Why is Vermont so liberal nowadays?

[Vepres]

This has probably been asked before, but I will post this anyway

Why is it that Vermont has swung hard-left since 1988, to the point where it has now become the most liberal state in the views of many? Contrast this with Maine, which has become about as Democratic as Oregon, and New Hampshire, widely considered a swing state today.

Seriously, they went from being one of the most Republican states in the union to the first state to elect a self-described socialist to the US Senate.

[Vepres]

Did the liberal transplants simply begin outnumber Yankee Republicans?

The state actually doesn't seem to be too fiscally liberal, they are just emphatically anti-war and socially liberal, at least, that's the impression I get.

There were lots of transplants to NH. But most of them were Republicans who fleed in the 70's and 80's from high taxes in MA. Hence the Southern Counties are the most Republican and are considered part of Boston's metorpoilitan area. Looking at Northern New Hampshire there are similarities to certain areas of Vermont and Maine. Its New Hampshire that is different then the other two. While the GOP began its complete decline in all three in the late 60's, it rebounded in the NH in 80's while VT and ME continued to fall away.

I beleive also that most of the hippie transplants located in the Burlington area. The trend towards the Democratic party has occured pretty uniform acrossed the state.

But Maine hasn't swung nearly as hard as Vermont. 65% D vs. 57% D, eight points is not negligible.