Mike Brown |
9/3/98
Maine citizens are facing a general election in about two months. But there are alarming symptoms that they don't realize it. Or even care.
Perhaps a clue is the erosion of the two-party system in Maine which has increased dramatically since just before the election four years ago of Angus King, Jr. as governor. King, a never before office holder and savvy opportunist created a winning political alchemy of Republican fragmentation and Democratic conspiracy to become only the state's second non-enrolled chief executive.
An Independent, King is not, as his four-year record clearly indexes his former Democratic party registration, roots and liberal initiatives. Popular he is by the subjective sycophantic and influential Maine media and polling, but with a self-political mentality rather than a philosophy or even ideology that are (or were) pillars of both Democratic and Republican parties.
When the June primary election distilled the major parties down to the broth of Republican Jim Longley and Democrat Tom Connolly there were obvious signs that neither major party had the taste to stump the hustings, finance or pledge unconditional support for their respective candidates.
Longley was shrouded in defeatism and perhaps party embarrassment for his one-term only congressional defeat. Connolly was more a maverick showman mad hatter than a bona fide candidate. And besides, why would the Democrats switch drivers of their liberal bus when he followed the same route down their legislative road.
And so many major party members abandoned their long-held political ideology and doctrines to support King who had none.
It is almost inconceivable that Longley has raised only $11,000 compared to GOP candidate Susan Collins's $221,000 by this time in 1994. And that Connolly's quest has logged only $34,000 for his campaign chest compared to Joe Brennan's $675,000 in 1994.
King's unique political constellation alignment is formidable but not so massive that it should have become a feared and intimidating supranova to both major political parties in Maine. They both now cower and give lip rote prayer readings of their ideologies.
The advent of an independent governor of Maine has created a legislative cauldron of disenfranchisement, rancor and polarization of perhaps the greatest legislative gulf in the history of the state. The majority rule with wild card doesn't fit the traditional role of party majority which is expected by party traditionalists.
Maine's unique and weakened two-party/wild card government brings into question King's governability and legislative honesty misrepresenting about half of Maine citizen/voters who are not in agreement with the present convoluted majority rule in capital city politics. This phenomenon is not readily realized outside Augusta's law-making chambers.
Voters who once could understand the duking out of political doctrines and to the winner belongs the spoils are now complacent in limbo.
Maine Democrats of the Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson heritage to not support fully the basic continuity principles of their party and its contemporary candidates is a disrobing of character and integrity.
Maine Republicans of the Abraham Lincoln party to not support fully the conservatism and limited central government principles and its contemporary candidates is an abdication of loyalty and credibility.
The political vacuum is filling with tides of untried ego opportunists and populists with no political mentality or ideology. We can become a state of political popular mush.
It appears that Maine citizens are in for another gubernatorial term of the status quo which rests solely with the national trickle-down economy and not with unique competence or even mediocre governability. Voters are bereft of media accountably or constructive competitive debate among candidates, incumbent or challenging, on which to base their ballot decisions.
Maine is sadly a microcosm emasculation of the traditional commonweal virility of American two-party politics.
Mike Brown is a statewide syndicated newspaper columnist. |
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