Piscataquis County earned a red-tinted distinction in 2008 as the only one of Maine’s 16 counties — and the only one of the 65 counties in all of New England — to back the Republican Party’s presidential nominee, John McCain, over victor Barack Obama.
History largely repeated itself in voting Tuesday, when Piscataquis County retained its red reputation and became the only Maine county to back Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney. On the regional level, however, Piscataquis County wasn’t quite as lonely as it was four years ago. Four other New England counties — three in New Hampshire and one in Connecticut — also chose Romney over President Barack Obama.
While Obama carried Maine with a 56-41 edge, according to unofficial results, Romney carried Piscataquis County with 51 percent of the vote to Obama’s 46 percent.
And the county’s Republican leanings didn’t stop at the presidential level.
Piscataquis County — which is Maine’s smallest, with 17,000 residents — also returned Republican state Sen. Doug Thomas of Ripley to Augusta and backed the re-election of Rep. Peter Johnson, R-Greenville.
The county’s voters opted against legalizing same-sex marriage, with 37 percent supporting the measure and 63 percent opposing it. Statewide, the ballot measure passed with 53 percent of the vote.
They were more resistant to the four bond measures on the ballot than the rest of the state, as well. County voters opposed Questions 2 and 3, which, respectively, would have authorized borrowing for a diagnostic facility at the University of Maine and borrowing for land conservation. They supported Questions 3 and 4, but with slim majorities.
In congressional races, Piscataquis County voters ultimately voted the same way as the rest of the state, but gave less decisive victories to the winning candidates.
In the 2nd Congressional District race, Piscataquis County voters favored Democrat Mike Michaud over Republican challenger Kevin Raye. Michaud carried the county 53 percent to 47 percent, but dominated the 2nd District with a more commanding 58-42 edge, according to unofficial results compiled by the Bangor Daily News.
Voters backed independent Angus King in Maine’s Senate race, but gave him just 46 percent of the vote, compared to the senator-elect’s 53 percent statewide tally. Republican Charlie Summers posted a stronger performance in Piscataquis than he did in the rest of the state, earning 40 percent of Piscataquis votes compared to 31 percent statewide.
While Obama carried Maine’s 15 other counties, he fell short of gaining majority support in two other counties, Somerset and Washington. Obama carried both of those counties at 49 percent for Obama to 48 percent for Romney.
As a citizen of Piscataquis County I find the hypocrisy of our voters to be downright pathetic. A vast majority of our citizenry oppose the East-West corridor highway which is strongly supported by Sen. Thomas, yet they vote him into office simply because of the (R) next to his name on the ballot.
Appalachia loves Romney and the Republicans. Look at the percentage of the vote Romney earned in West Virginia, Kentucky and central Pennsylvania. Piscataquis County is our own little Appalachian microcosm.
It’s all about guns and the right to defend yourself with one, and the right to hunt with one, and the right to carry…on and on. Republicans UNDERSTSTAND that. Great Britian stripped the rights of legal gun owners and got them to “register” their guns, they obliged thinking they were doing the right thing, then, later down the road, their guns were confiscated, and DESTROYED. Regardless of their cost or history. That was that country’s way of “Gun Control”. Now, Bloomburg has gotten Angus King elected, and he wants Angus to “tighten up the gun laws in Maine”. Sooo, you see, Piscataquis County has a lot of hunters, and like Appalachia, they “get it”. The Right to Own a Gun is one we fought for. Like our right to vote – no one is going to take it away. But the Dems amongst us still don’t get it. Obama knows. Wait and see. It’s called back door gun control.
Romney signed an assault weapons ban and Obama signed legislation allowing people to carry in national parks. If it was about guns they would have voted for Obama.
You may want to read the new stories. The omama camp has met with the BATF before the election to see what thye may be able to restrict or ban. Feindstien and said publicly today she wants to institute a ban much more strict then the clinton ban was.
But this is just one of the freedoms we may loose. We have already lost the right not to buy insurance.
Until people learn self respect and to be responsible for their OWN lives the dems will win. The numbers show the clear cut in almost half.
Feinstein is not Obama or should we judge all conservatives on the actions of a few? I would suggest you read actual news stories instead of things from World Nut Daily. There have been no news stories from legitimate papers showing that, and once again, even if there were, he has passed pro-gun legislation and Romney signed a ban.
Exercising your right “not to buy insurance” costs me money. My medical costs and insurance rates are higher because my insurance has to cover people who have no insurance and are not able to pay their medical costs. There is a saying to the effect that your rights end where my nose begins. When the exercise of your “rights” costs me money, you have gone too far.
What crap. Government by its nature is funded by citizens. Just because a governmental decision or program costs money and proportionally benefits or affects citizens unequally does not make that program a violation of your “rights.” Your statements make you sound like such a whiner.
Romney simply believes that one does not need an assault weapon to hunt game. Please refer to pg. 7A of Thursday’s BDN…at the bottom of the page is an article “buried”. It speaks volums to those of us who own, respect, and love the fact that we have the freedom to own firearms. Things are going to change. Watch what NRA has to say! Defend your right to bear arms – ALL THE WAY!!!!!
We needn’t worry; grumpy white guys with guns have always kept our republic safe from Great Britian (sic), but who’ll keep it safe from THEM?
For all the talk by gun owners of having their guns taken away by Obama, there has been no evidence of that. Obviously, there are plenty of guns in Maine if there are at least one or more armed stand-offs with police each week.
The right to bear arms is important. But no more important that the right to free speech, the right of peaceful assembly, the right to a fair trial by a jury of our peers, the right to freedom of religion and freedom from religion.
Some of us Liberal Dems don’t necessarily want your guns taken away. But we want them in the hands of responsible citizens who will use them safely and properly.
Well I want my money in my hands and out of the hands of those who refuse to rise up and care for there own lives.
You need to read what you wrote a RIGHT is just that. it is not something to be restricted or altered. It simply is. When you give up a just a little tiny bit of a right then you swing the door open and it never stops. Firearms are a great example of this both the United states Constitution and the Maine state Constitution say we have the RIGHT to keep and bear arms. We have lost allot of that already. You have to fill out paperwork to buy a firearm. You have to prove your age and who you are to buy one. Some require a tax stamp to buy. Does the freedom of speech have any such restrictions? People who called for voters to show id to vote where called bigots. So it is wrong to requite a id to vote the most powerful form of speech there is in our country but it is ok to do the same thing to buy a firearm? Remember the founders thought the ONLY thing more important then the right to SPEAK you opinion was your right to be armed to protect it.
Speaking your mind to your neighbor or politicians seldom has the devestating consequences that letting ” Ole Betsy ” speak for you does!
The Founders where fully aware of this and where reluctant to just hand over the right to bear arms to the masses without some safegaurds. Thats why they slipped in –” A well Regulated Militia” –into the phrase.
This fear was manifested in the Civil War. Differances of opinion wiped out millions of people!
It is real and can’t be discounted, guns don’t kill people . Angry and or Crazy People do!
” Ole Betsy ” is what secures our other RIGHTS.
Maine Article 1 section 16 ” The PEOPLE have the right to keep and bear arms this right shall NEVER be questioned”
Also the 2nd if you read it has a , thus a seperation of the statements. he founders where VERY clea int here writing that the PEOPLE shoudl NEVER have there right to own, keep and carry a firearm interfered with by the government in any way.
Notice how it is always the welfare areas of the country that vote Republican. It isn’t so much that they want their own money in their hands, it is that they want everyone else’s money in their hands.
Are you nuts!!! where have you been the last 18 mo’s……………… Who told you this piece of information as it was the welfare class who overwhelmingly supported Obama……… Must have been your second cousin on your fathers side who married his first cousin on your mothers side………………..
no, it was the ex-wife, who is still a sister
Compare the percentage of welfare receivers in Portland with those in Piscatiquis, Itr77, then your comment might have some validity. Obama bought the election with food stamps.
38% in Piscataquis, 35.4% in Portland, 21.7% in Cumberland County. Was there a point you were trying to make? It looks like the Bluer areas of the state are the areas were people are actually willing to work.
I live in Piscataquis and am responsible for myself and help others as I can. I am offended by these remarks.
The ID is necessary because there are too many who would try to cheat. Each citizen of required age is entitled to ONE vote. Then there are those who would try to vote multiple times and some who are not citizens or meet the criteria for right to vote in our country. It was not all that long ago that blacks or women did not have the right to vote. It is a work in progress and it takes vigilance and verification to make it work justly. If there were no cheats, there would not be much of a problem…
Hmm. The NRA warned its members about “confiscation” in campaigning against Senator Obama in 2008. The only gun legislation he signed was an act allowing people to carry weapons within the national parks.
Put aside your paranoia. No one is coming to take your guns away. Understand that the NRA is cynically trying to gin up a phony issue to raise money and serve its corporate masters.
Really. Then why the day AFTER the election did the US decide to back the UN arms treaty? The same one they passed on in July and again a few weeks ago. Then before you say it has nothign to do with us READ it.
How can negotiation of a treaty addressing the export of munitions affect your right to bear arms within the US? Do you join the abstainers from treaty negotiations: Russia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Syria? You are in strange company if you do.
Get your facts right. This was a vote to commence negotiations: there is no treaty in existence yet.
As I said READ it. The part about ammo requires ALL adopting counties to mark EVERY round. This will double or triple ammo prices and do NOTHING to prevent arms smuggling. This is but ONE small part of it.
So an increase in ammunition prices amounts to gun confiscation? You’d better stock up now and be prepared to shoot down every black helicopter you see or imagine.
Well doubling or tripiling the price will sure amount to the same thing wont it. As far as stock up if you only knew..
No reputable economist would conclude that marking every round would triple the price of ammo. Feel free to be duped, however. The NRA is counting on your naivete.
Hey, look! There’s a BATF black helicopter over your house now! Better grab the AK-47 and get off the computer!
Well as a gunsmith and having a very good understanding of the industry I dissagree.
Maybe we should also have the right to have hand grenades also.
We do! it is LEGAL in Maine to have them. As are machine guns suppressors and all the other “evil” stuff.
As for the second you may want tread that again. It is not for the militia but te people. A comma has meaning. Also read what those who wrote it say they are very clear the PEOPLE should be armed with all the same weapons as the militia OR any standing army thus not letting the government become so powerfull as the PEOPLE would no longer be able to start over if needed.
The second amendment states the right to keep and bear arms in an organized militia. Unless you are part of the military your rights are not protected.
Well that’s a snotty comment. I live in Orono and I happen to be conservative. I find most of the people here very absorbed in themselves. They are very materialistic and unkind.
Read my exchange with wcsbwk below and understand how geography shapes political opinions.
Why on earth do you think a geographic descriptor, like Appalachia, is offensive, or that a political descriptor, like Republican, denigrates the individuals labeled as such?
If you take out a map you will discover that Piscataquis County sits astride the Appalachian mountain chain.
My comment is surely not “snotty.” It is accurate.
Exactly Cary! I am a registered Republican and I didn’t vote for Thomas or Romney. This is the first time I didn’t vote for the (R).
Think About It!
Doug Thomas is the Smartest Woodcutter in Piscatiquis County!
You might say that about the rest of Maine that voted simply because there is a (D) next to the name.
I can’t speak for the rest of Maine, but I can say unequivocally that Piscataquis County blindly votes Republican year after year after year. The voting data of past elections supports my statement, and the fact that Rep. Paul Davis ran unopposed is even more proof.
Why do you think the people of “real” Maine are blind with regard to their voting? Perhaps they simply reject your ideology and see it as primarily responsible for the entitlement society that has wreaked so much destruction on the communities.
Firstly, I’m not sure what you mean by “real” Maine. As far as I know the area that stretches from Kittery to Madawaska, and from Fryeburg to Eastport is “real” Maine.
Secondly, my point regarding “blindly” voting Republican stems from the idea that a majority of the people of Piscataquis County do not vote for candidates, but instead for a party (and the voting data backs me up on this).
Lastly, my original post is simply in reference to those individuals who showed up at Foxcroft Academy to show their support in opposing the E-W highway, to those who have the anti E-W signs on their lawns and buttons on their jackets, but still continued to vote for Doug Thomas. That can be described as an adequate example of hypocrisy.
If you do not know what I mean by “real Maine”, then you might not be qualified to comment. Have a great day!
I suppose that’s what happens to me when I try to engage in intelligent conversation. Well played.
Happily voted for Thomas!!
Do you also approve of the proposed East-West highway wcsbwk? Only curious, not casting dispersions (and feel free not to answer).
Yes; our kids need the same opportunities other states provide through an effective infrastructure. …and this one uses no taxes dollars.
Fair enough. This is why original post is written that most of the citizens of Piscataquis County oppose the highway, yet support the State Senator who is behind the project 100 percent. With no sarcasm whatsoever, kudos to you for stating your beliefs and standing behind them.
Huh! And here I thought I left that area because there weren’t any job opportunities. Maybe not. Let’s face it, if you don’t boat, fish, swim, or drink, ain’t no jobs nor nothing to do up that way. Best to leave it to the “Reds.” Enjoy what God’s given ya folks. You’ve got your’s and we’ll keep ours. You’re good with that, right?
Sure their good with that now. They can boat, fish, swim,and drink. Don’t need a job with the Dems back in control.
And look at how they vote! Tells ya something about conservatives, huh? This liberal got an education, the heck otta there and a job!
They enjoy it, however, every weekday morning and evening, there are streams of cars form the area driving to Bangor and back to the county at night.
Republicanism is entrenched there in that county. All they know is that they have to vote that way but have no clue why except that everyone else does. Most seem uninformed about government and politics. I used to live there.
That sounds more like habit and tradition than anything else.
I’m very sorry your only associates were uneducated, MS Grundy, but I’ve followed political races since Eisenhower and Stephenson (1952), have an associate degree in environmental control, a BS in education, and study my country’s constitution regularly. I find the dems mostly self-serving and lawless.
Piscataquis County ranks #15 among Maine’s sixteen counties in terms of per capita income and median household income. My guess is that Piscataquis County equates support of the poor with the Democratic party and, therefore, would oppose the Democrats and President Obama. But, Piscataquis County, you are poor. This just does not compute.
Plenty of poor republicans that want the shoe factories back in order to work, not collect.
Republican Politicians don’t want shoe Factories in America!
They Just want people to vote for them and then go away!
The shoe shops are not coming back. Pride wood shops are not coming back, and neither is Moosehead Furniture. Sitting around and wishing them back isn’t going to make it happen. I live in Dexter 10 years, we moved there just before the shoes shops closed.
I never saw anything so sad in my life. Now we have moved back to my home area, and are doing just fine. Stop being bitter about life and start doing something to make your county live again. oh and also, more people on the government teat up there as well.
The shoe factory that you are referring to is in Penobscot County……..And it was the republicans who continue to allow such company’s to move their production facilities out of the country and still market with no penalty in the US.
I don’t think that is a good analysis. Penobscot, Washington and Aroostock counties did not differ a great deal in their voter outcomes, albeit slightly for Obama. you need to make the contrast with the southern counties to get a better picture.
Nice post. It probably computes in some weird way because lotsa folks equate the “poor” with people of color and not with themselves.
Man, there were a lot of folks on here the other night talking about a Romney landslide, like it was stupid to believe that it was not happening. “You are out of touch with what is happening” and stuff like that. Where did all these folks go?
Back to 1880?
Ha! Nice.
I think many of us are accepting of the fact that the Progressives won, that we are left with a status quo and that the Progressives now own everything that occurs for the next four years. As horrible as that is for the country, it is a fact and some of us will hunker down, protect our assets and watch the entitlement society flush itself down the drain. You can never again say you were not warned.
I believe Piscataquis County is also the poorest county east of the Mississippi and they still go for the rich guy.
Dont cha Know?
They Might Be One Some Day!
Rich Guy that is!
You think Obama and his Chicago mobsters are not rich?
Its time to get after him about taking of land on the Wilson Pond Road from Roxaine before she puts up another gate. He’s just the man to figure out how to do it.
SOunds like the county needs to break-away and join Washington county… they each have their off-key support… Don’t let us forget Ron Paul…
The politics of Piscataquis County is a strange and somewhat unique situation. The big “R” does seem to be very important. I’ve lived here for years and still don’t understand why. Well, maybe I do understand why but I’m not saying. I usually vote the big “D”. But then, sometimes I vote the big “R”. I love America. Freedom to vote is one of our greatest freedoms. “God Bless America”
Romney couldn’t even win a county in Mass.? Guess they were trying to tell all of us something.
Those of us who lived in Massachusetts when Romney was governor know why it was not a good idea to vote for Romney. I am not the least bit surprised he did not win there. I am very surprised that this is where he went to wait for election results. Apparently, he believed that he was more popular there than was the reality. And that speaks to his level of denial and his arrogance.
Massachusetts was trying to tell us they are the stupidest people in the nation.
Doubtful.
Romney-Ryan lost Massachusetts and Wisconsin … Obama-Biden won both Illinois and Delaware. Says lots about what those voters know!
And Hawaii!
Might as well be red, it’s been bleeding out population for decades.
Great school up there, well educated and you can tell that by who they support.. every other country seems to think that the Private banking system call the federal reserve will continue to print fiat script for them.. The awakening is coming soon. be prepared.. dollar going to be worthless soon . Wake up.
I proudly voted No!
Unfortunately the Troglodytes who live there have no conception of the real world. But they do know how to night-hunt.
This is a very unkind comment.
You are the kind of person who would kick his grandmother after she fell down a flight of stairs to see if she were still alive .
The humble Farmer
Did I mention they are also, “Slack-jawed”?
I would night hunt too if I could get you in the sights.
Yea sure, if you knew which end of your club to shoot from.
vote R and complain about welfare while they live in one of the poorest
areas in the state, which almost certainly receives more state funding
(school funding, welfare, medicaid, home heating assistance, etc) than
the residents of the county pay in taxes. And they are brainwashed to think they Democrats and “liberals from Northern Massachusetts” are their problem.
Massachusetts is the problem, the animals who live there ruin anything and everything they touch. Do us this world a favor and quit breathing, ya damn fool
.
One smart county in the State. Few others were almost as smart. See we need to succeed from Northern Massachusetts.
Something in the water, perhaps?
It also holds the reputation for having the highest amount of drug users.
AND…. I was not a supporter of Romney and crew…