Maine voters have some serious soul-searching to do before Election Day.
Are we going to vote our conscience for the person we think is the best candidate? Are we going to let partisan politics rule the day? Or are we going to succumb to voting based on the politics of fear — fear that the incumbent governor will be re-elected? What a dilemma!
Maine voters have a rare opportunity to elect a governor of unusual talent, energy and vision. Eliot Cutler is that person. He is the most qualified person to be chief executive of the state of Maine. At a time when we are all discouraged about the lack of accomplishments and progress both in Washington and Augusta, Cutler is a breath of fresh air.
Cutler has prepared for voters’ consideration a comprehensive plan of action for his first four years in office. It is bold, it is visionary, and it is doable.
The Maine Democratic Party reportedly asked Cutler to run for governor as a Democrat. It would have been very easy for him to say “yes.” He could have been nominated in the primary without opposition, and he could have defeated the incumbent governor in November.
Cutler speaks about his commitment to Maine people in television ads in which he looks directly into the camera and says that he will not accept money from political action committees because he only wants to be beholden to Maine people. For this reason and the breadth and depth of his platform, Maine voters ought to be supporting his candidacy. Cutler is a change agent who offers us an opportunity to reclaim our state government and move our state forward to unthinkable horizons. When you compare the alternatives, this is hardly a gamble.
Earlier this year, after the paper mill in East Millinocket shut down, Cutler was there to meet with community members. This is Cutler at his best — the unvarnished commitment “that we are all in this together.”
Cutler demonstrated the same concern for the 570 Bucksport mill workers who face losing their jobs in December. He met with them after the announcement of the mill closure. Cutler even suggested that the state of Maine purchase the power plant at Bucksport and sell electricity at a cheap rate to any company that wishes to move to Bucksport and create jobs for the ones who have lost theirs.
That’s the type of creative leadership that Cutler will bring to state government.
Campaigning with Cutler is a pleasure. It is a treat to listen to him share with voters the reasons he wants to be governor. He is a good listener — even when the speaker is hostile to his candidacy — and he asks others for their opinion. Cutler has a unique quality about inspiring others to do more than they think they are capable of doing themselves.
As governor, Cutler will choose the best and brightest for his cabinet and staff to help him run our government. He will demand excellence and hard work. He will expect people to disagree with him and suggest something better. Above all, Cutler will be a governor who makes us proud.
So, will Maine voters vote for the best candidate, for partisan politics, or will they let fear dictate their vote?
Skip Greenlaw is a former state legislator who lives in Stonington.