Why do Democrats and Republicans in Maine want to reduce the number of debates in the 2014 governor’s campaign?
For the Republican Party, it is obvious. They want to reduce the moments of “foot-in-mouth syndrome” that their candidate has seemed to find himself in on a regular basis since 2010.
For the Maine Democrats, it is arrogance. They feel, after losing the Blaine House and coming in third place in 2010, that they “deserve” to win for the “good of the state.”
Both parties are also afraid. Afraid that with multiple debates, Mainers will see that, rather than representing what is good for Maine, they are importing Washington’s toxic extremism to Maine.
Comedian Lewis Black said it best when he said: “The Republicans are the party of bad ideas, and the Democrats are the party of no ideas.” The major parties know that if their candidates are forced to actually debate the issues, Maine voters will realize that.
Benjamin Kissin
Freeport
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