The Rebuke of Paul LePage

The hard realities of Presidential politics came home to Governor Paul LePage. After sneaking into office with just 39 percent of the vote and having the good fortune to come into office in an off year election and thus to be greeted with Republican majorities in both houses life just got a bit more difficult for our Governor.

As President Obama won a large majority of the ballots cast last night to earn Maine's four electoral votes Maine Democrats also had a night of stunning success. As of this morning with a few battles yet to be called it is clear that LePage in January will find himself facing both a House and Senate controlled by the opposition power.

The days of bullying his way through are done. The days of having a rubber stamp Senate are long gone.

This does not bode well for Maine necessarily. Unless of course LePage can change course. He has thus far shown himself to be a big blustering buffoon of an executive who most often when he cannot have his way would just as soon not play the game at all. That said one must suppose that realities can change a persons outlook. The vision that LePage had for his second term is dead. In the water. It cannot be resuscitated. He can however if he is willing to work with the Democrats accomplish much. Realistically his chances of reelection are non existent unless he does something dramatic to make himself more attractive to independents and moderates. The question is does LePage want to be reelected or will he be living in his " wife's " Florida home comfortably in four years. We do not know.

I do not want him to be a failure. On a national and a local level I want our leaders to lead, and lead means to work together. If Mr. LePage chooses to stand firm in his ideology he will be a hero to those who elected him but he will accomplish nothing from this point forward. It will be his choice and his choice alone.

For those Republicans who were brought into office in the off year election of 2010 in the legislature and were swept out with the Obama tide there is no reason to think they will not return. The question is, and this is a question that all our representatives need to ask themselves is when you find yourself in control of all branches of government do you want to behave like a fat kid loose in a candy store or do you want to attempt to govern in such a way as to change government for longer than it takes for your constituents to throw you out in two years.

The Republicans got through their tax cut for the rich in LePage's first two years. It should be noted this was the first thing LePage did, long before he announced the budget to have a huge shortfall. Let there be no misunderstanding what the number one item on the LePage agenda was. The question is does he want this to be his only epitaph, that and of course removing a mural that will be returned the first day a Democrat takes office in two years.

Lepage's legacy will be written in the coming months. Is there any hope of him surprising us and making it anymore than a short note about the failed administration of a flawed candidate who won in a three way race and was emasculated in the mid year elections and finished out his term blustering to no effect. Time will tell.