All Politics is Local

This expression has oft been uttered but not always been understood to be true. In this years races we have a strong example of how this is indeed the case.

In the Maine State Senate battle for the district representing Bangor and Hermon it is estimated that up to a quarter of a million dollars might be spent by the two sides to elect their candidates. The Republicans have nominated one term Senator Nichi Farnham while the Dems have nominated local Doctor and former City Councilor Geoff Gratwick.

This race gives us an illustration of how little we know the personal lives of the candidates we support. For example I am not a fan of Mitt Romney and think Paul LePage is probably the worst Governor in my lifetime. With all that said there is no reason to believe they are not fine, upstanding, family men who just happen to have a disagreement with me about how the country should work.

In the local race Nichi Farnham is a person who I know a bit, someone I would speak with if I saw her, our children have gone to school together for years and one of her sons and mine are quite good friends, sharing classes and sports teams. I know she is a good person, has raised a fine family and that if as her constituent I was to call her with help for a problem she would be responsive and helpful. Her opponent is Dr.Gratwick, a man I know not at all. Still he is the Democrat and on a recent piece of campaign literature I received attacking Dr. Gratwick I read the accusation that he would be a puppet for many groups and four of those groups mentioned were the teachers union, Maine State Employees, the AFL-CIO and the Sierra Club. I guess it just is an example of how far off the mainstream of our culture I am that I think support from those four groups is a good thing.

What this means is that the candidate that I personally like, know, and respect, Nichi Farnham is the candidate that has consistently been a rubber stamp for the Governor whose positions I detest. What was the last straw for me was the Republicans decision last spring to reach an agreement with the Dems on a budget impasse and then when Governor Lepage vetoed a line he disagreed with those on the right neglected their Constitutional duty to reconvene and vote on the issue and instead allowed him to get away with that stunt. It smelled bad, allowing the Republicans to claim they were willing to work with the left and then allowing LePage's veto to stand. Keep in mind the agreed upon budget was put forth with unanimous consent.

It does not matter how good a person is if when they go to Augusta they give into the most extreme portions of their party. Those that would say that Gratwick will be in line with the extreme left might be correct. The truth unvarnished is that if being in favor and support of unions is an extreme position one can cover me extreme.

Still I would like to vote for Farnham, if I had some sense that she would try to restrain the far right of her party I would but there is nothing to make one think that she differs in opinion with these folks.

I still think she is a fine person. I suppose that in itself is progress. If we can vote against someone without vilifying them into a bad person, we might be on our way to a more civil discourse.