Here’s why you should vote Democratic this election:
1. Republican 2nd District U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin hates campers. “These are not my kind of people,” Poliquin allegedly told the owner of a proposed campground in Phippsburg 15 years ago in justifying his opposition to licensing what he called “a trailer park” next to a high-end resort he was trying to establish.
2. GOP Gov. Paul LePage has been an excellent governor – from the neck down, which accounts for him making national news for racist remarks about drug dealers and Maine’s virginal white women. “It’s not just one issue there or one bad comment there,” Maine Democratic Party chairman Phil Bartlett told the Bangor Daily News. “We’re dealing with a situation that Maine’s image nationally is suffering. The governor at every turn has made the situation worse.”
3. Republicans in the Legislature have failed to hold LePage accountable, while squandering opportunities to advance a coherent economic agenda. Even the governor agrees with that latter contention, having campaigned against two incumbent GOP legislators during the primary, resulting in the defeat of one of them. He’s also urged voters attending his town hall meetings around the state to “throw the bums out.”
4. And obviously, Donald Trump.
Now, here’s why you shouldn’t vote for anyone on the fall ballot with a “D” after their name.
1. Democrats have no platform and haven’t had one since the days of Lyndon Johnson (the Great Society) and Ed Muskie (the Clean Water Act). Instead, Dems define themselves by opposing whatever Republicans support. So they’re in favor of dirty, smelly campers plopping trailers next to posh condos. But they’re against charter schools, affordable electricity, welfare reform and tax cuts for people who actually pay taxes. Oh wait, the Democrats’ plan for “A Better State of Maine” also calls for food hubs (whatever they are), infrastructure investments (is anybody against that?) and inducing young people to stay in Maine by making downtowns more trendy (a Whole Foods in Mattawamkeag?).
2. Democrats have no real leaders. Sure, the GOP has wimps like House Minority Sycophant Ken Fredette, but that doesn’t begin to match up with limp noodles like House Speaker Mark Eves, Senate Minority Leader Justin Alfond, congressional candidate Emily Cain, Portland Mayor Ethan Strimling and Bangor City Councilor Joe Baldacci. None of them has proved a match for LePage, even at his looniest.
3. Democrats have no clue how to win major elections. Quick, name the last time a Dem not named Chellie Pingree prevailed in an important race (no, mayor of Portland doesn’t count as important). The answer is Mike Michaud in the 2012 contest for the 2nd District seat. Before that, it was John Baldacci in the 2006 governor’s race. The most recent Democrat to win a U.S. Senate seat was George Mitchell back in 1988, when some voters in this election had yet to be born.
4. And obviously, Hillary Clinton.
In spite of these compelling arguments against casting a ballot for either major party, lots of seemingly normal voters will anyway, motivated not by partisan concerns (they’ve long since lost track of which side favors foreign trade agreements and have no idea who we’re supporting in Syria this week), but by a local issue of such overwhelming importance as to blot out all else.
Namely, guns.
Question 3 is going to turn out a lot of folks this November who might otherwise have opted to stay home and get stinking drunk. This measure requires background checks for private gun sales, and has motivated conservative, rural voters like nothing short of the opening day of deer season. The National Rifle Association and the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine have their members locked and loaded to vote no.
In spite of the big money from out of state supporting the referendum, the pro-gun crowd will almost certainly prevail, while incidentally delivering the 2nd District to Trump, legalizing pot and rejecting ranked-choice voting.
Smoking guns will also prove more potent than the odor of hygiene-deficient hunters after two weeks of boozing it up and occasionally looking for something to shoot. Whether Poliquin likes them or not, these deplorable campers will be voting for him.
The trouble with camping is I can’t get emails sent to aldiamon@herniahill.net.
Good read and pretty much spot on.
Y’know, it’d be nice to someday be able to vote FOR a candidate you actually support, instead of merely trying to find the one that you think will do the least damage.
Looking at the upcoming election I cannot but think: “THESE are our best and brightest?! Really?”
And Al, does it really matter if either party has a platform to run on? Party platforms have long since become nothing more than rhetorical touchstones. Often alluded to, but rarely adhered to….unless it is politically AND financially expedient to do so.
Do we really think that either Hillary or Trump care what is in the platform, except as a means to gull the cattle into following blindly anti the abattoir?
I don’t like Trump or Clinton. I favor ranked choice voting
Good call,Vet.
The way I’ll be voting is for change !!! You cant get it from a persom who has been in politics for 30 plus years !!!!
Gee Al, what about Attorney General Janet Mills as the most visible Democrat leader taking on LePage and Republicans?
I called my town office today and asked about if I could write in someone else’s name for the presidency. She said she believed there is a blank spot on the ballot. Well, I think I’ll write in Clint Eastwood. I know he’s not running, but I don’t care. Even Trump thinks the election is rigged, anyway. (So do I) But since I am not happy with our choices and I may be throwing away my vote, at least, in good conscious, I can know I didn’t support either Trump (the loud-mouthed, trumped up trumpet, or Hillary who will be giving us the same old, same old.) I guess if I couldn’t do a write-in, I’d vote for her just because I think Trump will start WWIII. And Jill Stein is favoring reducing our military forces, which I don’t think is safe for America. And Gary Johnson, I’m wishy washy on him, too. So, hate me or not, good old Dirty Harry will probably get my vote.
Type in Google ” can I write in anyone for President “
Jon, for the past six years, many have tried to balance and rein in Paul LePage, but only one has been consistently effective in accomplishing it — Janet Mills. I respect and support her because of this.
Al, you are right about the gun referendum being a major factor in how people will be voting this year. In the rural sporting districts of Franklin County, we need to get the word out, and voters need to understand that there is no difference in the positions of the Republican and Democratic candidates on this referendum.
I am the Democratic candidate running in House District 112. Scott Landry is the Democratic candidate running in District 113. I am gun owner who grew up in Farmington in a family that hunts. Scott Landry grew up in Dexter, has been a hunter since college and is a life-time member of SAM. Joanne Dunlap running for the Senate in District 17 has been listening to and respects the opinions of her friends and neighbors who are hunters.
If you are a die-hard supporter of Paul LePage and want to vote Republican for reasons other than this referendum, I honor and respect your right to do this. It is not something you have to do to protect the Second Amendment.
If you agree with moderate Democrats like Janet Mills that Paul LePage is taking us too far to the extreme right, that we need to start moving back towards the middle, that something needs to be done to rein the Governor in and hold him accountable — but, you are considering holding your nose’ and voting Republican because you assume the Democratic candidates running in your district support Question 3 — stop, think, and do your homework. Landry, running in District 113, and Chassie, running in District 112, are native Mainers who share your concerns about Question 3, are not supporting it and will be voting ‘No’ on it. In those districts, a vote for either candidate is a vote against Question 3.
If you are a resident of one of these districts, consider the postions of both candidates on all of the issues that are important to you and vote your conscience on those issues. Do not be fooled into voting for two more years of Paul LePage running amok because of this one issue.
Another harmless but conservative comment blocked. DB is so fair and balanced……
I looked up the Maine State Government’s website about elections. If I understand what it was saying, for the general election (not for the presidency) the write-in candidate is suppose to declare themselves before 60 days of the election (which was Sept. 9th) and the write-in candidate has to choose 4 electors. For the primary election, the details for a write-in for the presidency wasn’t very clear. But probably the same applies. If you do a write-in and those steps aren’t taken, the vote won’t count. I think I’ll still vote for Dirty Harry. I’ll vote for whatever else I believe in for the general election. Poor old Dirty Harry won’t be counted, but at least none of the other presidential candidates on my ballot will be, either.