Speaking of Maine...

Last night I was surfing the web for information about the November referendum in Maine to take away marriage rights from same-sex couples.  I came across some pieces on the website of my Alma mater, including an interview of a former professor of mine who is also a Bowdoin alum.  In the interview he explains why Olympia Snowe is such a respected political figure in Maine.  His view is that Maine voters don't elect ideologues but instead are drawn to practical problem solvers, politicians who can get things done.  Snowe's recent support of the health care compromise, according to Professor Potholm, is a perfect example of what Mainers expect from their elected officials.  (Bill Cohen, a Republican Senator from Maine, ended up in the Clinton administration after his tenure in Congress.)  Now, I don't happen to agree with Snowe's support of the compromise bill; I'm a supporter of the public option.  Still, the independent streak in Maine voters and their respect for the individual gives me hope that our marriage rights will be upheld and that we won't see a repeat of California's Proposition 8.  And as they say, as Maine goes, so goes the nation.


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