{"product_id":"the-left-wing-freak-show-analyzing-liberalism-in-vermont-von-unknown-1","title":"The Left-Wing Freak Show - Analyzing Liberalism in Vermont","description":"\u003cp\u003eSeminar paper from the year 2007 in the subject American Studies - Culture and Applied Geography, grade: 1,3, Free University of Berlin, language: English, abstract: In a campaign ad aired in early 2004 by the conservative Club for Growth, Democratic\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003epresidential candidate Howard Dean, the former governor of Vermont, was scolded by two\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003esupposedly average American people who advised him to ¿[¿] take his tax-hiking,\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003egovernment-expanding, latte-drinking, sushi-eating, Volvo-driving, New York Timesreading,\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ebody-piercing, Hollywood-loving, left-wing freak show back to Vermont, where it\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ebelongs.¿ The quote became quite famous for it apparently hit the nail on the head with its\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003echaracterization of the divide between conservative and liberal America, the latter being\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eperfectly epitomized by the state of Vermont.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhile the dramatic exaggerations of campaign ads are rarely based on facts but on\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003efeelings, the notion that politics in Vermont are decidedly liberal still prevails among\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAmericans and observers from abroad. They are supported by such facts as a self-declared\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003edemocratic socialist, Bernie Sanders, being elected United States senator in 2006, after\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ealready having served as a member of the House for 15 years. Sanders defeated his\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRepublican opponent by an impressive 2-to-1 margin in the 2006 midterm elections. Voting\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003erecords and public opinion polls on issues such as gay marriage or environmental issues\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eindeed suggest that Vermont is not only a stronghold for the Democratic Party, but for liberal\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eideology in all its forms.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEven though everyone seems to acknowledge that Vermont is a liberal state, one\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ecrucial question has not yet been given much attention by media outlets and researchers alike:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhy is it, that Vermont is so liberal? In fact, it seems quite puzzling that such a small, rural,\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eand landlocked state should be a stronghold of cosmopolitanism and political awareness. This\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eresearch paper therefore intends to analyze whether political liberalism is in fact a prevalent\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003epolitical view in Vermont and, if so, why.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"aw-variant-hidden-subtitle-div\" id=\"aw-variant-subtitle-9783640661084\"\u003e\u003ch3\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Libri","offers":[{"title":"Softcover - 9783640661084","offer_id":39441764909149,"sku":"9783640661084","price":16.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0940\/0622\/files\/cf3565d7-40fd-4f6f-b5dd-bd806528aa9c.jpg?v=1777696013","url":"https:\/\/shop.autorenwelt.de\/en\/products\/the-left-wing-freak-show-analyzing-liberalism-in-vermont-von-unknown-1","provider":"Autorenwelt Shop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}