Is Jim Douglas now vulnerable?

[JohnnyLongtorso]

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.

[JohnnyLongtorso]

Why does Vermont have governor's elections every 2 years? Isn't most states every 4 years?

It's a remnant of a bygone era; a lot of states used to have two-year terms but it fell out of favor in the mid-20th century. New Hampshire and Vermont are just the last holdouts on this, kind of like Virginia is the last Southern state to limit a governor to one term.

[JohnnyLongtorso]

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.