It was polite, orderly, with some rows of empty seats. The Maine Democratic Convention this weekend also had its rousing and humorous moments. Of note was former House speaker Hannah Pingree, who stood at the podium and said to welcome laughter, “Yes, I am pregnant. Number two. Somebody around here has got to have more Democrats. I’m working on it.”
In an offhand way, she hit the point. The party has lost support. To gain back popularity will require rejuvenation and new energy. It was clear that to win the election for the U.S. Senate seat in November, the Democrat who prevails in the primary will have to work hard for greater name recognition and will have to perfect his or her message about how to improve the economy.
It’s a tough time to be a Democrat after the loss of both legislative chambers and the governor’s office in November 2010. There’s strong potential that what happened in that 2010 gubernatorial race — where Democrats split in order to vote for independent Eliot Cutler — will happen again with independent Angus King, a front-runner in the race to replace Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe.
The convention held at the Augusta Civic Center served largely to boost enthusiasm among the party faithful, but the challenge now and in the coming months will be to draw support from unenrolled voters, who make up the largest voting bloc. Democrats will have to get specific not just about their nausea for Gov. Paul LePage and Republicans but why they are better leaders.
That will be difficult in the Senate race where, even if the Democratic candidate has good ideas, he or she will be facing an uphill battle against King for name recognition. A Critical Insights phone survey conducted at the beginning of May asked 800 residents to name any of the Senate candidates. A whopping 46 percent named King, and 42 percent couldn’t name anybody.
The polling data is limited, but if the Democratic Party has a front-runner in the Senate race preceding the June 12 primary, it appears to be state Sen. Cynthia Dill of Cape Elizabeth (though she does not show a strong lead). Of residents surveyed by the Maine People’s Resource Center between March 31 and April 2, 20.3 percent said they would vote for Dill, while 16.7 said they would vote for former Secretary of State Matt Dunlap.
Rep. Jon Hinck of Portland got 6.2 percent. Ben Pollard, who owns an ecoconscious construction company in Portland, got 1.9 percent.
Dill also gave the most thorough, memorable speech at the convention. She talked about repealing the George W. Bush tax cuts, redirecting tax dollars from the military and toward education, increasing fuel-efficiency standards, creating a single-payer health care system, promoting locally grown food and standing for “economic and social justice.”
Hinck addressed similar topics but paid more attention at the beginning of his speech to the need to protect the environment and foster greater renewable energy sources. “The world is starting to run a fever,” he said. He went on to speak in support of reproductive rights and marriage equality and against big money in politics and the attack on collective bargaining.
Pollard stuck mainly to ideas concerning foreign policy, national security and ecological sustainability. “I don’t like fundraising. I don’t really like promoting myself. I consider myself a man of ideas,” he said.
Dunlap spoke about helping the vulnerable, such as the neighbor who goes to McDonalds not to eat but to get warm. He emphasized the need to keep college affordable. “However tired we are, however daunting the challenge, we the Democrats must answer the call. In these dangerous times, that’s the big picture,” he said.
Once the rhetoric fades, it’s clear the Democrats have a lot more work to do. We’re looking for new ideas, leadership that people across Maine can buy into, a solid plan about how to direct sustainable business development. Democratic supporters chanted President Barack Obama’s slogan of “fired up, ready to go” throughout the convention. Now they have to make clear to the rest of the state how they will draw in more Democrats and give birth to a new sense of purpose.
There is plenty of amunition the Democratic Party can use in condemning what the other party has been up to. However that won’t be enough.
They had better come up with solid plans on how they are going to turn the economy around.
they have a solid plan, it’s called more debt, in fact, endless debt….debt ’till the cows come home….more, and more, and more debt
Fail
And what is LeBUFFOON’s “plan”? More insane and morally bankrupt trickle down? More tax cuts for the millionaire job killers? Where are all the “jobs jobs jobs” that these millionaires all over the country are supposed be creating for us NOW? They have had their tax cuts for over a decade. Where are the “jobs jobs jobs”??? The LeBUFFOON plan is to NOT invest in infrastructure, NOT invest in technology, NOT invest in alternative energy, NOT do creative cooperation, just the SAME OLD SAME OLD ridiculous trickle down which puts more and more of the tax burden on the backs of the middle class (which the right wing wants to destroy of course). Talk about debt? At the national level Bush and Co. EXPLODED the national debt completely squandering the surplus left by Clinton. Those are the FACTS, something right wingers love to deny. LeBUFFOON’s right wingers in Maine are going to get POUNDED in November because Mainers are disgusted with them, are disgusted with LeBUFFOON, and want to return to SANE governance where people work together again, make the needed investments, and work to streamline government in smart and fair ways, not with a crazy hatchet and not by doing things like putting toxics back in products so that “women might grow little beards.”
I like your use of LeBUFFOON, almost as good as Bangorians penguin. You guys probably get together and laugh uncontrollably at your ability to call people names. We used to do that back in second grade but grew out of it by third grade. I guess democrats never do grow up. Keep reminding me why I vote republican.
Well, the first part of the plan is to not sell off the state to the highest Koch Brothers bidder and foist the insane and morally bankrupt ALEC agenda on us which would make Jesus Christ sick to his stomach like LeBUFFOON and his morally bankrupt TeaPals in the legislature are doing. What is THEIR economic plan? Where are all the “jobs jobs jobs”? You don’t do it by polarizing the state and pitting Mainer against Mainer. You do it through sound progressive tax policy, investing in alternative energy, infrastructure, and education, SMARTLY streamlining government (not with a crazy man hatchet like LeBUFFOON), and through creative cooperation between all stakeholders in government and business. LeBUFOON’s BUFFOONISH TeaFools will be SLAMMED in November because Mainers are sick and tired of their government getting sold off to the Heritage Foundation, ALEC, and the highest corporate bidder, and they want to work TOGETHER to deal with the issues. Something the Republicans have forgotten how to do.
Sooner or later they’ll “get it,” Tinserblic…if and when they remove the Kochlear implants that prevent them from hearing the voice of reason.
The Democrats are the party without a plan. Campaigning on we are not Le Page, while it gets positive feed back here, will not fly very far in November. The pledge to restore the cuts that have been made and re implementing the tax cuts that sound nice means the Democrats need to show us the money. New taxes, fees etal or just leaving the budget balanced will only point out finally, just how bankrupt the Democratic Party really is.
And what is LeBUFFOON’s “plan”??? Taking down labor murals? Trying to suppress voting rights with abject lies? Telling people to kiss his you know what? Putting toxics back in products so “women might grow little beards”? Giving more and more tax cuts to the rich job killers, polarizing the state, and making the vast majority of Mainers hate his guts? Gee, there’s a good plan for us. Democrats will restore SANE governance to this state, work as they have always done through creative cooperation to streamline government where possible in smart ways while investing in alternative energy development, research, infrastructure, and education, all of which lead to economic development and prosperity. LeBUFFOON ran on “jobs jobs jobs” yet with the best interest rates and matching fund deals around, he refuses any bond measures which would in fact create jobs right now and for years to come. LeBUFFOON and his TeaRadical allies in the legislature are BANKRUPT of any real economic plan beyond the SAME OLD SAME OLD FAILED trickle down of the past which does not work and has NEVER worked. The millionaires i America have had their national tax cuts for over a decade. Where are the “jobs jobs jobs” they were supposed to have “created” for us??? We got the Great Recession and LOST jobs to other nations. And this is just what LeBUFFOON and his TeaPals in Augusta want for Maine. The ALEC Heritage Foundation Koch Brothers plan to sell Maine off to the highest bidder, of, by, and for the rich and to heck with the rest of us. Well, come November we are going to place a serious check and balance on that nonsense when the Dems send the TeaFools packing in a big way.
NOT-LePage is NOT a plan. Defining your platform by what you are not is a sure way to lose. You’ve made DavidHa’s point.
So much anger, oh dear.
( Campaigning on we are not Le Page, )
Works for Me!
Run a Watermelon against him!
Even THAT has a plan to grow!
Hannah Pingree said, “Yes, I am pregnant.” I wonder with what, since she is an adamant promoter of abortion, believing that life in the womb is not important Can’t have it both ways, Hannah.
When did you ever hear her advocating abortion for everyone? I believe she is pro-choice. Can I assume that you are pro-making decisions for others?
Being pro-choice isn’t promotion of abortion. That’s ridiculous.
Just have to love the way they stretch things. It’s obvious logic is not their forte.
That is absolutely the kind of mean, vicious, and nasty rhetoric which proves over and over and over again what total hypocrites right wingers are when you talk on one hand about how much you love Jesus and then turn around and say something so ridiculous and nasty as that. Talk like that would make Jesus Christ spit in your face. You should be absolutely ashamed of yourself. And this is exactly why the right wing in Maine is going to get SLAMMED in November.
active imagination on two points. First how do you know what Jesus would say or do? and… You have a surprise coming in November.
WWJD? Ever heard that tired old cliche “christians” like to use? I don’t claim to know what He’d do, but I think you can safely look at His deeds and rule out “vote republican.”
See what I mean.
The democratic party has a credibility problem.
I am not a fan of the GOP… I find most of what they stand for to be against my personal beliefs. However I am also not a registered D… I am onw of the majority… you know, we unenrolled and disenfranchised.
In the current situation, my support for an Independent or Dem candidate is more about getting the GOP out of office, than it is about their platforms.
Part of the problem we have in this country is the corporate control of our Government, and both parties are culpable for the existence of this situation. Does anyone think this is not the case?
The Democrats play the peoples game, but can they follow through on the rhetoric of “fixing what ails us” or are they really just part of the problem? They say they want “new ideas” and frankly they ideas we need are already out there… waiting for them to pick them up and run…. ideals like investing in this country… ideas like putting Banks back in the pocket they belong in and reining in the wild excesses of Wall Street, and finally stopping the rampant greed in the health care system that is bleeding this country dry and filling the pockets of corporations.
So, while I am on the “get the GOP out” if the Dem’s really want my support, they need to step up with actions that counter the moves the GOP has made.
Be careful not to elect Angus King with that approach. Also be careful about Emily Cain. Both appear to be self seekers and not the leaders we really need.
Oooo… fear mongering… “be careful”
Be careful of what? Casting doubt on a situation for the sake of what??
Try putting a little more effort into the thought process and post again….
“Try putting a little more effort into the thought process and post again….”
Condescend much? How liberal of you – and frankly, a bit hypocritical.
your right, I feel Emily Cain is a danger to all living creatures on the planet.
“if the Dem’s really want my support, they need to step up with actions that counter the moves the GOP has made.”
Jason you love to play the thoughtful, moderate independent. A lot of hard-cored liberals do. Quite comical, really.
How so?
This is no act or role.. this is me and what I think…
nice try at an insult though..
And you never insult the GOP, Paul LePage, Bruce Poliquin, etc., do you Jason…
Humor, Laughter… Ok You highjacked the green party, the Gay issue like they were your own just to get the votes.
The organic gardeners don’t want the federal government in their business, yet you incourage laws to regulate them out of business.. The green party may not be happy with that.
Gay people have to work and need good paying jobs and most of the repubs support gay marriage so what have you got to offer them. Nothing.
Teaparty wants less government in personal matters, Liberals want rules and control over their lives.
The occupiers want the bankers and corporate punished and they know the dems are in it up to their elbows.
Who do you got??? People who watch PBS and thats it.
Dems have lost support? Lets see they have run Maine for over 40 years until the current gov took office. Maine is in such great shape do to the great work of all those dems. We need to move the priority of government to support those who work and pay there own way in life.
Pay their own way in life like Lauren LePage, whose daddy, who says he hates government GAVE her a state job immediately after he got elected? Or like LePage’s brother in law who also, low and behold, got a nice cushy state job too?
I credit Gov. LePage for showing enough savvy to put people he can 100% trust in roles within his team. He must have known that he would be under daily attack by the leftists in this state who refuse to face reality and act to curtail the ever-expanding reach of government. The feedback he receives from his daughter and brother-in-law is likely worth its weight in gold. Well done, Governor!
I imagine he has such people on his team, and perhaps in his inner circle. It’s a shame he doesn’t listen to them before he speaks publicly.
who says he doesn’t??
When People want professional politicans do we really need parties.??
John Baldacci hired his good friend Jack Cashman and George Hale at over 100K per year.
What job if any on the planet does Jack Cashman qualify for?
LOL!!
Maine is in such great shape?
Sycophants, that’s what the lamestream media have become. Pure sycophants.
I have a great deal of respect for Sen. Cynthia Dill. However, she is way off the mark when it comes to the founding principles. Getting rid of tax cuts means more debt. Taking money from the military. The Constitution says “provide for defense”…not education. Hello Cynthia are you home yet? Single payer health care system means social health care system not competitive advantage system. Not a good idea. Government control again. Economic and Social Justice. So government is going to make everything equal and fair for all. What about individual liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Individual rights. It is all about everyone having an opportunity to pursue their dreams without government intervention. America is not America anymore, it is a communist country. You need a permit to do anything on your home, a fee for your trash,
even if you go fishing you can only catch certain species. Everything you do you need a license for or an ID for or you are taxed for it and if you don’t do it you get fined for it. These legislators don’t listen to the people they just keep writing rules spending money coming up with fees. You can’t make a move in this state without the government being involved in one way or another.
So, the Democrats generated much of the legislation during their long tenure in the state. The Republicans are doing it from a different angle. The Democrats don’t get it yet. They do not understand that it is big government that is the problem. It is their social programs and their interference in our freedoms that have brought us to where we are today. To the level of debt that our kids will carry and that our kids will never ever have the freedom that we enjoyed 40 years ago because of these stupid politicians who think they know better than the People of Maine and American people. We are now prisoners of our own government and if these politicians are true to this country they had better lead, follow or get out of the way.
Thank you for your wonderfully accurate comment. I sometimes think that politicians forget that they work for the American taxpayer. It’s time to say ” your fired” , it’s time to elect leaders and not career politicians.
Well stated, spot on comments…..
Liberalism, also known as social democracy in Europe, is a bankrupt philosophy that gains its adherents by buying them with taxpayer dollars.
The US’s distorted version of Conservatism, divide and conquer. Create enemies where they don’t exist and demonize oponents. Like that’s not brankrupt? Please.
John Baldacci won the governors seat 2 times by the divide and conquer method.. He liked the idea that there were 5 canadates per elections. He won with a 36% majority and a 32% majority. Dems don’t like it when others play their games and win.
Not what I meant. Republicans rely on the demonization of non-Christian religions, minorities, gay people, teachers, etc. whoever they can get their hands on. It works for them becasue it’s easier to create a common enemy than come up with actual ideas and proposals. In fact, they’ve resorted to dumping their positions (as Obama has used some of their ideas and they still reject it) in order to create that enemy.
I feel smug satisfaction with the knowledge that you do not deny that Liberals purchase your adherents with taxpayer money.
I find it to be such a stupid assertion that I choose to ignore it. You are smug indeed though.
ok, Sure. :0
Shouldn’t you be out searching for anchor babies and dead voters? :o
How quick we deflect when we have a right on description of liberalism.
Nah, what I said is just as ridiculous as what you said. You’re a partisan hack if you can’t recognize that.
now that was fun wasn’t it…
Your description sounds so familiar to me from history. Europe, east of France, 1930’s.
Plenty of that to go around. El duche Mussolini was a left wing elementary school teacher before even more radical left wing ideas took hold in that twisted brain.
You might even accuse Obama of the same thing as he attacks bankers with one hand and takes money from Wall Street with the other. Demonizing success and stirring the people to garner votes.
All you have to do is listen to what democrats are talking about and it is more of the same failed ideas and programs of the past. The message from democrats is they are against anything that LePage and republicans are for even if they are really for it. They have defined themselves as the party of no, have no leadership locally or nationally and basically have nothing to bring to the table other than they want to tax the rich which will solve all of our problems and bring us back to prosperity and riches for all. No clear vision exists on the left, they are clueless. Talking about Hannah Pingree’s pregnancy? Really?
It’s much easier to rouse public support the way Republicans do. Come up with some version of, “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore!” Practice brownshirt politics like Governor LePage does. Identify some group that your followers don’t like, and start in on one of those speeches blaming those damnable ______________________ for all our problems. (This is a fill-in-the-blank; liberals, union bosses, illegal aliens, welfare recipients, gays, environmentalist tree huggers, public school teachers, etc.) It is much easier being dramatic with this recipe than to argue that certain things need to be done in order to have a reasonably well-functioning society. Rabble rousing, that’s the term I was searching for.
You’ve hit the nail on the head.
The Liberal Democrats can always yell Raise taxes!!!! We need the money for union bosses, illegal aliens, welfare recipients, gays, enviromentalist tree huggers, public school teachers, etc. Rabble Rousing with them talking points should get the Dems more votes, while people are paying high gas, food, utility prices… 2 people working in a household just to pay bills seems to be more important than giving free housing, food stamps and health care to illegal aliens
“We need the money for gays”
What the hell are you talking about? “Gays” pay more taxes than straight people do and that’s fact.
whenever Liberal policticans support some cause it cost taxpayers money.. that’s fact.
So straight couples should have lower taxes because they’re special? What about the converse of your argument — when conservatives disagree with someone or some group they punish them through the law.
I like your passion and respect your opinions.. Thats why you should join the conservatives, where we value everyone as equals. and it’s free
The editorial is focused on the US Senate race. Of course Angus is the frontrunner and will most likely win as he is a popular moderate and will be able to put together a strong coalition across the spectrum. But it mentions little about about the STATE level where the Dems are well poised to re-take control of the legislature given the complete disaster of LeBUFFOON and his TeaPals. The Maine GOP knows this and is preparing for a bruising election in November. The distain in this state for LeBUFFOON, of which they are well aware regardless of their public rhetoric, is overwhelming, and Mainers want this ridiculous fool put in check. (Watch how few RePubs will be willing to be seen with LeBUFFOON on the campaign trail. They know he is POISON for them. I love it.) Last November Mainers CRUSHED LeBUFFOON and the TeaFools on their effort to suppress voting rights. The majority of Mainers have had it with LeBUFFOON and the TeaFools and their divisive PRO KOCH BROTHERS PRO ALEC master plan to destroy our middle class by selling this state off to the highest corporate bidder. It was a great Dem convention with strong unity and energy, Dem state level candidates have already been all over the state meeting with voters at the grass roots to a terrific reception, and this November is going to be a GOP trainwreck. AND THEY KNOW IT. It is just a question of how bad their losses will be.
The editorial says they are looking for “new ideas”? What are LeBUFFOON’s “new ideas”? They are just the “ideas” he has been spoonfed by ALEC and the Koch Brothers, the same old same old FAILED trickle down. What “leadership that we can buy into” has LeBUFFOON brought? My god, he is DESPISED all over this state as the most polarizing mean spirited FOOL to have ever set foot in the Blaine House, along with his TeaFool allies in the legislature. And where is the TeaRadical’s “plan to bring sustainable business development”? Where are the “jobs jobs jobs”? Gee, they are really good at taking down murals, telling people to kiss their you know whats, and killing bond initiatives at great interest rates and with great matching funds deals which would in fact create jobs for now and later, but NO, it isn’t what ALEC wants them to do. They must do what ALEC and their corporate masters say, hook line and sinker. Democrats will restore SANE goverance, streamline government and tax burdens in FAIR and SMART ways as they always have, will return to a creative cooperation approach rather than the nutty my way or the highway approach of LeBUFFOON and his TeaPals, will invest in energy development, infrastructure, research, and education, and small business development building on our strengths, and most of all will stop polarizing this state in the manner of LeBUFFOON. And come November, Dems will CRUSH the TeaFOOLS and place a serious check and balance on Governor Goofy in a big way.
The problem in Maine is the Dems have set themselves up as either NOT-LePage or HATE-THE-RICH or ultra-left-organic-tofu eaters. Their platform needs to find the middle to have pull with average folks trying to raise a family. You can do it! I generally prefer the stay-out-of-my-bedroom policies of Dems (as opposed to the my-god-is-right plank of the right), but their economic planks are so irresponsible, I’m in a pickle. C’mon Dems, find the reasonable middle and get us back!
The other issue is the prime solution to any issue historically has been to start an expensive government program and finance it with debt or more taxes. In this day and age, this is simply a non-starter, leaving them with few tried and true options.
There’s a reason that most of us who used to split our ballots in favor of the Democrats have switched to independent candidates. The past twenty years saw Maine’s Democratic Party absorb itself in its own dogma. Anyone who supports increasing sales taxes instead of increasing graduated income taxes is probably living off a trust fund or a very large and successful (and likely inherited) business. When they tried to tax services that everyone needs, regardless of income, I quit supporting them. The only reason to vote a straight Democratic ticket today is that the Republican Party is even worse, and that’s not a recommendation for good government. There is a limit to what the working middle class can afford to pay, and that shouldn’t include taxes on items necessary for personal hygeine in a state with poor health, or books in a state with a high rate of adult illiteracy. If you want to tax us as the Danes are taxes, give us the services Denmark provides its citizens. We don’t necessarily need smaller government, but we certainly need more rational, responsible and efficient government.
Shameless cheerleading by the BDN. And they’d come so far.
At the Maine Democratic Convention L’Internationale was blaring in the background as all the nannies and socialist whispered in dark corners. What is the plan, why it’s the same….
Being “Not LePage” isn’t going to be enough, any more than Romney being “Not Obama” is going to be enough.
American politics has devolved into a high school group of competing cliches writ large on the body politic.
You want politics as usual, vote for politics as usual. If you want a real change, try voting Libertarian for a change.
What does pro-choice mean to many commenters here? The convoluted Pro-choice statement means a woman’s right to choose an abortion to get rid of her “unwanted” child–with what else do you associate it? Hannah Pingree is praising her pregnancy, while she chooses to support the killing of others’ unborn children. How twisted is that!
I would like to ask my neighbors, from both sides of the aisle, to please cut it out!
The name calling, smearing, slams and attacks aren’t getting any of us anywhere. While we are busy scoring cheap points off of one another, our problems are going unsolved and unaddressed. Worse, we are pushing each other so far out on the fringes that it would be a long distance, overseas call to even speak to each other…assuming of course we could find anything sensible to say.
None of us benefit from this. Not as a state, not as a nation. While we act this way, other countries are busy gaining a competitive edge and we are eroding the reputation for decency and progress that previous generations worked so hard to earn for us.
In kindergarten most of us learned to listen, take turns and share. Those that didn’t ended up wondering why they argued recess away instead of getting a chance to take a turn on the swings. Let’s remember those simple lessons we learned as children to listen, respect each other, to share and to compromise.
Response to Headline: Bring forth smart, incisive policies that both aid the populace and show the common sense of an adult when they realize they can’t buy that sports car.
Not personal attacks, they show you can’t run on what you’ve accomplished.
That is how either party get’s the rational independent vote.
With the left on social policy and yet still can’t bring forth full throated support for people that think minimizing the size of soft drinks is a priority.
Pingree is indoctrinating children!!! Granted, they are her own, but I don’t think I would ever say that I am producing republicans by having kids! I don’t know.. I kind of feel like that’s something that kind of degrades her children a little bit, am I wrong here? If a republican said the same thing I wouldn’t quite feel right about it either. I know its a joke and all, but when kids hear that sort of thing it kind of heaves a bunch of expectations on them.
The democrats have a plan. It is to make sure that there are enough social programs to keep government growing and spending other peoples money.