Mainers have appeared more interested in the Olympic Games than in politics over the last two weeks, spurring a new game: Link key players in Maine politics with major figures at the London Olympics.
In the spirit of the Olympics, this exercise strives to improve the human condition, not denigrate any of the players. No medals will be awarded and no taxes assessed. Readers are invited to play along at home.
Congressional delegation
Sen. Olympia Snowe: Queen Elizabeth II
Like the queen, Snowe can claim a long career in public life. Both matriarchal figures eschew partisanship, and that “enough already” expression the queen delivered at the opening ceremonies mirrors the countenance of Snowe in deciding to grant herself a pardon from the gridlock in Washington.
Sen. Susan Collins: Tiki Gelana, women’s marathon champion
With more than 5,000 consecutive roll-call votes under her belt, Collins certainly embodies the endurance of a champion long-distance runner.
Rep. Mike Michaud, D-2nd District: Erick Barrondo, silver medal, 20-kilometer walk
The odd sport of race walking requires a “herky jerky” gait, which also could describe Michaud’s campaign style. Like Barrondo, who won Guatemala’s first-ever Olympic medal, Michaud relies on stamina borne from living in a hard place to represent his people.
Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-1st District: Katherine Grainger, gold medal, women’s double scull
Buoyed by the advantage of incumbency and a powerful partner, Pingree, like the veteran rower Grainger, dubbed by many to be the United Kingdom’s pre-Olympics poster child, faces pressure to fulfill high prerace expectations.
The challengers for Congress
Angus King: Usain Bolt, sprinter, multiple gold medal winner
While it’s tempting to equate the former governor and independent U.S. Senate candidate with LeBron “King” James of the U.S. men’s basketball “Dream Team,” sprint champion Usain Bolt seems a better match. As is the case when Bolt takes to the track, everybody’s chasing King at this juncture in the race.
Charlie Summers: Deniss Cerkovskis, modern pentathlon
Modern pentathlon, a sport in which Gen. George Patton participated when it made its Olympic debut 100 years ago, seems well suited for a man with Summers’ military background. Like Cerkovskis, a Latvian competing in his fourth Olympics, Summers shows resilience. After running unsuccessfully for Congress in 2004 and 2008, and for the Republican gubernatorial nomination in 2010, he’s back on the ballot for U.S. Senate this year.
Cynthia Dill: Rand Al-Mashhadani, archery
Like Al-Mashhadani, who is the first Iraqi woman to qualify for Olympic archery, Dill is an underdog ready for a fight. The Democratic contender for U.S. Senate has her eye on the mark and, like Al-Mashhadani, even if she doesn’t win, has the time and will to come back fiercer.
Steve Woods, Danny Dalton and Andrew Ian Dodge: independent Olympic athletes
Like the four nationless athletes who marched in this year’s opening ceremony under the banner “Independent Olympic Athletes,” these three unenrolled candidates for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Snowe managed to qualify for the competition but stand little chance of winning.
Kevin Raye: Vincent Hancock, gold medal in skeet shooting
With his new designation as one of the National Congressional Republican Committee’s “Young Guns” in his race against Michaud, Raye’s Olympic counterpart has to be a shooting champion.
Jon Courtney: Michael Tinsley, silver medal, 400-meter hurdles
Running against Pingree, a well-funded incumbent, and after jumping into the race just weeks before the deadline to submit nomination signatures, Courtney must clear many hurdles. Like Tinsley, he hopes to prove that an underdog can finish in the money.
State House
Gov. Paul LePage: Teddy Riner, judo gold medalist
Like the gold medal-winning judoka from France, LePage disdains finesse and goes right at any and all opponents. They’re both reigning champs.
Rep. John Martin, D-Eagle Lake: Michael Phelps, swimmer, record holder for most medals
Despite controversies in their past, they both keep winning.
The London Olympics end Sunday. Let the real games begin.
Robert Long is a political analyst for the Bangor Daily News.
They are all disqualified for roids.
All incumbent politicians need replacement if there is ever going to be a change in
the way government works. That includes the folks in this article. We need to return to a true Constitutional based government, where citizens are not treated as errant children.
Pretty silly stuff.
King has never shown any capacity for fiscal discipline, while Summers knows where the fat is, esp. in the Pentagon, and pledges to seriously cut spending. I believe him.
Pretty impressed at the fact checking abilities of the BDN. Summers never ran for governor in 2010… Nice attempt by Robert Long to paint Summers as the perennial loser, but thats just made up.