Pine Tree State Politics - An Update

Angry and indignant women carrying signs and chips on their shoulders congregate in front of a local AM radio station in Portland, Maine to protest that station's active role in spreading the hate filled nonsense of another brainless political hack.  These irate ladies demand the station cease broadcasting this man's message.

When interviewed, the station manager grins ever so slightly and tells us the man has an audience that either loves him or hates him, but it's the numbers that count.  As long as he has an audience, no matter their opinion, the station will not stop his broadcasts here in Maine. 

The pissed off women just don't get it.  Showing up in the early morning carrying signs and shouting slogans is exactly what this self centered talk jock wants.  No such thing as bad press for this guy.  The women played right into it with their righteous indignation.

Up in Augusta, more of the Right Wing agenda plays out when the Republican controlled statehouse dilutes the Clean Election Law passed many years ago.  The dim witted Governor meanwhile advocates pulling the rug out from under even more needy folks and their access to minimum healthcare.

And finally, the political landscape in Maine is all upside down after our Senior Senator to DC decided she just could not hack it anymore and threw in her towel.  Anyone who even thought they owned political capital began to dream of taking over in her stead come November.  I can only imagine the heated water cooler conversations and the increased numbers of phone calls and emails being frantically flung around the state in an attempt to come up with the best of the best to toss into the contest.  Suddenly one man with more political capital than all of them combined decides to muck the process up by declaring his candidacy as an Independent.  The lightweights immediately back off  leaving the middle weights doubting their power.

Of course the Democrats remember what happened when they fielded a weak candidate for governor in 2010.  A former Republican who lost the primary re-entered the race and split the Democratic vote enough to allow our current brain dead governor a dubious victory by a few percentage points.  They are unhappy campers and more than a few are angry that this hero of our past has decided to screw around with their precious two party system.  It would seem they are now realizing that if indeed he runs, it would be better to not throw one of the heavy weights into the contest unless they want 2010 to repeat itself once again.  Barring a Democrat in the US Senate, an Independent surely beats a lock step Republican sneaking in there because of another split vote.

And that is my take on politics in Maine at the moment.

Later..........................

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Top image from Portland Press Herald