Andrew Ian Dodge, a former tea party activist, U.S. Senate candidate and one of the most fascinating people in Maine politics who I have ever met, has died. He was 46. The Harpswell resident published a final post on his blog. It read, in part: “If you are reading this I will have succumbed to […]
maine politics
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Viewing the LePage-Democrats nursing home dust-up through the Election lens
It’s difficult not to view the nursing home kerfuffle and its eventual solution through the lens of the gubernatorial race. The blame-and-guilt rhetoric alone was a good sign that a serious and complex issue was simplified for electoral purposes. Then there was the unlikely scenario of reaching […]
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Here it is: The UNH Survey Center/Portland Press Herald poll
Below are the updated data tables and cross tabs for the University of New Hampshire Survey Center/Portland Press Herald poll. Those of you who follow me on Facebook may have seen some of the methodology details and answers to some other questions. The full report should answer the rest. Of course, since this is a […]
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The partisanship and success of Maine legislators in two charts
A web developer at the Sunlight Foundation has pulled together an interesting interactive that measures current state lawmakers’ partisanship and their success passing legislation. Thom Neale, the developer, used two methodologies to plot the graphic, which he explains in detail in his blog post. Naturally, some will quibble with his chosen data points, particularly on lawmakers’ […]
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Politics as usual? Not really, says Pew study.
When people complain about the polarization of politics it’s not uncommon to hear someone say that American politics has always been polarized. “Hey, remember when Vice President Aaron Burr killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel?” they’ll say. Well, yes, many Americans do. It was 1804 and at the time “a man’s political opinions were inseparable […]
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Maine lawmaker, veteran says LePage VA investigation stinks
It’s obvious, and certainly not a surprise, that Republican Gov. Paul LePage, his state communications staff and his reelection campaign are going to use the Veterans Administration waiting list scandal to batter U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud, the Democrat attempting to unseat the governor in November. Even on Thursday, when Michaud unveiled his plan to create an […]
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In Maine county sheriff’s race, another LLC, another layer of intrigue
Roy Lenardson, president of Strategic Advocacy – John Patriquin/Staff photographer As if the Democratic primary in the Cumberland County Sheriff’s race couldn’t get stranger. First came the $100,000 money bomb from Citizens for a Safe Cumberland County, a political action committee dumping mailers and radio ads alleging unsafe conditions and inmate sex at the Cumberland County Jail under […]