“Did you see the news, John? Cook Political Report just changed the Senate race in Maine from lean Republican to TOSS-UP. We’ve never been closer to flipping Maine blue.”
I received that excited message from Yvette Simpson, Chief Executive Officer of Democracy for America (DFA) a few days ago. The DFA it’s a gang of dedicated idealists determined to lead America away from its sordid, repressive, past into a new era of diversity, inclusion, tolerance, homophilia, feminastiness, carbon-freedom, Christophobia, and cultural cleansing.
Here’s Yvette: “Susan Collins has never been more vulnerable than right now. Rush an urgent donation to Democrat Betsy Sweet so we can kick Susan Collins out of office.” The CEO goes on to explains why Collins should be expelled from the U.S. Senate: “Susan Collins is a fake moderate Republican who supported Trump’s tax scam, voted against the Affordable Care Act multiple times, and cast the deciding vote to confirm far-right extremist Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court…”
I have to interrupt Yvette here to point out that Collins outraged many GOP conservatives for casting the vote that preserved the ACA against Trump’s effort to replace it. And notice the DFA types never use “conservative.” They don’t recognize any living being as conservative. They prefer the noun“extremist” but only if the noun is accompanied by “far-right” or ultra-right wing.”
Back to Yvette: “Her poll numbers are TANKING in Maine and her approval rating has dropped to 45%. Electing Betsy Sweet (third-place finisher in the 2018 Democratic gubernatorial primary) is the best chance we have to flip Maine blue in 2020…Taking back the Senate could come down to what you do now, John. Rush a $5 donation between DFA and Betsy Sweet right now to kick Susan Collins out of office!”
I won’t be rushing anything to Yvette. Senator Collins donated a couple thousand dollars to my 2008 congressional campaign so I feel honor-bound to send her a like sum if she decides to run. After that I may make a donation to her Republican primary opponent, if she has one and he or she is more reliably conservative than the incumbent. Then I will consider whatever claims Yvette/Betsy may have on my bank accounts.
However this turns out my pecuniary influence on Maine’s senatorial campaign will be meager. Very meager when set against the millions that will flow into both Democratic and Republican senatorial campaigns. I’ve read estimates of $55 million in advertisements and will be surprised if it did not turn out to be more. It’s not just one senatorial seat that’s at stake. It’s majority control that will be determined. And that in turn will affect the composition of the federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court.
Yvette and Betsy can’t hope to get more than a fraction of the millions that will be spent on the 2020 campaign. The Democratic Party establishment doesn’t like them. They don’t like the establishment and its big money backers. The establishment will not back Betsy. It will put its money on Sara Gideon, the Maine House majority leader.
Yvette Simpson, as president pro tem of Cincinnati City Council, was the “powerhouse progressive” who ran against “a Rahm-Emanuel style Democrat.” She came out ahead in a crowded primary, lost the general election, and floated up to head the DFA. Rahm Emanuel was Obama’s top aide and represents the pragmatic professionals in the Democratic Party. Rahm was Obama’s Chief of Staff from 2009 to 2010, then became mayor of Chicago. The DFA fanatics want nothing to do with him and his kind,
Here’s my favorite message from earlier this year: “DFA has endorsed and helped elect bold, progressive leaders like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ayanna Pressley who are making the case for reparations in Congress…Help us fight for justice by signing our petition demanding every member of Congress support correcting our country’s wrongs and providing reparations for Black Americans.”
DFA claims 11,047 members in Maine and more than one million members nationwide. “Flipping Maine blue” wildly understates the dreams and fantasies that motivate them.
John Frary of Farmington is a former candidate for U.S. Congress, a retired history professor, an Emeritus Board Member of Maine Taxpayers United, a Maine Citizen’s Coalition Board member, and publisher of FraryHomeCompanion.com. He can be reached at jfrary8070
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