Vermont Governor Jim Douglas (R) has a 23-percentage point lead in his bid for re-election. The latest Rasmussen Reports election poll shows Douglas earning 54% of the vote while former state Senator Scudder Parker attracts 31%.

That was also our lead paragraph back in January. Vermont politics would be more interesting this year had Governor Douglas pursued a Senate campaign, as he had been considering.

But he did not, so the trajectory of Vermont's U.S. Senate race looks just as certain and even more lopsided than that of the gubernatorial contest. Independent Congressman Bernie Sanders continues to steamroll Republican opposition. He leads software firm founder Richard Tarrant 67% to 29%, and leads former Air Force officer Greg Parke 73% to 19%.

Tarrant has gained a few points since early in the year, Parke has lost a few. Though Sanders siphons off GOP support in each match-up, Tarrant has a twelve-point advantage over Parke with fellow Republicans, and seems headed to win the GOP nomination on September 12.

Governor Douglas is viewed favorably by 73%, Congressman Sanders by 72%.

Gubernatorial Candidate Parker is viewed favorably by 38%, as are Senatorial Candidates Parke by 23% and Tarrant by 50%. Though many voters still don’t know Parker or Parke, Tarrant has reduced the number of those who are unfamiliar with him to 15%.

This isn't Bush country. Only 31% approve of the job George W. Bush is doing as President. Sixty-seven percent (67%) approve of the job Governor Douglas is doing.

When it comes to which party they trust more on major issues like the economy, national security, energy policy, immigration and Iraq, Vermonters lean heavily toward the Democrats. But relatively many, 25%, are uncertain who to trust on immigration.

On each issue we polled about, between 46% and 62% say President Bush is doing a Poor job.

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