“Vermont has the additional advantage of a harsh enough climate that they aren’t overrun with freeloaders from all the third world garbage cans. IOW, it failed because most of the freeloaders who made it fail were of the home-grown variety.”
You almost have that right, the climate comment is spot on, the freeloader part not so much. The Cambridge Mass over- educated elitists moved in here in the mid seventies to use Vermont as a test bed for Marxist policy pushes ( i.e. the absurdly named Conservation law Foundation ). With them came the New York southern tier liberals ( Bernie Sanders, Ben and Jerry and the like, a lot of secular NYC Jew and old money Stanford Conn elite kids with their trust funds and mommy and daddy’s vacation home to live in ). They brought their liberal attitudes and voting practices with them even though they have never scrapped to eke out a living in a harsh ( both physically and politically ) environment like VT.
As of now Vermont has over 140 social welfare programs ( more than any other NE state ) for the freeloaders to avail themselves. During the welfare reform of the Clinton years Vermont charted its own path and refused welfare reform thus creating an influx of takers mainly from Mass seeking greener pastures that has devastated public education in Southern Vermont and added greatly to the entitlement burden state wide.
Vermont prior to the mid seventies was very conservative and its survival is thanks to its independent conservative roots. The guidance of the state constitution casts an imposing shadow over the very liberal legislature and executive. Also having a citizen legislature that only meets four months a year helps.
Beautiful state. Too bad what the libtards have done to it. My wife and I spent a week's vacation there over Memorial Day, 2011. We learned very quickly to take a short drive to New Hampshire for any substantial shopping.