WARNING: If you are a partisan Democrat or Republican, you may not want to continue reading because this post will surely piss you off. Nearly 24 hours after the polls closed, there is still a fair amount of wailing and gnashing of teeth going on here in Maine, where Republicans had much to celebrate last night. … Continue reading We’re the kids in America
Category: MAINE POLITICS
Radio Free Europe
There's one aspect of this year's Maine gubernatorial race that has received little attention: where will dispassionate Republicans land on Election Day? Four years ago, in what was largely a three-way race, Republican Paul LePage became Maine's governor by securing approximately 38 percent of the vote. Since then, much has been said about plurality, the … Continue reading Radio Free Europe
Survey says . . .
Independent gubernatorial candidate Eliot Cutler is in trouble. At least according to the latest All Along the Watchtower survey (and every other poll conducted over the last few months) Whatever star power the independent from Cape Elizabeth had during the 2010 gubernatorial campaign has all but vanished. Of the three major candidates, Cutler was the … Continue reading Survey says . . .
Cold as ice
There are advantages to being independent, but there are also some big disadvantages. If you don't believe me, just ask Ted O'Meara, campaign manager for gubernatorial hopeful Eliot Cutler. In an e-mail to Cutler's supporters this week, O'Meara praised his team's hard work and their ability to collect more than 5,000 signatures to ensure that … Continue reading Cold as ice
Cutler: On the defense, or on the move?
With less than six months to go before the November election, all three of Maine's gubernatorial candidates seem to be picking up the pace of their campaigns. In traditional Maine politics, this sort of ramping up usually comes toward the end of summer, just ahead of a Labor Day surge that leads to an October sprint for … Continue reading Cutler: On the defense, or on the move?
Smoke on the water
Attitudes regarding marijuana have dramatically changed during the past two decades. Those in favor of legalizing the drug are finding increasing support from an expanding constituency, including millenials who can now vote and health care providers who say the drug can benefit their patients. Even retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens --- not a likely … Continue reading Smoke on the water
How not to use social media in a campaign
There is a right way to use social media in a campaign. And there is a wrong way to use social media in a campaign. The following could be forgiven if it came from a political novice, but not when it comes from the governor's re-election team. Here's a game you can play at home. … Continue reading How not to use social media in a campaign
Primary Colors
Allow me to make a bold prediction. Voter turnout for Maine's 2014 Primary Elections on June 10 will be absolutely dismal. Taxpayers across Maine will spend hundreds of thousands of dollars for an absolute non-event; an utter waste of time and resources, all in the name of a Democratic process that doesn't work without a contest. … Continue reading Primary Colors
Social media and Maine’s gubernatorial campaign
Despite all the hoopla about the power of social media tools in political campaigns, what metrics can we use to determine if those tools are effective? While just about anyone can set up a Twitter account or create a Facebook page, social media tools are only as effective as those who are using them. Although … Continue reading Social media and Maine’s gubernatorial campaign
Third time is the charm?
While most people were picking out green outfits, drinking lots of beer or otherwise wasting time on St. Patrick's Day, one select group of folks were bracing for potential fame and fortune as hopeful members of the 2015 Maine Legislature. The deadline for wannabe state representatives and state senators came and went at 5 p.m. … Continue reading Third time is the charm?
