Politics & Co.
Election Day is six weeks away and while the race is shaping up, somebody's gotta lose. And, in Castine, life lessons come with a dose of cold water.
When should a longshot say ‘So long’?
If the polls are to be believed, Gov. Paul LePage (R) faces a real test from U.S. Rep. Mike Mchaud (D-Me.), but Eliot Cutler (I) commands just 11% of the projected vote, according to Public Policy Polling.
The poll, released Sept. 14 (and sponsored by the Maine Conservation Voters Action Fund), showed Michaud with 43% and LePage with 42%, based on a survey of 1,059 likely voters.
While Cutler has been endorsed by U.S. Sen. Angus King, also an Independent, Raleigh, N.C.-based Public Policy Polling said, “Cutler is becoming a less viable candidate as we get closer to Election Day,” which is Nov. 4.
Maine voters are justifiably proud of having a strong third option, but many, including Public Policy Polling, argue that the Independent vote takes away from the Democratic candidate.
Which seems to raise the question: At what point would Cutler pull out of the race, if at all?
“It's hard to know if Cutler would drop out. If he were to do so, he would probably wait until very close to Election Day,” says Amy Fried, professor of political science at the University of Maine in Orono.
One reason is that he surged in mid-October in the 2010 race.
“I happen to think the dynamics of that race were different, but Mr. Cutler may not,” Fried says. “Also, he has invested quite a lot of his own money in the race and may very well want to wait to see if there are further shifts. Cutler may never drop out. However, he has told his supporters to stay with him until the end, but if they wake up on Election Day and think he can't win, they have his blessing to vote for someone else.”
Pull a rabbit from the hat
We all know Maine Maritime Academy has a surefire way of motivating new students.
All incoming freshmen are required to jump from the State of Maine ship — a 40-foot leap into chilly Castine Harbor. The “ship jump” is born out of the practical training needs for students entering seagoing careers, according to school tradition.
In addition, this year the academy, which this summer topped Money's “Best Public Colleges” list (and was No. 12 in the magazine's overall rankings), found a new way to engage new students.
At its convocation on Sept. 1, the new vice president for academic affairs and provost, David Gardner, an officer in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve and a former administrator at Mount Holyoke College, offered a rousing welcome speech.
“I want you to get involved, take responsibility for your success and seek challenges,” he told the incoming class. “Don't be a bystander. Take chances. Pull a rabbit from a hat: Ace physics, recover a fumble on the football field, publish a research paper, create something wonderful, be a leader, stand up for what's right. Surprise us. Amaze us. Make us go, 'Wow, how did that happen?'”
Words of wisdom.
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