Lessons, Warnings, and Potential Reforms Following the Kavanaugh Confirmation

The confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the United States Supreme Court: what a victory! This win for the Republican majority, for President Trump, and for the nation as a whole should inspire conservatives going into Election 2018. However, the criminal antics leading up to his success should encourage steps to prevent such an outrageous circus from happening again.

President Trump’s leadership inspired courage and conservatism among a Republican U.S. Senate caucus which had routinely acquiesced to the other side many times rather than fight back. When Republicans fight, they win. They should consider doing more of it. During the 2010 Tea Party wave, a number of Republican incumbents lost their seats in primaries (and Murkowski almost lost hers) because they did not fight for conservative values and fight back against the Democratic Party.

Eight years later, with Trump at the helm, Republican U.S. Senators are flexing their muscle. Perhaps McCain’s passing has cemented the resolve of the Republican conference, too. Never would have I expected Lindsey Graham to put aside bipartisan comity as effectively and severely as he did when defending Judge Kavanaugh during the Judiciary Committee hearings. Senators Orrin Hatch and Chuck Grassley also demonstrated a more solid edge against the loud, obnoxious Democratic minority on their committee. They rebuffed protesters for their ramped-up savage attacks

Even flakey U.S. Senator Jeff Flake stood up for the team in his final year in the Upper Chamber. 

Initially, his request for one more FBI investigation seemed like craven, Never-Trump cowering—anything to screw over the President who had shamed him for his liberal views on borders and national economic interests. Looking back on the 50-48 confirmation victory, Flake’s qualifying motion makes sense. The seventh investigation fully exonerated Kavanaugh beyond reproach, and it offered President Trump the opportunity to prove his commitment to a transparent process. Finally, the investigation provided necessary ballast for U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Joe Manchin to vote for confirmation.

And then there’s Collins. Never have I been so proud of a GOP moderate. Collins has been a 50-50 member of the upper chamber for the last two decades. She voted against Obamacare, but she still voted for Planned Parenthood. This time, she took the bold step of believing Kavanaugh because the accusers and their spurious evidence failed to convince her to withhold her vote. She confirmed not just Kavanaugh, but everything that makes our judicial system great: presumption of innocence, thorough investigations; a commitment to believing the facts, not one’s feelings; and finding the truth rather than promoting a political outcome.

On a larger note, the Alinsky-Obama-Clinton machine of mob-ocracy and muggery failed big time. Before becoming President, Barack Obama’s only real job had entailed community organization and academia (if one can really call those efforts “work”). He intended to remake the United States into a socialist endgame first through his executive actions, and then with an expanded network of social justice warrior activist groups. Organizing for Action is still active, and big money from left-wing donors like Tom Steyer, George Soros, and Michael Bloomberg is pouring into national and statewide efforts. But they hit a big wall of conservative resolve. The stakes were too high for Republicans to let this confirmation slip away.

This victory is a big win for Kavanaugh the man, not just the justice. What incredible fortitude we saw in this jurist. His selection is a big victory for Trump’s political instincts, too. He chose a candidate with a long judicial record. Trump likely foresaw the worst political machinations from the Democrats, and Kavanaugh stood up to them, shaming the disgraceful antics of the Democratic Party, who callously fundraised of this debilitating conflict to shore up election prospects in 2018 and 2020. Democrats don’t understand that conservatives not only understand the corrupt games that liberals play, but now they know how to fight back and win.

There are causes for concern going forward, and those issues were laid out early in this confirmation process. In his opening statements at the Judiciary Committee hearings, U.S. Senator Ben Sasse announced the causes behind the SCOTUS Circus which erupted at the Kavanaugh hearings. Congress is not doing its job to pass meaningful legislation, but is turfing its authority to fourth branch bureaucracies or leaving considerable policy outcomes to the United States Supreme Court.

The court of last resort has become too powerful, taking on a super-legislative role in our republican form of government. Their role in federal and even state politics needs to be scaled back. It’s time to review judicial review, rethink Marbury v. Madison. Should the Supreme Court have the final say on whether legislation withstands constitutional scrutiny? Congress has the power to limit the size and scope of the judiciary’s power. Doing so would decrease the increasingly partisan wrangling which has strangled the nomination/confirmation process.

Last of all, yes indeed the U.S. Senators stood up to the mob of abusive left-wing agitators. Yet if the United States Constitution is to serve as the final guide for our legislature, we must remember the Framers’ original vision for the United States Senate. The upper chamber was never supposed to be a popular chamber, i.e. elected by the people of the several states, but rather selected by the legislatures. Fake news and progressive propaganda induced the passage of the 17^th Amendment, which created the direct election of Senators.

The argument for repeal of the 17^th Amendment may be difficult to make. However, as the country becomes more conservative, concerned about federal overreach at the expense of individual liberty and state sovereignty, a “Repeal the 17^th Movement” can take shape. Once enacted, the U.S. Senate can be restored as a deliberative body immune to mob rule and ensure a respectable process for confirming Supreme Court justices and other executive officials.

For now, the country (and conservatives in particular) can bask in this incredible legal, moral, and political victory. Let’s hope that our leaders learn from this process and take steps to reform it in the near future.

Maine GOP: News You Can Trust (Tax Reform, Budget Packages, etc.)

Maine GOP Presents: News You Can Trust Here is a quick round-up of some key news items.  At the Maine GOP we plan on providing you with a periodic update of key articles and opinions from around the state on topics that matter to you.  If you are aware of a news article or event that should be included here, please email garrettmurch@mainegop.com with the link and information. News You Can Trust Video Edition

Top Maine and National News Senator Collins and Congressman Poliquin lead on providing tax relief for working families This week, Congress passed historic tax relief legislation to give working families bigger paychecks. With key provisions added by Senator Susan Collins and Congressman Bruce Poliquin, the final bill is a winner for the middle class. This tax relief will go into effect very soon, and when it does, working Mainers will see the difference in their paychecks.  Starting this winter, there will be no tax on the first $24,000 a married couple earns. Parents with two children will get $4,000 a year for their child tax credits, instead of $2,000. Tax rates are cut for ALL tax brackets. Tax deductions for state and local property taxes are preserved for the VAST majority of Mainers.  And in a critical win by Senator Collins that Congressman Poliquin also fought for in the House, the tax deduction for medical expenses was not only saved, but made even bigger.  Maine's Republicans in Congress played a HUGE role in making this tax relief good for workers. They were national leaders and reminded us why the Maine people elected them. We at the Maine GOP want to offer Senator Collins and Congressman Poliquin a BIG THANK YOU. Senator Collins statement on passing tax reform for Maine working families In advance of voting, Senator Collins explained the benefits of the tax relief bill she supports. Senator Collins stated: This bill puts money back in the pockets of the American public with tax cuts beginning January 1st. As soon as the IRS updates withholding tables this winter, taxpayers will see the benefit of this bill in higher take-home-pay. Over time, Americans will continue to benefit from this legislation in the form of higher wages. Businesses, small and large, will make the investments that create more jobs... While this legislation is by no means perfect, on balance, it will provide much-needed tax relief. It will benefit lower- and middle-income families, while spurring the creation of good jobs and greater economic growth for our nation. Click here to read Senator Collins full release. Congressman Poliquin statement on passing tax reform for Maine working families Following House passage of tax relief for working Maine families and small businesses, Congressman Bruce Poliquin stated: I agree with my colleague Senator Collins that this new law will drastically simplify our tax code for the vast majority of Mainers and save more money for more of our hardworking families...   “Under this simpler tax code, we are doubling the standard deduction, meaning the average married couple in Maine will not pay any federal income tax for the first $24,000 they earn, a huge boost for our families. In addition, this increases the child tax credit to $2,000, meaning the average Maine family will save an additional $2,000 on their taxes per child in their family. This makes it easier for ordinary Maine families to benefit from the tax code...   This improved tax code will also greatly benefit the more than 140,000 small businesses and job creators throughout Maine and their 275,000 employees by lowering the effective rate for pass-throughs, of which almost all small businesses are organized. It will allow small businesses in all industries to benefit from it. We are giving our small businesses—the backbone of Maine’s economy—relief so they can grow and create more jobs for our fellow Mainers. Click here for Congressman Poliquin's statement. Maine Examiner: Sen. Justin Chenette Used Tax Dollars To Buy Campaign Ads From Himself This week, Maine Examiner reported: ...documents reviewed by Maine Examiner show that in the 2016 campaign cycle, Chenette used taxpayer funds to purchase advertising from his private sector employer, the Journal Tribune, to support his own candidacy for Maine Senate... The transactions, discovered in filings with the Maine Ethics Commission, show Chenette purchasing nearly $4,500 in advertising from the Journal Tribune, which bills itself as York County’s only daily newspaper. Chenette is the sole Digital Advertising Executive for the paper and has promoted himself as being available to sell customers print, digital and other services at the paper on his personal Facebook page... Recent online job postings indicate that advertising jobs such as Chenette’s at the Journal Tribune are paid a commission on sales... In total, Chenette spent more than $42,000 in taxpayer funding on his campaign, returning $17.34 in unspent funds to the MCEA fund on November 28, 2016, according to reports available from the Maine Ethics Commission. Click here to read the full Maine Examiner article. Maine Gubernatorial candidate announces hiring of senior campaign staff This week, Senate President Mike Thibodeau today announced his campaign for governor will be headed up by Tom Dickens and Christie-Lee McNally. Click here to read the full announcement.

GOP (?) US Senator Explains to State Party Her Opposition to Obamacare Repeal

US Senator Susan Collins is very unpopular.

She is under attack from every angle, especially the Republican base in her own state. While she was busy dancing the Potomac Two-Step, making nice with Democrats and trying to play the centrist card and hold onto what power remaining in the center of US Senate politics.

The Maine GOP released this statement on their eblast:

We are pleased to pass along this communication to you directly from Senator Susan Collins. To my fellow Mainers,   I wanted to explain to you directly why I opposed the Graham-Cassidy health care proposals. First, I want to assure you that I understand the flaws in the ACA (also known as Obamacare). In fact, one of the main reasons I opposed the ACA when it was passed by the Senate without a single Republican vote in 2009 was because there was nothing affordable about it. Today, too many Americans are burdened with skyrocketing premiums, unaffordable deductibles, and limited choices, and small businesses across our country are struggling.   Notice how Collins talks about "flaws". The whole law is completely flawed. The whole law needs to be scrapped. A total repeal is essential.   Obamacare is not working for many Americans, but in trying to solve the problem, it's important that we not make matters worse. Unfortunately, the Graham-Cassidy proposal would have done just that.   Repealing Obamacare would solve plenty of problems. What is the problem with those who do not understand that handing out government dollars to provide health care is not providing health care at all?! Like Obamacare, Graham-Cassidy would have done nothing to address the budget busting and unsustainable costs of health care. And it was a bad deal for Maine. Here are just some of the problems:   Maine would lose $2 billion over the next ten years and billions more after that.  Numerous studies confirm this fact. The National Association of State Medicaid Directors said that Graham-Cassidy would be “the largest intergovernmental transfer of financial risk from the federal government to the states in our country’s history.” Medicaid is turning into a Ponzi Scheme. Collins should be militantly fighting for the state of Maine to hold onto its tax dollars. The bloc grant program would have been a more efficient way for holding money within the state and getting rid of the untenable individual and employer mandates.   Premiums would have increased. One of the authors of the bill acknowledged this to me directly. Individuals between the ages of 50 and 64 would have been particularly hard hit. Premiums are already increasing, and they have gotten worse because of Obamacare.   People with pre-existing conditions would not have been adequately protected. If you have a pre-existing condition like asthma, cancer, arthritis, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, use a pacemaker, or have had a heart attack or stroke, or suffered from mental illness, you would pay even higher premiums or be subjected to annual or lifetime caps on your insurance in some states.   Maybe we need a Washington leadership that stops acting as though the government can provide everything, that the state can cover for every single health care need, including the pre-existing conditions matter. How about we start treating American voters like adults and allow them to have liberty and responsibility over their lives, including their health care and health insurance.           Millions more people would not have had insurance coverage. When the uninsured get sick or hurt, we all pay.            Maine’s hospitals would suffer, and rural hospitals and nursing homes could have been forced to close.    Maine rural hospitals are already eliminating services, such as obstetrics, oncology, pediatrics, and psychiatry. In addition to hurting medical services for Mainers, the proposal would have led to job losses at hospitals and health care providers, which are often the largest employers in the rural communities they serve.  The rural areas are losing money will the big cities, run by Big Labor Democrats, are taking all the funding. How about ensuring more quality care and control through more local control and privatization?!   One other major flaw with the Graham-Cassidy proposal is that it made one of the same mistakes that the Democrats made when they jammed through Obamacare – the bill did nothing to address the soaring cost of health care.   Yes it does! By repealing the individual and employer mandates, the costs of health insurance will go down. More jobs and productivity will abound, too.   Here is what we need to do going forward: Take action to address the cost of health care, including looking at the spiraling cost of prescription drugs, increasing transparency, and giving people more control to manage their health care. Create invisible high-risk pools such as we had in Maine under PL 90 to provide reinsurance to help control premium costs. (Rand Paul wanted to help with that) Act quickly to stabilize the insurance markets. (Government intervention is precisely what is creating the instability!) Carefully review and repair the other flaws in Obamacare. (NO! Repeal. Period)   One final note – some have suggested that Anthem’s decision to withdraw from the individual market in Maine was because the Senate failed to pass Graham-Cassidy. That is just not accurate. Anthem strongly opposed Graham-Cassidy. The Big Business lobby wants government and government subsidy. Many of them will play up their investment in government interventions of all kinds. They are not pro-free market. They are pro-self interest and profit, at the expense of the individual consumers. This is one of the biggest, most fallacious arguments pushed by the Democrats in their drive for higher taxes and regulations. "But this business and that business want this!" So what?!   Health care affects each and every one of us and comprises one-sixth of our economy. We do need reform, but the Graham-Cassidy legislation was not the answer as was demonstrated by the fact that just last weekend the sponsors issued a fourth hastily drafted version of their bill, just days before the vote would have occurred.   I appreciate your reading this message and invite you to review the various studies and letters that are hyperlinked in this email.   Best wishes,   Susan Collins

The grassroots conservatives in Maine have had enough of their RINO US Senator. She was able to cruise on her liberal-leaning credentials as long as she continued voting in concert with the rest of her caucus. She was playing games, however, as she knew that any legislation passed out of the US Senate would die on President Obama's desk.

Collins must be in big trouble, and she knows it, precisely because she had to explain her opposition to Obamacare repeal of every sort.

This woman is in big trouble, and she knows it. She might become another cross-over, just as Arlen Specter had done in 2009. There is one lesson, however, which these centrist-liberal Republicans need to realize: in both states, the Republican brand has not only gotten stronger, it has gotten more conservative. Witness the success from Republicans to take over one chamber of the Augusta state house, the Governor's mansion, and to gain back a House seat for the first time in nearly two decades.

Collins has missed out on this conservative wave, and she is going to get washed out. Her continued opposition to repealing Obamacare, especially after having voted for repeal multiple times in the past, will be her undoing.

Repeal and Replace Obamacare Republicans--Murkowski, Collins, Capito, and Portman

Arthur, One thing we hear from conservatives across the country is how frustrated they are with Republicans who refuse to use the power they've been given to enact conservative reforms. No issue frustrates the grassroots more than the failure of Senate Republicans to repeal Obamacare. That is why we announced yesterday that the Senate Conservatives Fund (SCF) will work to identify, recruit, and fund primary challengers against Senate Republicans who oppose Obamacare repeal. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) Republicans vowed to repeal Obamacare for years and now with President Trump in the White House, there is no excuse for them to break their promise. If they won’t keep their word and if they can’t find the courage to repeal a liberal takeover of our health care system that has hurt so many American families, then they should be replaced by someone who will truly fight for less government and more freedom. If you agree, please help us send a message to the establishment by pledging to support conservative primary challengers against Obamacare Republicans. Susan Collins You don't need to make a contribution now, but we need to know that you're with us and get an estimate of how much support we can raise for qualified challengers. We also need to show Senate Republicans that there will be political consequences when they betray us. President Trump has called on Republicans to repeal Obamacare first and then consider other reforms later if necessary. Four Republicans – Susan Collins (R-Maine), Shelly Moore Capito (R-West Virginia), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and Rob Portman (R-Ohio) – have already rejected the president's plan and announced their opposition to a simple repeal of Obamacare. Shelley Moore Capito These senators have lost their way and should face strong primary challengers the next time they are up for re-election. Please pledge to help replace Obamacare Republicans. We would prefer to focus all of our election efforts on defeating incumbent Democrats, but the actions by liberal Republicans cannot be ignored. They are siding with the Democrats on a major issue and have become Republicans in name only. Rob Portman Thank you for your support. We will continue to do everything we can to promote conservative leadership in Washington. Sincerely, Ken Cuccinelli II President Senate Conservatives Fund @KenCuccinelli / @SCF

Success! Maine Supreme Court Strikes Down Anti-Constitutional Voter System

The Maine GOP had incredible successes in Maine, the Pine Tree Street.

The sweeping victories began with Governor Paul Le Page.

He won his first election with 37% of the vote in a five-way race of Governor.

He won re-election with 40% of the vote.

Pure democracy can be more damaging than constructive.

Reminder: The Framers of the United States Constitution did not support direct democracy.

In fact, they opposed democracy of any kind.

Their greater investment? Division of powers, frustration of power, and checks and balances.

They prized individual liberty and local control as much as possible.

For the past decade, The Democracy has looked for devious ways to "expand the voting franchise", when in reality they want to undermine good governance for special interest powers.

Check out what happened in Maine, when the Maine liberals tried to upend the voting process with "Ranked-Choice Voting".

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: May 23, 2017

Contact: Nina McLaughlin, nina@mainegop.com  

Maine GOP Applauds Ruling On Ranked Choice Voting
Costly system would have added unnecessary burdens and costs, violated spirit of
Maine's elections & Maine Constitution as well as suppressing voter participation

AUGUSTA- The Maine Supreme Court ruled today that the Ranked-Choice Voting Act is in conflict with the Maine Constitution. 

Maine Republican Party Executive Director Jason Savage shared his thoughts on the ruling, "Once again we see that special interest driven ballot initiatives are not in the best interest of the Maine people and in this instance, not even Constitutional. This referendum sought to use the popular vote to override our Constitution and undermine the civic spirit and traditions of Maine's elections."

Now this point in the above paragraph is crucial to our understanding of proper governance, as understood by our Framers and every common-sense minded political scientist.

The best opportunities and reforms depend on truth and wisdom, not jut popular vote or consensus. Voters in an of themselves are experts in many fields, but not in all the nececssary subjects for leadership or governing.

The voter franchise is not the ultimate defense for protecting liberties or ensuring the protection of minority rights, either. Constitutional republicans ensure the protection of everyone's rights and opportunities. Equall rights for all; special privileges for none.

"I am pleased by this ruling, but disappointed in the resources that were wasted fighting faulty special interest driven legislation," continued Mr. Savage. "While liberals in Augusta continue to use the 'will of the voter' via referendum as a justification for poorly designed or damaging laws, we believe it is the job of the Legislature to protect the Constitution, our economy, and the well-being of our people and systems of government." 

Another great point. Special interests push these ridiculous referenda for dubious reasons, not just the plain intentions of the language. They want to drive up the Democratic voter count for undemocratic, unrepublican, anti-constitutional proposals.

A huge waste of taxpayer dollars goes into these liberal frivolities, while the state's most crucial needs go unfixed.

"This decision renders useless the argument that referendums are an unimpeachable method of creating policy," said Mr. Savage in conclusion.

The California Republican Party should follow the same lead. The initiative process is becoming the last-ditch effort for individual citizens to stop the abuse of the Democratic supermajority in Sacramento.

On a political note, rank-choice voting would have made it hard for a concentrated minority vote for a Republican candidate to be successful. Such a system would have prevented Governor Paul Le Page from being successful.

With Paul Le Page, a red renaissance has overtaken the once reliably Democratic state. Republicans control the state senate and have a close margin as the minority party in the State House. For the first time in 18 years, a Republican was elected to Congress, specifically representing District 2, the northern part of the state. Furthermore, Donald Trump earned one electoral vote in Maine, because the state allots electoral votes according to Congressional apportionment.

Expect more victories for the Maine Republican Party in the next two years. Sources suggest that Senator Susan Collins will run for Governor, since Le Page is termed out in 2018. Two US Senate seats will be up for election, and the current governor has expressed some interest in the office.

Target These Three Republicans: Repeal Obamacare, and Repeal it NOW!

I read this article this afternoon, and I could guess the answer to one of the people mentioned:

The 3 GOP Senators Who Could Stop Obamacare Repeal

The one US Senator who would be the most dithering would be: Susan Collins

Susan Collins (R-Maine)

She is the most liberal Republican in the United States. She has even toyed with the idea of going past repeal of Obamacare, like there is no hope of return.

That is all wrong! That is an outrageous stance. She should recall that the Governor of Maine, Paul LePage, has rejected the medicaid expansion, and refuses to induce more government dependence and poverty on Mainers. Men and women can thrive and grow, and they can rest assured that their medical needs can be met in a freer, more equitable insurance/marketplace system.

More liberty, more accountability, and more transparency is the key.

It's time to give Senator Collins a call, and reminder her that she works for We the People:

68 Sewall Street, Room 507

Augusta, ME 04330

Main: (207) 622-8414

Washington D.C. Office

413 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Washington, DC 20510

Main: (202)224-2523

Fax: (202)224-2693

(253)383-5841

The next two names listed baffled me:

Rand Paul (R-KY)

Really:

At least three Republican senators – Susan Collins of Maine, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana – have signaled to their leaders that it would be a big mistake to plunge ahead with repealing Obamacare without a replacement plan waiting in the wings, as the Morning Consult reported today.

Oh brother!

The US Senate and the House can repeal and replace all at the same time!

About Rand Paul's jitters:

Paul warned in an op-ed in Rare that unless they moved quickly to replace Obamacare with a fully-developed plan that works, the Republicans could end up being blamed for the continued deterioration of the program.

This stance is the wrong approach entirely. The law is bad from top to bottom, and the pain will linger far longer if nothing is done. Obamacare is already failing consumers and families. The full repeal won't do nearly the damage that the law while in place already has.

What is with Senator Paul? Honestly, is he concerned about the Kentucky residents who have gone onto Ky-nect, the Bluegrass State's Obamacare health exchange? This is crass.

He needs to get off his a--- and make Obamacare go away!

Bowling Green

Main State Office

1029 State Street

Bowling Green, KY 42101

Phone: 270-782-8303

Capitol Office Location

Washington, DC

167 Russell Senate Office Building

Washington DC, 20510

Phone: 202-224-4343

The third US Senator to express reluctance to repeal all the way right away?

Bill Cassidy of Louisiana:

Cassidy on Tuesday tweeted that “Many are worried about losing insurance coverage.”

Many are worried about losing insurance coverage. If we repeal #Obamacare and #ReplaceNow no one will lose their coverage.

— Bill Cassidy (@BillCassidy) January 3, 2017

Get your plan together and repeal!

Call Cassidy's office, and tell him to stop dragging his feet!

5555 Hilton Avenue, Ste. 100

Baton Rouge, LA 70808

Phone: (225) 929-7711

Fax: (225) 929-7688

703 Hart Senate Office Building

Washington, D.C. 20510

Phone: (202) 224-5824

Fax: (202) 224-9735

Hours: M-F9-5:30pm

Get Directions

There is no time to deal. There should be no subsidies from taxpayers for those who refuse to work.

How about making it easier for charity hospitals to open up and raise money?

How about initiating reforms which will allow those who are on Obamacare now to transfer their funds into a Health Savings Account?

The American people want Obamacare repealed. There should be no delay whatsoever.

None. This terrible program cannot be gone faster.

Republicans need to chop away at this gargantuan fraud and not think twice. Medical care has become elusive and expensive because of the government intervention into the program.

It's time for a phase-out. No more bailouts, no more sellouts!

By the way ... the ball is already rolling!

Trump Moving Toward Winning Upsets in ... Maine?

The Pine Tree State, Maine has not gone Republican since 1988, when George H. W. Bush rode Ronald Reagan's coattails into the White House.

Maine has been out of reach for Republicans since then.

Once in a while, Republicans would get elected to the governor's mansion, and at one time, both US Senators were Republicans (albeit very liberal).

Now a conservative Republican serves in the Governor's mansion and represents Northern Maine in the Second District.

In that same district, Donald Trump is beating Hillary Clinton by ten points!

This is incredible.

The Maine Republican Party did not let this news sit in the newspaper, either!

The state party's executive director released this latest eblast:

Have you seen the great news!?

A new Colby College-Boston Globe poll is showing that Maine, once a playground for National Democrat special interest groups, is on the verge of delivering at least 1, and maybe 3, electoral votes for Mr. Donald Trump.

This poll was published in the left-leaning Boston Globe!

Not Breitbart, and not Rasmussen!

However, right now we need to make sure we do not take a single thing for granted over the next 7 weeks. As we get closer to Election Day, we need all hands on deck and your support!

The state of Maine has developed a stronger undercurrent of hard-working conservative leaders who don't take crap from liberal, elitist special interests!

Maine Governor Paul LePage has played a large part in bringing the Republican brand into greater force in this New England bastion.

The article from the Boston Globe was more promising for Republicans, especially for Donald Trump:

Maine doles out its four Electoral College votes in an unusual way, awarding two votes to the statewide winner and another for each of its two congressional districts. Trump’s campaign had hoped to pick off a single electoral vote in the more conservative, vast, and rural Second District — something that has never happened in Maine’s political history.

This "usual" process should be more common. Presidential candidates would campaign in more states, and grant more power to otherwise marginalized Democratic and Republican voters in one-party states.

In California, certain Congressional districts can tilt Republican during a general election, even if the Congressional incumbent is a Democrat. A Republican Presidential candidate could count on winning at least 14 electoral votes in the Golden State. A Democratic contender could pick up electoral votes in Texas or even Alabama with the right national campaign.

That is, if more states adopted Congressional representation for their Electoral College allocation.

So, what is happening in Maine?

But the poll shows Trump’s dominance in the Second District — he leads Clinton by 10 points there — is boosting him statewide, as well. In the 1st Congressional District, which includes Portland and points south, Clinton has an 18-point lead, showing just how politically divided the state is geographically.

The Boston Globe article tried to glance over this troubling development for the Democratic nominee.

It's still a YUGE development.

And there's more.

What’s more, politics are shifting in the state once known for electing moderate Republicans like Margaret Chase Smith, who served as a US senator. The state reelected its controversial and highly partisan GOP governor, Paul LePage, in 2014.

They forgot to mention that LePage won by 37% of the vote, but has governed pretty effectively.

He won by a wider margin in 2014, as he competed against three candidates, including the retiring Congressman Mike Michaud of the Second District!

“If Paul LePage’s reelection wasn’t a wake-up call to Maine Democrats, this poll should be,” said Mike Cuzzi, a former Obama campaign staffer and Democratic political consultant based in Maine.

Forty percent of respondents said they had a favorable impression of LePage in the survey, conducted a week after he openly mulled resigning following an inflammatory, expletive-laden voice mail he left for a state lawmaker. LePage is an ardent Trump supporter.

He was an ardent Christie supporter first, though. The article forgets to mention that.

“Democrats here in Maine have struggled to connect with the core of Trump and LePage voters, which is generally white, rural, working-class men,” Cuzzi said. “In more populated states, Democrats can overcompensate for that with diversity in cities, but if you struggle with that group in Maine, you have a real problem.”

The Democratic Party has turned into a hyper-urban elitist political faction out of touch with the pressing concerns of American citizens. In many cases, Democratic policies have targeted and benefited the wealthy and well-connected, while ignoring the well-being and best interests of working class people, not just "white" people.

The ongoing irrelevance of the progressive Democrats should hint at how much they have distanced their once loyal constituents. These are still plenty of Reagan Democrats out there, and many of them are taking one more step to become Republicans!

Governor LePage's policies also contributed to creating a state community of workers, makers, and hard-hitting taskmasters. Men and women cannot come to Maine looking for a handout, either, which has further depressed the Democratic turnout.

Most people forget that a Democratic governor named John Baldacci had served as governor before LePage, and turned Maine into a sanctuary STATE for illegal aliens!

The current governor told all the moochers "Get off of welfare and get a job!"

He was the precursor to the brazen brand of in-your-face politicking so needed in this country, too!

Bruce Poliquin's upset in the Second District during the 2014 election also signaled that New Englanders are getting tired of the destructive Democratic dominance and taking on Republican leadership, all for the better for them!

All of this bodes very well for Donald Trump, who has responded to the deep-set, deeply rooted anxieties of many Americans---not just the white ones!