Is Jim Douglas now vulnerable?

[Aizen]

I mean, getting overridden on an important bill is highly embarrassing. It's also not like he wins with 70%+ victories. He won with what, 53% in 2008? Probably still a longshot....

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

Oh boy, don't you really really hope so?!

[WalterMitty]

because obviously gay marriage is really important to the everyday life of vermonters.

can we talk about abortion next?   or maybe bristol palin's sex life?

[MaxQue]

Democrats can say than he oppose the will of Vermonters by opposing the House. If they push him under 50%, the House elect the winner.

[Lunar]

If the anti-Douglas forces are united, unlike what usually tends to happen in Vermont, Douglas is in trouble no matter what he vetoes.

I'm not sure how much people in Vermont care about things that don't matter, like pointless technical vetoes to make a statement of one's beliefs.  Besides - Vermont already had a progressive civil union system that the governor approved of.


People in Vermont are weird anyway.

[Rob]

Oh boy, don't you really really hope so?!

You know, I've never seen Mr. Moderate mock Republican electoral hopes. I wonder why.

[Ronnie]

Oh boy, don't you really really hope so?!

You know, I've never seen Mr. Moderate mock Republican electoral hopes. I wonder why.

It's because we don't have much to hope for now, unfortunately.

[Lunar]

I'm intensely amused that Vermont used to be quite Republican just a decade or so ago.

[DownWithTheLeft]

I'm intensely amused that Vermont used to be quite Republican just a decade or so ago.

It certainly is, but such is life and things may change back.

Vermont is an interesting state, they love socialism because they are one homogenous blob of middle to upper class white people.  Imagine if they had vast cultural or economic gaps?  They'd probably be way more conservative

[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.

[Holmes]

One thing I like about states that are considering gay marriage is that I always lurk their state blogs and news sites, I end up knowing about all the state's other issues and their opinions by the end of the whole ordeal.

What I do know, is that people in Vermont are now more willing to get rid of him. It won't be an issue in 2010, but people are taking the initiative to use it as a stepping stone and make cash on it. Secretary of State Markowitz is running, and Racine again too. I hope no Progressive runs.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

Oh boy, don't you really really hope so?!

You know, I've never seen Mr. Moderate mock Republican electoral hopes. I wonder why.

To be fair, I was mocking Aizen, not Democrats in general.

When it comes to local New England affairs, I will readily admit to favoring my happy little moderate-to-liberal party of hopeless minority.  Vermont needs more Democrats like it needs more bed and breakfasts.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

I doubt it.  Maybe if the Progressives and Democrats can unite, or find a way to drive him under 50%, but it's unlikely.  If he can survive 2006 and 2008, then he'll probably be fine.

[Rowan]

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

[Holmes]

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

New Hampshire's is every 2 years as well, but their legisalture just passed an amendment saying that it should be every 4 years. It'll be on the ballot in 2010. Another thing I learned while lurking...

[RIP Robert H Bork]

I doubt it.  Maybe if the Progressives and Democrats can unite, or find a way to drive him under 50%, but it's unlikely.  If he can survive 2006 and 2008, then he'll probably be fine.

I think so too. As to VT having gubernatorial elections every 2 years: yes they do, just like NH (they are in fact the only such states); their elections coincide both with presidential and midterm elections.

[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.

[Landslide Lyndon]

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.

Rhode Island had two-year terms until 1992 and Arkansas until 1984.

[Ronnie]

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.

[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.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

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.

I have always thought Vermont started to lurch to left in 1958 long before the GOP moved right. Before 1958 a Conservative Republican could still win any of the state's offices, heck any Republican could win the state back then. Granted the Republican movement to the right exacerbated the problem especially starting in the 1980's, by now I think the state would still have become a Democratic state, even if the GOP had more moderate or leftist views. Vermont underwent significant demographic changes in the 50's and 60's bringing in a lot of Urbanites from New York and Boston. NH is a great modern day example of the same trend. 1958 proved Dems could win in VT for the first time and 1974 was like 2006-2008 in NH. 

[nclib]

 

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.

[Rob]

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.

One or two Vermont counties actually voted for Ford in 1976 and Carter in 1980... haha.

[sg0508]

I have friends in Vt. Supposedly, Douglas is still pretty popular, but he hasn't faced a formidable democrat in 4 races.  If someone more prominent runs, trouble

[Verily]

His opponent in 2008 was the Speaker of the VT House. I don't know how you could get all that much more prominent. The real difficulty for the state Democrats is that they don't have an issue to really attack Douglas on because things in Vermont are mostly going swimmingly--and there isn't much cry to get rid Douglas because the legislature can override his vetoes whenever it wants.

He's probably pretty secure until he decides the gig is up. He's not popular enough to win some other statewide office, even in an open seat, but he's not unpopular enough to lose reelection, and unlikely to become so. (Gay marriage might have proven a wedge issue against him, but only if the veto-override had failed.)