As Maine goes...

By Distributorcap

Until 1960, Maine held all its elections (except for president) in September. With those early elections, Maine was often a bellwether state for the November national vote. From 1832 until 1932 (with few exceptions), the party that won the governorship in Maine went on to win the White House.

Hence the once popular (and now passé) political phrase, "as Maine goes, so goes the nation."

In 2010, there was a 5-way race for the statehouse in Augusta. Paul LePage was elected governor of Maine with about 38% of the vote, barely 2 points (or 10,000 votes) ahead of independent candidate Eliot Cutler. The Democratic candidate (who by all accounts was a weak candidate) was in third with 19%. Paul LePage may have an R after his name, but have no hesitation with this, Paul LePage is a Teabagger -- and a really nasty one at that.

During the campaign, LePage denied courting the Teabaggers, even though there are videos of him courting the Teabaggers. Also on video (doesn't ANYONE remember why George Allen's macaca moment was more than a moment?) is LePage telling Obama to "go to hell." He also said he was "about to punch a reporter" and has received 10 speeding tickets and was involved in 7 collisions. The best part of LePage's campaign was that he was livid that Maine charges sales tax on bull semen (which they don't).

And true to Teabagging form, LePage is a racist. He said that "private schools have brought their math scores way up because they bring in kids from Asia."

As one of his first moves as governor, LePage, who promised to avoid political cronyism, "hired" his 22-year old daughter (who was just out of college) as assistant to the governor's chief of staff, a job that pays $41,000 plus $15,000 in an expense account. His daughter will also live in the governor's mansion, thus eliminating any money she would have to spend on rent and food. There are no rules in Maine that bar a governor from hiring his family.

Note that LePage's daughter graduated from Florida State, where she paid in-state tuition for two years because Mrs. LePage claimed residency in Florida and Maine. Mrs. LePage had to pay back taxes after avoiding paying any Florida property taxes.

In keeping his Teabag credentials front and center, Governor LePage turned down an invitation from the NAACP to participate in some Martin Luther King Day events. LePage "claims" the NAACP is a "special interest" group and that he "would not be held hostage to special interests." (I am sure if they are Teabag or gun-related, LePage will happily be held hostage). When criticized, LePage, in language representing the new tone of civility from right-wing politicians, told the NAACP they could "kiss my butt." And it didn't end there. LePage went on to say that the NAACP should "look at my family picture. My son happens to be black, so they can do whatever they'd like about it."

The new Teabag meme (give the 'baggers some credit, they come up with new memes as fast as they protest community centers being built -- Sarah "Blood Libel" Palin is a victim, Jared Loughner is a liberal, repealing health care will save jobs, etc.) is not "some of my best friends are [Black, Hispanic, Gay, Asian, Jewish, Muslim or fill in whatever group is the Teabag target du jour] but rather, this new-fangled Paul LePage meme, "my son is ____."

They would be laughable if they didn't have so much political power.

I will guarantee that civility will be defunct by Super Bowl Sunday. Based on the language this week related to Tucson and other issues in the forefront (see statements by Virginia Foxx, Louis Gohmert, Trent Franks, Rand Paul, and of course from the Queen of Teabagging, Sarah "Blood Libel" Palin), the Teabaggers' arrogance is hitting new dizzying levels. I suppose LePage thinks he can easily get away with his snub/disparagement of the NAACP, the nation's leading advocacy group for African-Americans, since only around 1% of Maine's 1.4 million citizens are Black (and around 1% are Hispanic), making Maine the second "whitest" state in the Union (only Vermont has a smaller percent of minorities). It is easy to say such idiotic and harmful stuff when you don't have to worry about the impact of such a small political constituency.

Maine is a wonderful state, with some of the most beautiful coastline and forestlands in the country. While not as liberal as New England-neighboring Massachusetts (Maine split off from Massachusetts in 1820 and is the only state that borders only one other state, New Hampshire), Maine is decidedly not a red state. How the Teabaggers were able to organize and elect such a tyrant is beyond comprehension.

Either buyer's remorse will ooze to surface quickly in Maine, or we really do need to hope that as Maine goes, so goes the nation is as passé as political civility.