I'm intensely amused that Vermont used to be quite Republican just a decade or so ago.
Vermont's brand of Republicanism was pretty much unrecognizable compared to the national Republican party now. Probably the only conservative Republican Senator from Vermont in the past century was Ralph Flanders. The lurch to the right is what killed the Vermont Republican Party.
I love when Democrats use that talking point in every single case. You can perhaps blame the GOP on losing Colorado, Nevada, and perhaps even Oregon; but Vermont was trending left big time since 1988, and is now one of the most leftists states in the union. It's a very effective case, and has influenced many people, but Vermont is a terrible example if you want to move forward with this talking point.
Plus, Reagan who won Vermont very solidly, was conservative.
No, Vermont had a proud tradition of progressive Republicanism, and now it doesn't because that phrase is now an oxymoron.
I don't quite understand what your point is with Reagan, since he won every state except for Minnesota, and in 1980 it was the second-best state for... moderate Republican turned independent John Anderson.
In fact, Vermont last voted more Republican than the national average in 1976. Most of its Republican Senators/Representatives since then (Jeffords, Stafford, P. Smith) were all moderates.
What is interesting though is that before 1976, Vermont was solidly Republican in presidential elections, even voting against FDR each time.
