How did Phil Scott win in Vermont?

[#TheShadowyAbyss]

I thought this state was supposedly lost to the GOP?

[Green Line]

Who said that?  GOP Governors have always been competitive there.

[NeverAgain]

Who said that?  GOP Governors have always been competitive there.

Basically this, all the polls showed this as a close race. Plus Phil Scott is the exact scummy "moderate" Republican that NE Blue States want.

[Kingpoleon]

Who said that?  GOP Governors have always been competitive there.

Basically this, all the polls showed this as a close race. Plus Phil Scott is the exact scummy "moderate" Republican that NE Blue States want.

"Scummy"

[Lothal1]

Single payer healthcare (same plan as Bernie) failed completely, causing tax increases and budget problems. http://www.politico.com/story/2014/12/single-payer-vermont-113711

[Miles]

Who said that?  GOP Governors have always been competitive there.

Yeah, VT has a soft spot for moderate Republicans.

[Shadows]

Single payer healthcare (same plan as Bernie) failed completely, causing tax increases and budget problems. http://www.politico.com/story/2014/12/single-payer-vermont-113711

Where do you come up with weird sh**?

Single Payer was never introduced in VT due to the huge taxes which had to be levied? When did VT face budget problems due to Single Payer? Do you make up this stuff just like that?

[/]

Who said that?  GOP Governors have always been competitive there.

Yeah, VT has a soft spot for moderate Republicans.

Basically the whole Northeast does, unfortunately. A majority of Northeastern governors are Republican.

[Lothal1]

Single payer healthcare (same plan as Bernie) failed completely, causing tax increases and budget problems. http://www.politico.com/story/2014/12/single-payer-vermont-113711

Where do you come up with weird sh**?

Single Payer was never introduced in VT due to the huge taxes which had to be levied? When did VT face budget problems due to Single Payer? Do you make up this stuff just like that?

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Direct from Wikipedia. Literally look up Vermont single payer failure on google and it says all of these. Just remember that Bernie's plan was the exact same as the Vermont plan.

[morgieb]

Worth noting Shumlin nearly lost here against a relative no-name in 2014. Republicans always compete in New England gubernatioral races, IIRC every state in New England has elected a Republican in the last 10 years.

[Heisenberg]

Worth noting Shumlin nearly lost here against a relative no-name in 2014. Republicans always compete in New England gubernatioral races, IIRC every state in New England has elected a Republican in the last 10 years.

True:
RI and CT: Last in 2006
MA and ME: 2014
NH and VT: 2016

[Maxwell]

Republicans do well when they run likable, moderate, substance-free campaigns. Especially when their predecessors are kind of unlikable, deeply ideological, and run the state with little regard for the feelings of others. Scott was the perfect contrast to Shumlin - and was exactly the kind of Republican that does well here.

[smoltchanov]

Who said that?  GOP Governors have always been competitive there.

Yeah, VT has a soft spot for moderate Republicans.

Basically the whole Northeast does, unfortunately. A majority of Northeastern governors are Republican.

And that's - excellent. When these Republican governors are like Baker or Scott and not LePage. They represent reasonable check on "tax and spend" (and very frequently - very corrupt) Democratic legislatures. I hate one-party rule, and was both for Scott nd Baker. But in the South i am almost always for Democrats..

[Figueira]

Vermont's statewide politics have very little correlation to national political trends. They had Howard Dean through the 1990s, a popular Republican governor who was elected in 2002, re-elected in 2004, 2006, and 2008, then Shumlin was barely elected in 2010, re-elected in 2012, barely re-elected in 2014, and now Scott won by a decent margin.

Anyway, in this particular election, I think Minter's focus on gun control probably hurt her. You can probably win as a gun control supporting Democrat in Vermont, but not if it's your main issue. And Scott was a popular Lieutenant Governor so that probably helped. I'm guessing he'll easily win re-election in 2018 even if there's a Democratic megatsunami nationally, unless he does something really terrible that's specific to Vermont.

[smoltchanov]

^Probably yes. And he is too experienced politician (Lt. Governor, and state Senator in the past) to do it...

[Kingpoleon]

Who said that?  GOP Governors have always been competitive there.

Yeah, VT has a soft spot for moderate Republicans.

Basically the whole Northeast does, unfortunately. A majority of Northeastern governors are Republican.

And that's - excellent. When these Republican governors are like Baker or Scott and not LePage. They represent reasonable check on "tax and spend" (and very frequently - very corrupt) Democratic legislatures. I hate one-party rule, and was both for Scott nd Baker. But in the South i am almost always for Democrats..

Arkansan Democrats are pretty corrupt and usually pretty left wing for the state.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

We've been throught this millions of times. New England Republicans are doing well in gubernatorial races. Remember Jim Douglas?

[Pandaguineapig]

He got more votes than his opponent lol

[smoltchanov]

Who said that?  GOP Governors have always been competitive there.

Yeah, VT has a soft spot for moderate Republicans.

Basically the whole Northeast does, unfortunately. A majority of Northeastern governors are Republican.

And that's - excellent. When these Republican governors are like Baker or Scott and not LePage. They represent reasonable check on "tax and spend" (and very frequently - very corrupt) Democratic legislatures. I hate one-party rule, and was both for Scott nd Baker. But in the South i am almost always for Democrats..

Arkansan Democrats are pretty corrupt and usually pretty left wing for the state.

And that's may be the reason they are in dire minority in the state. Even in early 2000th legislature in Arkansas was mostly Democratic and, generally,  moderate conservative, what more or less  corresponds to state tradition (which was manifested in US Congress by such people as McClellan and Gathings in 60th and 70th). But when national party began to insist that state parties would be generally alike and similar to national one - party problems in many states (especially - Southern) aggravated immnesely. When i began to study American elections Mississippi Democratic party was VERY different from New York's (what's only natural), now they are almost the same. But what sells good in New York is a tough sell in Mississippi....

[Sumner 1868]

Some traditions die very hard. Others don't.

[mds32]

Scott actually has power in Vermont unlike Baker in MA because the state house is close enough that the Republicans there can uphold his vetos if decides to veto anything. I don't think Scott seems to be much of a guy that wants to veto anything though.

I imagine he will literally be quiet as a mouse through 2018 and probably skate to a quiet but larger victory in 2018. 2020 will be where the Democrats have a chance to knock him off.

[smoltchanov]

Scott actually has power in Vermont unlike Baker in MA because the state house is close enough that the Republicans there can uphold his vetos if decides to veto anything. I don't think Scott seems to be much of a guy that wants to veto anything though.

I imagine he will literally be quiet as a mouse through 2018 and probably skate to a quiet but larger victory in 2018. 2020 will be where the Democrats have a chance to knock him off.

I don't expect him to be "quiet as a mouse". He isn't a bombastic type, sure, but he has his own convictions and may be very stubborn if neccessary. In addition - almost all Republicans in state legislature are more conservative then he is (many - substantially), so if he REALLY decides to veto something, their support is almost guaranteed... So, no, he will not be "a king, who rules but doesn't governs.."

[RINO Tom]

Those of us who aren't PVI nerds understand that politics are still local some places.

[Maxwell]

Those of us who aren't PVI nerds understand that politics are still local some places.

this too.

Scott was pretty much destined to win - it's what all the polls said.

[Figueira]

Those of us who aren't PVI nerds understand that politics are still local some places.

this too.

Scott was pretty much destined to win - it's what all the polls said.

Yeah, I don't get why anyone is surprised by this.