December 16, 2012

Dan Demeritt: Hospital debt, business climate, and a frosty governor to boot

LePage isn't going to make any political hay by refusing to meet with Democratic legislators.

(Continued from page 1)

Seriously addressing our state's problems starts with addressing each other.

It is the middle of December and LePage still has not met with the Democratic leaders in the Legislature. Seriously.

LePage is steadfast in his beliefs and the importance of his mission. But he also has zero tolerance for dissent and very little willingness to consider competing points of view.

It is a leadership style best understood by watching Jack Nicholson's portrayal of Col. Jessup on the witness stand at the end of "A Few Good Men."

When you run a business or, like Col. Jessup, eat breakfast 300 yards away from 4,000 Cubans trained to kill you, using the authority that comes with position can be an extremely effective leadership approach.

But inspiration and collaboration are what is needed in our system of government. Especially when a Republican governor has to work with a Legislature controlled by near-veto-proof Democratic majorities in both chambers.

Before Christmas, Democrats in the Legislature are going to unveil a list of policy priorities for the 126th Legislature. There will be items in that list that could lead to political compromise and progress for Maine.

It should be worth a meeting.

Dan Demeritt is a Republican political consultant and public relations specialist. He is a former campaign aide and communications director for Gov. Paul LePage. He can be contacted at:

dan@win207.com

Twitter: @demerittdan

 

Were you interviewed for this story? If so, please fill out our accuracy form

Send question/comment to the editors




Further Discussion

Here at PressHerald.com we value our readers and are committed to growing our community by encouraging you to add to the discussion. To ensure conscientious dialogue we have implemented a strict no-bullying policy. To participate, you must follow our Terms of Use.

Questions about the article? Add them below and we’ll try to answer them or do a follow-up post as soon as we can. Technical problems? Email them to us with an exact description of the problem. Make sure to include:
  • Type of computer or mobile device your are using
  • Exact operating system and browser you are viewing the site on (TIP: You can easily determine your operating system here.)


Most…