On March 4, you’re going to need a scanning electron microscope to find any mention of the previous day’s Maine presidential primary results in the national news. The reason is simple:
Maine doesn’t matter.
This state will be something less than an afterthought on March 3, “Super Tuesday,” because all the attention will be focused on places like California, Massachusetts, Texas and Virginia. Even Alabama is going to attract more coverage than Maine. The only way we’ll get the slightest notice is if something really weird happens, like a big win for Tulsi Gabbard.
Nevertheless, this is our only chance to help decide who the nominees for president are going to be, so by all means, go to the polls and engage in this exercise in futility.
For Republicans, this is particularly unnecessary. There’s only one name on the GOP ballot. If you’re disinclined to be complicit in the outrages perpetrated by the incumbent orange snot-ball, your options are limited. You can stay home. Or you can do what U.S. Sen. Susan Collins said she did in 2016 and write in Paul Ryan. That might be effective if anybody remembered who Ryan is. Otherwise, I suppose there’s Mitt Romney.
For Democrats, the choices are more numerous, but no less grim.
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, a socialist with hair nearly as wild as his economic policies, and Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of someplace I can never remember and can’t be bothered to look up, are the frontrunners, thanks to one of them having maybe, sorta gotten the most delegates in the Iowa mud-wrestling contest and the other one winning the New Hampshire snowmobile races. They’re both presidential in much the same sense that Bruce Poliquin is tall.
Of course, the current occupant of that office has made such a requirement irrelevant.
Other Democratic candidates include Joe Biden, who claims he was once vice president, which is entirely possible given that he appears clueless. If U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota won the election, she’d immediately be dubbed “President Klobs.” I kinda like that. Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg used to be a Republican and a racist. He is, however, still rich. U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts was considered a serious contender until it was discovered she’s a woman. Tom Steyer is wealthy, but not nearly wealthy enough to overcome a massive infection of uninspiring. And finally, there’s Gabbard of Hawaii, who’s a congresswoman and … uh … yeah, she’s a congresswoman.
Among those on the ballot, but technically deceased: Andrew Yang, a rich tech executive, had to drop out after voters realized Mark Zuckerberg already controls the country, so who needs a second-rate version. Inspirational speaker Marianne Williamson’s name appears only because the spirits failed to warn her she’d no longer be running by the time Mainers got to vote. Likewise, U.S. Sen. Cory Booker’s name is still there, even though his candidacy got flushed down the toilet weeks ago. Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick stopped running before anybody realized he was.
Also, 2nd District U.S. Rep. Jared Golden, for some odd reason, endorsed Colorado U.S. Sen Michael Bennet, who wasn’t even on Maine’s ballot and who, shortly after Golden’s announcement, dropped out.
If you aren’t enrolled in a party, you aren’t eligible to vote for any of these people, which may be the strongest argument yet against enrolling in a party. You can, however sign up to be a Republican or Democrat on election day, which allows you to let your voice not be heard when this state’s results are buried under the returns from more populous places.
In spite of that discouraging reality, there is one other reason to go to the polls on March 3. That’s the vaccine referendum, which would allow people to avoid getting their children immunized because they don’t believe in science and don’t care about spreading diseases to other folks.
They’ll be voting “yes.” You should be voting “no.” Even if you’re also voting for Tulsi Gabbard.
My primary interest is reading emails sent to aldiamon@herniahill.net.
“incumbent orange snot-ball”. Al, keep your deranged feelings to yourself.
Al, there is only one name on the GOP ticket because, unlike the other team, the GOP has a proven winner. Stock market gains, trade deals, dead terrorists, reduced taxes, less illegals invading our country and unified support. What’s not to like. In comparison to the clown car candidates stumbling about the country, it’s going to be a clear and decisive choice for real Americans. Prosperity vs socialism, you pick. President Trump is running the table and very likely to win in November with an overwhelming majority. Get used to winning folks.
@Peter, Please remember that more people voted for Hillary than your “proven winner” in 2016. As for trade deals, can you tell me how the new ones are any better than the old ones? As for the economy, to me it doesn’t seem as strong as the GOP would like us to believe. Look at Farmington, as an example, where there’s plenty of open store fronts. Where’s the growth in Western Maine? Where’s the tax savings? I know big companies and rich people have seen big tax savings but my paycheck hardly changed. Have you followed the job growth numbers? No recordings breaking numbers in that category.
“What’s not to like?”
I’d like a person in the White House who uses respectful language. That’s important to me. The name calling and insults are ridiculous. He sets a very bad example for the next generation.
I’d like a person in the White House who respects the constitution. I’d like a person in the White House who understands the constitution and how the presidency is only one branch of government.
I could go on but I’d like to end with: I’d like a person in the White House who shares his/her TAXES!!!! What is he hiding?
I’d love to see Al debate President Trump,then we’d quickly see who the real sniffling snot ball is! Can you imagine the outrage from the snowflakes if I called Obama a ‘black snot ball’? Anyway Al thanks for strengthening our base.
I enrolled as a Republican to cast my vote in the 2000 primary election here in Maine. I’m glad I did it but the outcome was still the same, a poor candidate (George Bush) beat out a decent candidate (John McCain). As a Marine who understood defense and how the military and intelligence communities were then hampered in their attempts to contend with the threat of terrorism by Congress, I felt it was important that we elected a candidate who understood both. The popular choice was the most boisterous candidate.
I’ve come to expect the most boisterous candidate to win elections since then. I don’t know why, but Mainers like other Americans these days seem so caught up with political argument they’d rather elect someone who appears good at it rather than at governing. Our last presidential election was certainly one for the boisterous, whether you supported Clinton or Trump. Personally, I’m still waiting for a candidate who understands and respects all those organizations that work to defend America. I’m tired of those who possess only a shallow understanding of what it takes to defend our nation and interests globally. I’m especially tired of those who attack the intelligence community because I know that the Middle East would have been far better managed had Washington followed their advice and dealt with the terrorist threat in the mid 90’s when everyone else was all too concerned with Iraq.
How corrupt is mainstream media (MSM)? A few stats on how they silence Tulsi: Tulsi and Pete had CNN Town Halls on the same night in March ’19. Tulsi escaped smear ‘questions’ and the audience loved her. Since then, Pete has been given 10 more MSM prime time Town Halls. Tulsi? Zero, none. Two weeks after those Town Halls, detailed research found that MSM gave Pete 216 mentions in a one week period. Tulsi? One, that’s right, 216 to 1. Keeping her down in polls. Here’s more, with charts (share this). If you are against the forever wars, the media and DNC are going to come after you: https://www.tulsi2020.com/bias
Ruth please explain how our President is disrespecting the constitution. Western Maine is behind the economy it always has been and always will be. As for the tax thing you should look at what you claim. My paycheck increased by $100 per week so I will gladly stick with the winning !!!
Victor Tulsi is being silenced because of what you said she wants to end these forever wars. Trump ran on the same thing and has tried pulling troops from Syria the establishment went completely nuts.
I joined the Marine Corps in 1990 expecting to clear munitions and other barriers to troop movement as we moved into Iraq. A year earlier, as the Soviet Union was beginning to crumble, some had spoken of the need to remove weaponry and leaders placed in the Middle East to defend against Soviet expansion during the Cold War. By 1993 a small group of Saudi Arabians had shown us that it was possible to attack America, without even using the weaponry we so feared, when they detonated an improvised explosive device beneath the World Trade Center.
Neither Clinton, Bush Jr, Obama, nor Trump have understood the Middle East and the machinations of war well enough to manage the region. Each made decisions that destabilized the region more than it was when they came to office. Since Trump came to office we’ve seen squabbles between Russian and US forces in Syria, 17 million on the brink of starvation in Yemen, and tanker explosions in the Persian Gulf that brought us closer to war with Iran. The notion that improvements can be read in those tea leaves doesn’t pass muster.
I began to see the challenges facing anyone interested in managing the Middle East more clearly while being prepared for command by personnel from Marine Corps Intelligence Schools and the Naval War College. These organizations are among the few that produce leaders with an expertise in foreign policy management. Yes, they make war when forced to, but they also spend a considerable amount of time maintaining foreign relations. I assure you, if civilian leaders had heeded the advice of the experts who trained me in the late 90’s conditions in the Middle East would not have deteriorated as they have.
As I considered the options I’m going to look for someone who understands that each of the organizations that make up our defense structure serve a purpose and must be respected. I honestly can’t tell you how long it’s been since we had a leader who did, as Clinton, Bush Jr, Obama, and Trump all had shortcomings where the intelligence community was concerned.
I can’t tell you how frustrating it has been to watch that community issue warnings only to be ignored for 30 years. This is not to say that the information they provided has not been utilized, but that the advice accompanying it has been ignored. Clinton failed to share findings showing that Iraq had no active weapons program, allowing Bush Jr to use the claim to send us to war in 2003. Both failed to enact measures designed to prevent our airlines from being hijacked and used as missiles. Bush chose to make war with the Taliban despite being told they offered Al Qaeda no material support apart from accepting payment for allowing the organization to train in Afghanistan, embroiling us in another conflict that need never have been.
Conflict is sometimes necessary but if a region is to be successfully managed it must be short lived. It must be used to accomplish a task quickly, then allow time for conditions to return to normal. When those who do not understand how to use force to manage relations use it the result is often costly. History is riddled with examples, including that which led American colonists to revolt.
Ruth H, The popular vote means nothing, because California and New York do not represent the other 48 states. That’s why we have the electoral, so everybody has their vote counted, even though there were some electorates who violated their position in 2016 and voted for Hillary when they were supposed to have voted for Trump.
Respectful language, respects and understands the constitution, so I guess you will be voting republican then. Free speech is just that, and the dems insult more people on a daily basis than Trump does. As for the constitution, the dems have never read it, asking a democrat about the constitution would be like asking a kindergartner to explain the undertones of imperialist Russia contained in Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina.
As for Farmington’s economy, get rid of UMF and downtown Farmington would be close to dead.
Al left out the part of Tulsi being a Major in the Army National Guard. I don’t support all her views but I do believe she is the best candidate running for the democrats. She has the only message of them that possibly has a chance of bringing the divide in this country together not making it worse. I do not support her 2A stance or healthcare for all as she was one of the candidates on stage raising her hand for giving illegals healthcare as well. As we all know the corrupt powers will never allow someone like her to be the candidate she is too much like Trump and look at how they feel about him.
Peter – the language that you use is a little outdated. Using the phrase “Real Americans” to refer to conservatives, as opposed to liberals, is an old trick to further the create the distance between “us vs. them”. You seem to eat that right up. You (conservatives) are right, liberals are wrong, and that’s the end of it. You cry about patriotism and love for country but try to come across as morally and politically superior to the majority of it’s inhabitants. The majority of whom (by 3,000,000+) did not vote for your candidate. You’re no less tribal and Neanderthal than cavemen battling over a piece of land. To you, it’s Us vs. Them, we’re right, they’re wrong. Keep on licking the boots like a good little Republican, and keep living in the past. I’m sure Donald REALLY cares about having you aboard. You’re just helping to line the Trump family pockets. Bet you feel good about that.
Chuck
Chuckles read hrtlss bstrds comment on why the 3 million+ voters didn’t get their way and haven’t stopped crying since. Then read what you wrote and see your hypocrisy in your own words. Wow some peoples kids !!!
Ruth
As far as more people voting for Hills get over it we’ve all heard that more than words” redacted ” or “Muller “… She lost .
Fyi , if your not happy with your paycheck change jobs or better yet move to wherever the money is , interest rates are low and gas is cheap and there’s a lot of jobs or maybe your gloom doom MSM didn’t mention this .
Now as far as stores closing on main street true enough it’s becoming a small town epidemic getting so we have to drive farther every year just to try on a pair of shoes . Everywhere people are shopping on line and that coupled with an increase in minimum wages , well you get the picture.
Farmington is a service community ,restaurants, pubs, and pot shops as well as insurance companies and assorted public servants and yes without UMF it wouldn’t even make a decent truck stop.in Western Maine paper mills and all it takes to support them ie wood contractors , trucking … is our big industry and we need to do whatever it takes to keep them.This part of Maine is a tough place to do business a long way to anywhere.
I could go on but enough said .
Awww . I do think chuckles might be one of crazy Bernie’s clowns.
KAG
Jamie, to answer your “I don’t know why” comment… Learning is the result of processing new information as related to personal experience. Unfortunately we’ve reached an era where most of our personal experiences are viewed through a screen. We’re caught up in watching the lives of others rather than living our own and in doing so we take on the opinions of others rather than forming our own.
Chuckles, There has been an Us vs.Them mentality going back to Cain and Able. That is just how the world works, there will never be a Democratic socialist lead utopia, Hitler tried that, it didn’t end well.
And with the left continually putting people into social groups(tribal), that isn’t doing anything for unity either. And the Native Americans used to fight over pieces of land all the time, so by your definition of Neanderthal or caveman you are saying Native Americans are no better than Neanderthals, that’s not very accepting of other people on your part.
Al, I found your article to be well written, and it made me laugh out loud. Thank you for that. Regardless of anyone’s political party affiliation and views, I like what you said and how you said it. I am not making light of electing our president because, yes it is serious business. Thanks for giving us a few moments to step back and view the lighter side.
Heartless B@st@rd Fact Check:
“there were some electorates (sp) who violated their position in 2016 and voted for Hillary when they were supposed to have voted for Trump”.
There were seven “faithless” electors in the 2016 election
Five were Democrats. Three voted for Colin Powell, one voted for Bernie Sanders, and one for Faith Spotted Eagle.
Two were Republicans. One voted for John Kasich and one voted for Ron Paul.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/which-candidates-did-the-seven-faithless-electors-support-election-2016/
Keep it real.
“The electoral college is a disaster for a democracy”
Donald Trump Nov 6, 2012
Here’s a Trump “Quote”,,
“I’m going to drain the swamp”.
The swamp creatures impeached him. (total bs).
And he’s going to be re-elected because of how disgusting the swamp creatures are.
It’s Ugly.
This is what “Draining The Swamp” looks like.
He also said he would put Hillary in Jail.
I’m kind of mad he hasn’t done that….yet.
Queen Swamp Creature is a real criminal.
Thank You President Trump for taking on these arrogant elites. It’s not easy because they are entrenched in the smelly swamp they have created. It’s moving to watch them squirm…..
KAG !!