Similarities between Vermont and West Virginia

[buritobr]

Vermont and West Virginia are the opposite extremes of states which trended to the opposite sides in the last 50 years. However, it is amazing to observe that their characteristcs are not opposite extremes.

They share some similarities

>90% non-hispanic white population
no big city
high % of weapon ownership
not a part of the old confederacy
income: West Virginia has the 2nd lowest income per capita in the USA. Vermont has a much higher income per capita, but it is still lower than the income per capita of the neighbors Massachusetts and New Hampshire


Since Bernie Sanders' speech is focused more on class than on minorities, do you think he can have some support of the West Virginia white workers?

[Skill and Chance]

Yes, definitely.  Pending how Clinton handles the email stuff and whether Biden actually enters, it wouldn't shock me if he won the WV primary.  There's ironically a good deal of overlap between the Sanders and Trump bases.  I do think WV voters, and Clinton-McCain voters generally, would go to Biden in the primary if he runs seriously.

[Figueira]

I'm not really sure what West Virginia Democrats are like these days. What percentage of them are leftovers from when it was a Democratic state, and what percentage of them are just normal liberals?

[bagelman]

I'm not really sure what West Virginia Democrats are like these days. What percentage of them are leftovers from when it was a Democratic state, and what percentage of them are just normal liberals?

They have little in common with Massachusetts Democrats, they're pro-union dems who agree with the party on economic issues and are often socially conservative.

[buritobr]

Well, let's observe

[Boston Bread]

I'm not really sure what West Virginia Democrats are like these days. What percentage of them are leftovers from when it was a Democratic state, and what percentage of them are just normal liberals?

They have little in common with Massachusetts Democrats, they're pro-union dems who agree with the party on economic issues and are often socially conservative.

A lot of Massachusetts Democrats are pro-union dems who agree with the party on economic issues and are often socially conservative. Pretty standard positions for catholics.

[SingingAnalyst]

Both are predominantly rural and mainline Protestant (lots of Congregationalists/UCC in VT; lots of Methodists and American Baptists in WV).

[IceSpear]

There are some similarities, but you're ignoring a lot of crucial factors. WV is a very religious state, VT is not. WV is very culturally conservative, VT is the polar opposite. WV's economy is dependent on a dying industry (coal) that Democrats are hostile to, VT's is not. WV has an acute problem with race, VT does not.

Bernie would get demolished in the general in WV, just like Hillary. He'd probably do slightly better than her though.

[Kingpoleon]

It would be pretty funny if Jim Justice and Phil Scott are both elected Governor.

[hopper]

It would be pretty funny if Jim Justice and Phil Scott are both elected Governor.

Yes there is a high possibility of that happening!