"Take back VT" What do all those posters around your state mean?

[GreenPartyVoter]

[Nite Owl]

1. I saw them too when I was there.

Not a Vermonter but I think that there is some sort of movement for secession there. Not sure if that's what they mean but could be. I love Vermont, hope someday to move there.

[arcos]

2. no... it was civil union backslash... n/t

[arcos]

3. I'm not from Vermont but will answer...

it was the GOP's slogan in the elections just after Howard Dean signed the civil unions law.

[Nite Owl]

4. And they are still up?

[GreenPartyVoter]

5. I must have seen a dozen of them at least. But some

were spray painted on the sides of building so I suppose I can see why they are still there. *l*

[GreenPartyVoter]

6. Thanks! It was driving me crazy trying to figure out what it was all

about. It could have meant anything, it was so vague. *l*

[stranger_with_candy]

7. Vermont

Having many extended family relatives in vermont... the "original" Vermonters... don't exactly agree with the new more liberal transplants... or "flatlanders" as my grandfather used to call them. I was told the signs are in reference to that, as well as the civil union thing. Take back Vermont how it used to be before the "flatlanders" took over. Of course i get a very biased explanation of these things from relatives so i could be completely wrong...

[david_vincent]

8. No, no, you're right on the mark

Take Back Vermont is a "movement" that really amounts to the locals expressing how peeved they are at all of the flatlanders from New York and Boston moving up here and "ruining" things. Drive around the state... you're far more likely to see Take Back Vermont signs in the Northeast Kingdom and the poorer parts than in Burlington, Montpelier, Waitsfield/Warren, Middlebury, or Bennington. It's a shriek of anger from, well, from the hicks who think everything will be fine as long as nothing ever changes.
You'll also occasionally see the Move Vermont Forward stickers on the bumpers of expensive late model cars driven by flatlanders who bought a summer place up here.

[stranger_with_candy]

9. Yep!!

Northeast Kingdom is where most of my relatives live. Beautiful part of the state too.

[tnlefty]

10. How do suppose the locals would react to Tennesseans moving there?

We've been state shopping for a couple of years now, and I've decided that we should do some serious information seeking about Vermont. We've ruled out other states for various reasons.

My first big question is, just how blue is VT? I can daydream from afar about having Patrick Leahy and Jim Jeffords as senators. No more FrankenFrist and Alexander. Sick of having Wamp as my rep., too.

[Mr E McSquare]

11. How about

Staying home and changing your own state.
How Blue is it??? Are you kidding??

[david_vincent]

12. Dems now have an 83-seat majority in the VT House

n/t

[VTGold]

15. Its kinda sorta PURPLE.......

We're a very strange mix - you'll meet people you would swear are hardcore Republicans and come election time they'll have Gore or Kerry or Leahy bumper stickers on their cars. Gives you a warm fuzzy feeling...

Then there are those who... well.... no warm fuzzy feeling....

There are very, very liberal communities in and around Brattleboro - also Burlington, Middlebury and even in the state capital Montpelier.

Then there are also a large number of sort of Erzatz hippies - in Brattleboro for example (sorry Brattleboro - maybe Erzatz is unfair - real hippies then...)

What it is mostly is GREEN - the enviorment is very important in Vermont. They are very strict and also very serious about keeping it clean and easy on the eyes - no billboards allowed on the roadways - lovely!

Speaking of 'green' - when we get annoyed with 'flatlanders' (skiers, leap-peepers) we just mumble to eachother - "keeping Vermont green" - ca-ching! ($)

Anyway, its the best-est state in the Union :)

[ExclamationPoint]

16. Yeah...

I don't think vermont is really in the blue/red range. Its just a beautiful green like its mountains. I also found it funny that there weren't alot of french people there as it has a french name (Vert-green Mont-Mountain) Vermont is wicked cool, they have the best skiing in the world!

Edit: Sorry that was a very random message. I have short un-connected thoughts.

[david_vincent]

17. But there are lots and lots of Francophone names

Decades ago, there were a lot of people migrating back and forth across the border with Quebec.
You see a whole lot of people whose last names start with "Le" or "La" such as "LeBlanc" or "LaRoche", and other such Gallic constructions.

[wicket]

13. By "original" Vermonters, do you mean the Abenakis?

How far back are we talking?

[coreystone]

14. I don't think so, but, I certainly do understand the land theft!

:-)