Political Rant
Something I have thought about a number of times over the decades, just got triggered by a political propaganda puff piece on CBS about Senator Leahy of VT. I have often wondered how New England went so left and away from their roots, politically over the decades. New England used to be the stalwart of conservatve thought and behavior when I was growing up as a kid. Places like Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and even Vermont were basically similiar to the Mid West and South in being patriotic, fiscally and morally conservative and common sense people for the most part. Yes, you had the Kennedy’s in Massachusetts, but even that state wasn’t the liberal bastion it and all the rest have become. How stupid and deluded the populations of these states have become. They routinely vote one party, Dems, and send the same tired liberal morons like Leahy, Bernie Sanders and all the rest to Congress repeatedly, for decades. I guess they make the same mistake that most other states, particularly smaller ones do, that they have better representation with somone who has amassed seniority over someone new. A big failure of our whole system and why I have been for term limits for at least fifty years. I just shake my head in disgust and disappointment that New Englanders have become as big a part of the problem as liberal bastions like New York and California, despite their original traditional New England values.
+1
No surprise why they vote Left now. New England Yankees have been replaced by the hordes from NYC, NJ and other urban areas seeking a quieter life that was made possible by the completion of the Interstate Highways in the 60s and 70’s. Unfortunately, they brought their politics with them. Many dreamers arrived in the 60’s. Chased out the old time Yankees with offers to buy these quaint old homesteads for money that was a godsend to them.
New England farmers were tough. Had to be to farm rocky soil. It was suitable for grazing livestock in the early years. When the West opened up some left for the “flat” lands which facilitated easier haying and grazing. Those who stayed after the Civil War became tougher trying to farm those unproductive hill farms. Over generations those old time Yankees passed on and their kids left for the cities and that culture disappeared. Life was tough. You had to be incredibly resourceful. Now those areas are inhabited by retired city folk with pensions. who use the land for recreation. It’s now a service economy dotted with centres of higher education turning out more left leaning graduates.
New England was also dotted with various Mills run by abundant water power. Mil workers were tough Hard life. The advent of electricity closed down many of those operations and those left behind needed to be tougher.
The VT branch of our family left VT in the 1820’s after two generations there for land in the newly opened Upper Canada (Ontario). I guess they weren’t tough enough or wanted a better future.
You are a Historian too Columbia
Interesting thanks
Thanks for that Columbia.