reagan's landslide in 1980 and 1984 helped keep New England in the column, despite states like Vermont still trending D.

Bush won New England more on his regional appeal, and yes, he did campaign as a moderate. But in 1992, he was primaried by the more conservative Pat Buchanan. In order to fend him off, he had to move farther to the right on social issues to keep his base. This pissed New Englanders off and it was one of the reasons they voted for Clinton.

[Vasall des Midas]

New Englanders were still holding out hope that Bush would govern like moderate Republican presidents in the past. They were mistaken and punished him in 1992.

Dukakis ran an economically populist campaign. He was a typical, unoffensive, new deal type Democrat (despite the Bush campaign's best attempts to turn him into a leftist nutjob) and those Democrats typically did very well in West Virginia.

Dukakis was a liberal on issues such as taxes and crime.

The standard pet issues of rich suburban dumbs, many of whom now vote Democratic. Not something poor rural dumbs care about.