Election Day 2006:

An impressive and lasting impression

Wow! What an impressive turnout at this Tuesday’s election! Many voters witnessed the spirit of democracy alive at one of the polls in the Lakes Region. It was great to see the massive numbers of Mainers who got to the polls to cast their ballots in this important election.

This election will probably be a milestone in American and Maine elections. Similar to 1994 and the Republican Revolution, this year’s “mid-terms” was dominated by the party absent from power, in this case the Democratic Party. Federally, the Dems picked up the House and possibly the Senate. (Some races are still too close to call as of this newspaper’s deadline.) The Democrats’ win will no doubt bolster the cause of those calling for investigations into the Bush administration as well as withdrawal from Iraq.

But, while the nation is still in the honeymoon phase for the newly elected Democrats, we shouldn’t forget that a rude awakening is coming when these same Democrat leaders will find themselves struggling to come up with satisfying answers to our permanent quagmire, the War on Terror. We’ve listened to the Democrats complain about the Bush Administration’s handling of the war in Iraq and the ferreting-out of Al-Qaeda, and now it’ll be nice to hear a little less bellyaching and a little more working together between the two major parties to find real solutions. For both conservatives and liberals, it’s not a stretch to presume the Democrats’ win may just provide the needed elixir for some of the social infighting we’ve seen as of late.

Statewide, the election proved a good one for Democrats as well. They retained the governorship, the House of Representatives as well as a slim margin in the Senate. Kudos to all the candidates who worked hard in the race. If they can work together as one legislative body, these leaders should be able to find solutions to the problems raised by Mainers on the 2006 campaign trail.

And, boy, do they have a lot of work to do. Health care is a real burden for many in our state. It was a recurring theme of this year’s campaign. Democrats open up the Maine market to foster competition between health care providers. That could offer real relief to individuals and small businesses struggling to provide the much-needed health care safety net for their families and employees.

Obviously, another big issue in Maine is taxes. Property tax relief dominated this year’s election with Taxpayer Bill of Rights supporters leading the charge for reduced spending and lower budgets. While it would have been interesting to see if TABOR could have delivered on its promises, Maine Democrats and Republicans alike have surely heard Mary Adams and her troupe of like-minded tax-fighters’ calls for common-sense taxation.

Except for Standish, which saw Gary Moore and Mike Shaw in a dead heat with a recount looming, incumbents ruled the day in the Lakes Region. State Sen. Bill Diamond racked up a two-to-one margin of victory and Rep. Gary Plummer in District 111 did likewise. Rep. Mark Bryant won handily in East Windham and West Gray as well.

In Naples and Casco, Rich Cebra won 55 to 45 percent. Lu Bauer lost to Incumbent John Robinson in Raymond. Is there no stopping the local incumbents? Good question. We’ll have to wait until 2008 to see the answer.

Election Day was almost magical this year locally. Huge turnout, long lines, and a strong sense of community were ever-present at the local polling stations. It was a reminder that magical elections don’t only occur in Iraq with finger ink, they can occur right here in the heartland of representative democracy as well.

Sure, Election Day can be fraught with disappointment and tension, but it’s also a beautiful demonstration of everything we believe in as melting-pot Americans. Even in the Caucasian-dominated northeast, especially Maine, people of all sorts voted Tuesday. Folks of various religions, ethnicities, political backgrounds and education levels were at the polls beaming proudly as Americans. That camaraderie and sense of community is a beautiful thing and makes Election Day one of the best days of the year.

As we approach yet another legislative session, both here in Maine, other states and in Washington, D.C., let’s try to remember that Election Day offers a glimpse of why democracy truly is the best governing system. It’s the only system that allows us all to be involved and the only day we are all truly equal.

-John Balentine, editor