Greg Kesich in his May 20 column questions whether true independents exist in modern politics. He correctly points out that the country is becoming more polarized and segregated along left and right lines. But then he asserts that even though more Americans describe themselves as “independent” than either Democratic or Republican, they invariably vote along partisan lines. Partisanship, he suggests, is in our DNA.

That assertion ignores 50 years of political experience in Maine, which includes electing two independent governors and an independent U.S. senator. Instead, he points to the last presidential race, where there were only two viable candidates on the ballot. Using national two-candidate elections to predict multi-candidate ones in Maine is like comparing black-and-white TV to color ones and then arguing that the public’s deepest wish is for black and white.

Here’s what can be fairly said about the gubernatorial race, at this point in time:

• There will be four viable candidates for governor this fall. Two will be independents.

• As many as 80 percent of Maine voters are not engaged in the party primaries right now and won’t even begin to think about this race until the fall.

• Overall frustration with both political parties is at an all-time high, as are the number of voters who are not enrolled in either party.

• Neither party, in these primaries, has spelled out any real new ideas for Maine.

Maine people have a strong independent streak. They will not select the next governor based on the letter after their name, but on whether or not a candidate reflects what they feel and what they’re looking for.

While this newspaper might be anxious to declare the winner now, most Mainers will figure this out in their own time. They know what they want. They want a return to civility to Augusta. They want to replace partisan logjams with common sense and action. And they’re looking for a candidate who has a demonstrated ability to bring people together and who can best lead us in a rapidly changing world.