I like independent Eliot Cutler. I have no doubt that if he could win this election, he would be a very good governor. I like his confidence in Maine people, his tenacity during this campaign, his belief in the power of big ideas and his vision of Maine’s potential. I wish him well over the next few days, knowing they will not be easy.

As he said in his news conference Wednesday, Eliot Cutler is also a realist. He knows that he isn’t going to win. So do independent U.S. Sen. Angus King and many other former Cutler supporters. That makes Cutler supporters the one group of voters that can tip the balance toward either Democratic U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud or Republican Gov. Paul LePage. They have the power to help move the state in a new direction, and a responsibility to look beyond this campaign to the months and years ahead.

A lot of people who I respect and admire have been supporting Eliot Cutler, and this is not the column that I wanted to write in the last week of this campaign for governor. But at some point we all have to face the reality of where this election stands and what a vote for Eliot Cutler – no matter how much you like him – will mean.

Throughout his campaign, Eliot Cutler has urged his supporters to support someone else if he couldn’t win. He did it again yesterday. Now the time has come for every Cutler supporter to take an honest and dispassionate look at whether Cutler has a realistic chance of winning and, if not, to do what is best for Maine, which is to support Mike Michaud.

Here’s what we know about Cutler’s chances:

At this point in 2010, the Democratic candidate had been in free-fall for weeks, and Eliot Cutler was in second place and gaining. There was a palpable buzz around the state, in breakfast shops and grocery stores, and his campaign was surging.

That is not what is happening this time. Nearly every poll, including two since Sunday, shows a dead heat between Michaud and LePage, at around 40 percent, while Cutler’s numbers have been flat or declining.

In the face of those realities, some Cutler supporters have argued that Cutler can do slightly better than Michaud in a two-way race. But this isn’t a two-way race and it never will be. The ballots were long ago printed and distributed. As many as 15 percent of likely voters have already voted, with an edge for Democrats over Republicans. Next Tuesday there will be three names on the ballot. The only question to be decided is whether Mike Michaud or Paul LePage will be inaugurated in January 2015.

At some point the greater good has to become everyone’s first consideration, and that point is now. This is not the time for a protest vote expressing dissatisfaction with the two parties. There is simply too much at stake for Maine for us to risk four more years of LePage gridlock, party-first politics, turmoil and embarrassment. That’s a price that none of us should be willing to pay.

Eliot Cutler has shown a lot of courage by running for governor and putting his ideas before the voters without the resources of a political party. Now his supporters need to call upon a similar courage to use the power they have, at this particular moment in Maine’s history, to help move the state in a new direction.

For me the choice is clear. I’m supporting Mike Michaud, and I’ll do that enthusiastically.

Political campaigns always exaggerate the differences between candidates, but Eliot Cutler and Mike Michaud have much in common.

Both of their plans are remarkably similar on issues related to the next economy, the role of government in supporting that economy, education, the environment and critical social issues. Cutler and Michaud certainly have different leadership styles, but both styles can and do work effectively around the country.

Here’s what I see in Mike Michaud that gives me confidence.

He’s a consensus builder and a listener who looks for the best ideas, with an eye to how to bring those ideas to life. He has a good and decent heart. I am convinced that he’ll surround himself with Maine’s best available talent.

And I believe that he’ll bring confidence, collaboration, good will and respect back to the office of governor.

Mike Michaud needs and deserves your support. Without it, he could lose this election. With it, he’ll win, and the lives of thousands of Mainers will be better because of it.

Alan Caron is a partner in the Caron & Egan Consulting Group in Freeport. He can be contacted at:

alancaroninmaine@gmail.com