Mills looked like a fool at that dinner. If she really wanted to be a rock star she could have defied Biden's mandate that we all lose our jobs if we don't get the shot! She's a political hack and an embarrassment to people with common sense.
The censure of Laurel Libby is an indication of the immature and very unprofessional attitude of the left of center dems. There is a new sheriff in the White House bringing a different attitude of normalcy and decency. Senator Collins could take a point.
Jake and Harris get a pass on this (because relative youth), but Matt - do you really believe things will be any different in 2027 than they were in 2011 if the Maine GOP gets control of the Legislature (a big hypothetical with Jason Savage still kicking around) and, say, a Rick Bennett as Governor?
It'd be straight-up Charlie Brown, Lucy, and the football. We're old enough to have seen that exact movie before, Matt. It'd be this generation's exercise in conservative disappointment and frustration, followed by the GOP losing both chambers back to the Dems the following cycle.
I will acknowledge that a lot of this is dependent on "leadership," particularly from any potential Republican governor, but also the Legislative leaders. With weak leadership there, you would certainly be right, and I will fully submit to the possibility that it could happen.
However, the dynamic within the GOP broadly, and particularly the Legislative GOP, is ENTIRELY different than it was in 2009/2010 heading in to when they took over in 2011. Back then, they were certainly upset over issues (Tea Party wave sentiment) and frustrated at being out of power for a long time, but there was not this genuine, fierce, vitriolic feeling of anger and resentment at the state-side Dems over their treatment during the Baldacci years. Back then they actually mostly liked each other, even if they politically annoyed each other. They had lunches and worked together on stuff, and most of the "contentious" back and forth was over the response to the financial crisis. They most certainly did not feel so personally fucked over (pardon my French) by Baldacci as they do today by Mills, and the powergames the Dems are playing now are not the ones that were being played then.
Which is just to say, that your average squishy, traditionally minded, general Republican lawmaker today is ready to burn the building down, whereas back then they were sort of happy to be there.
Their mood today is not one that would inspire them to do the Democrats any favors. So if you had leaders that would make use of that, than absolutely yes it would make a difference. A big one. So on the condition that this kind of leadership emerges, I absolutely think it would be different. Very different.
And with (by my count) upwards of 15 people exploring a run for governor, it remains to be seen what kind of leadership emerges. We'll see.
You're optimism, Matt, is conditioned on a lot of "ifs."
If the Maine GOP takes back the trifecta in 2026. If the right Governor is elected. If the right legislative leadership is elected.
While the current situation might be different than 2010/2011, it only is so by degree. Mills is relatively similar to Baldacci. The patriot movement is relatively similar to the tea party movement.
Plus two years is a long time. Some of the actors today that are aggrieved will not be around in 2026, for various reasons. People forget, become less active, move on.
The most likely scenario is a Rick Bennett or Jared Golden Governor with a split chamber Legislature and the same uber-flaccid Higgins Street party leadership that has done nothing positive in 15 years. I see little of consequence changing in that scenario no matter how super-ultra-MAGA the GOP's legislative leadership is.
Maybe if I were paid several hundred thousand dollars a year to be more of a cheerleader, then I would likewise feign optimism, at least publicly.
Laurel Libby for Governor 2026!
Representative Libby truly represents Mainers.
Mills looked like a fool at that dinner. If she really wanted to be a rock star she could have defied Biden's mandate that we all lose our jobs if we don't get the shot! She's a political hack and an embarrassment to people with common sense.
The censure of Laurel Libby is an indication of the immature and very unprofessional attitude of the left of center dems. There is a new sheriff in the White House bringing a different attitude of normalcy and decency. Senator Collins could take a point.
Jake and Harris get a pass on this (because relative youth), but Matt - do you really believe things will be any different in 2027 than they were in 2011 if the Maine GOP gets control of the Legislature (a big hypothetical with Jason Savage still kicking around) and, say, a Rick Bennett as Governor?
It'd be straight-up Charlie Brown, Lucy, and the football. We're old enough to have seen that exact movie before, Matt. It'd be this generation's exercise in conservative disappointment and frustration, followed by the GOP losing both chambers back to the Dems the following cycle.
Past as prologue/history rhyming.
Yes, I really do believe it Mike.
I will acknowledge that a lot of this is dependent on "leadership," particularly from any potential Republican governor, but also the Legislative leaders. With weak leadership there, you would certainly be right, and I will fully submit to the possibility that it could happen.
However, the dynamic within the GOP broadly, and particularly the Legislative GOP, is ENTIRELY different than it was in 2009/2010 heading in to when they took over in 2011. Back then, they were certainly upset over issues (Tea Party wave sentiment) and frustrated at being out of power for a long time, but there was not this genuine, fierce, vitriolic feeling of anger and resentment at the state-side Dems over their treatment during the Baldacci years. Back then they actually mostly liked each other, even if they politically annoyed each other. They had lunches and worked together on stuff, and most of the "contentious" back and forth was over the response to the financial crisis. They most certainly did not feel so personally fucked over (pardon my French) by Baldacci as they do today by Mills, and the powergames the Dems are playing now are not the ones that were being played then.
Which is just to say, that your average squishy, traditionally minded, general Republican lawmaker today is ready to burn the building down, whereas back then they were sort of happy to be there.
Their mood today is not one that would inspire them to do the Democrats any favors. So if you had leaders that would make use of that, than absolutely yes it would make a difference. A big one. So on the condition that this kind of leadership emerges, I absolutely think it would be different. Very different.
And with (by my count) upwards of 15 people exploring a run for governor, it remains to be seen what kind of leadership emerges. We'll see.
You're optimism, Matt, is conditioned on a lot of "ifs."
If the Maine GOP takes back the trifecta in 2026. If the right Governor is elected. If the right legislative leadership is elected.
While the current situation might be different than 2010/2011, it only is so by degree. Mills is relatively similar to Baldacci. The patriot movement is relatively similar to the tea party movement.
Plus two years is a long time. Some of the actors today that are aggrieved will not be around in 2026, for various reasons. People forget, become less active, move on.
The most likely scenario is a Rick Bennett or Jared Golden Governor with a split chamber Legislature and the same uber-flaccid Higgins Street party leadership that has done nothing positive in 15 years. I see little of consequence changing in that scenario no matter how super-ultra-MAGA the GOP's legislative leadership is.
Maybe if I were paid several hundred thousand dollars a year to be more of a cheerleader, then I would likewise feign optimism, at least publicly.
The balanced budget and general sanity in Augusta will return when the Democrats lose their stranglehold on Maine.