1. She's run the most interesting and exciting campaign. Rosa came from nowhere to deserve a spot on the stage with political veterans who have a combined 80 years of political experience. While her opponents started with a significant built-in organization and base, Rosa built a first-rate team from scratch and gained supporters all across Maine. She did it the hard way with traditional campaigning and a shrewd use of new media (nearly 15,000 views on her YouTube Channel alone). Even if you disagreed with her positions and tactics, you probably spent more time discussing her campaign than any of her opponents. Imagine what a snooze this race would have been without her.
2. She was the hands-down winner in the debates. Even those who don't support Rosa, including editorial writers who endorsed one of her opponents, had to grudgingly give her credit for her impressive performance in the televised debates. What does it say about someone who has never held political office, never given a speech and never taken part in a televised debate to have so outclassed her veteran opponents? More important, what does it say about those veteran opponents, two of whom have run twice for Congress? Rosa answered the questions, gave specific responses, knew her facts cold and showed real common sense. And she smiled.
3. Rosa proved the power of good ideas. Just take a look at her website (www.RosaForMaine.com). Lengthy, detailed, intelligent discussions and proposals on nearly every issue affecting Maine. Now check the websites of her opponents. Rhetoric, slogans, pabulum. Rosa proposed a Maine State Bank, the best idea for business growth and job creation in years. Can you name even one decent proposal from the other candidates?
4. Being governor is a young person's job. I hate to sound ageist, but having worked in the governor's office, I know that it's an exhausting 24-7 job that can age a person in a hurry. Take a look at a picture of John Baldacci in 2003, and look at him now. Or Angus King in 1994. There's probably a reason why the last governor we elected over the age of 50 died in office (Clint Clauson in 1959). Rosa is 40. If any of her Democratic opponents are elected, they'll be the oldest elected Maine governor in more than 50 years.
5. She'll be a great, attractive symbol for Maine. There's really only so much a governor can do when it comes to policy. The biggest impact a governor has on a state is more symbolic. The governor of Maine is its top salesperson - in Maine, across the country and even internationally. He or she becomes what Maine represents, the image of Maine. One of the reasons Angus King brought Maine out of the economic doldrums was simply the strength of his personality. He was alive, funny, open, accessible. You couldn't find 10 people who remember one major policy initiative during his tenure (with the exception maybe of laptops in schools), but his approval rating is still in the high 60-70% range. People just liked him, they trusted him, they believed he had the best interests of Maine at heart, and it made them feel good about their home state. And that feeling was infectious, particularly in the business community. More than any of her opponents, Rosa can do this for Maine.
6. Rosa wants to govern more than she wants to campaign. I've worked for a lot of candidates. The truth is some of them like running for the office a lot more than they like doing something once they get elected. I can't help but think that at least a few of Rosa's opponents see the job as simply a way to cap off their long political resume as they head toward retirement. Rosa sees it as a new beginning for Maine. She's a manager. That's what she does. She wants to go to Augusta to make a difference. How different? A good manager never would have spent most of the one-time federal stimulus money to pay for ongoing programs in the state budget (Maine is 48th in the nation for job creation with the stimulus money), and then borrow money to fix a few roads and bridges. That's how different.
7. She'll challenge the status quo. If you look at a list of some of her opponent's supporters, it's the same list of people who supported Baldacci. Heck, it's the same list of people who supported Joe Brennan. I'm not saying that either of these governors did a bad job, but can we really expect anything new and different from any of these candidates? We're entering an age of diminished resources, when major changes in the delivery of government services are needed. When you're trying to shake up and bring systemic change to a large organization, you don't hire from within. You bring in an accomplished outsider.
8. She's a Democrat. Because she talks a lot about making Maine more open for business, she gets accused of being a Republican. She's not. Never has been. My question is, when did the Democratic Party stop caring about growing jobs and helping business? When did they forget that businesses hire people, their constituents? On all of the social issues, she's a down-the-line Democrat. Being prudent and responsible with the taxpayer's money doesn't make her a Republican.
9. She can win in November. Right now, in a darkened room with candles burning, ersatz independent candidate Eliot Cutler is on his knees praying that Libby Mitchell wins the nomination. He has a second and third choice too, and neither of them are Rosa. Cutler, in my view, would be a disaster for Maine, and especially for the Democratic Party. Of the three Democratic candidates, Rosa is the only one who can appeal to moderate Democrats, independents and even Republicans, voters that any candidate needs to win a statewide race in November. (Some people feel McGowan has broad appeal, but it's overrated, and besides his connections to Baldacci, whose favorability ratings with the general electorate are not great, would be a factor in November).
10. She's going to win on Tuesday. And she'll make a great governor. Better get on the bus now.
Dennis Bailey is an advisor to the Rosa for Maine campaign. The views expressed here are his own and not necessarily those of the candidate.
Over the course of the last few months, six Democrats participated in gubernatorial forums (that number has now been reduced to four), and we endeavored to live blog each of those that were streamed online. If you are still undecided on a candidate, or want to refresh yourself about where they stand, these live blog threads may be of help.
Alas, some technical difficulties put the kibosh on some them, but below you can find the list of those that did occur.
With just one more day to go before tomorrow's primary, gubernatorial candidates are criss-crossing the state in one last push attract voters. There are also five questions on the ballot to be decided: an effort to repeal Maine's tax reform law, and four bond issues.
There are also several primary contests for legislative seats, and a myriad of local issues on tomorrow's ballot.
And the PPH has this opinion piece by Michael Cuzzi that notes that the new media are changing campaigns, which includes a shout-out to Derek Viger and Mike Tipping:
Equally important is the rise and influence of Maine political bloggers. Until this year, these bloggers toiled in relative obscurity, writing mostly for the "inside baseball" politicos and wonks who follow the minutiae of campaigns, elections, and the daily winners and losers in Augusta. Their influence was limited. No more.
This year has been the coming out party for the state's political bloggers. They have interviewed the candidates, broken important stories, been courted by the campaigns, and provided insight and analysis not found in any traditional media outlet. Most importantly, their dogged citizen journalism is now influencing Maine's traditional news outlets and the campaigns themselves.
When Derek Viger of Augusta Insider (augustainsider.us) posed a variety of education policy questions to the candidates, they all responded. That alone is indicative of the growing influence of Maine's political bloggers.
But then, with a comment on the original blog post, an AI reader revealed that Republican gubernatorial candidate Les Otten's policy responses had been plagiarized from the Maine Heritage Policy Center. Other local bloggers ran with the story and uncovered additional details, forcing the traditional media to pick it up, and Otten's campaign to publicly respond.
But the most important thing to take away from all of this is to get out and vote. If you are not registered to vote in Maine, you can still do so, although you will NOT be able to vote in party primary contests. If you are unenrolled (independent), you can change to a party affiliation right at the polls (although a few communities require you to visit the clerk's office).
Join us throughout the day and tomorrow for more updates, a final wrap-up, and a look-ahead to November.
PORTLAND - Rosa Scarcelli, Democratic candiate for governor, said today that she is the only candidate in the race to offer a detailed plan to raise teacher salaries in Maine.
"Maine ranks near the bottom of states in teacher salaries, and last in New England," Scarcelli said. "We can't expect to attract good teachers and get good results if we don't provide adequate pay for our teachers. At the same time, the state faces a $1 billion budget shortfall, and unfortunately education will not be spared in the next round of budget cuts.
"The good news is that in the face of this crisis we have a tremendous opportunity to make fundamental reforms that will help transform our schools into a truly world-class system of education," she continued. "But that's why we need to be much more creative and strategic than simply making across the board cuts. My plan identifies over $400 million in education savings, much of which can then be plowed back into the classroom and provide a pay increase for teachers."
Scarcelli said she is relying on a study by one of Maine's most pre-eminent education researchers, David Silvernail of the University of Southern Maine, who estimates that by simply bringing the state's average student teacher ratio to 13.5:1 from the current 11:1 ratio, the state would save $400 million annually. And Maine's class sizes would still be well below the national average of 15.3:1.
"Currently, Maine has one of the lowest student/teacher ratios in the country, yet rural states similar to Maine with higher student/teacher ratios are getting better test scores," she said. "The latest studies conclude that teacher quality - not classroom size - is the single factor that has the highest correlation with better learning results. That's why it's important to find to find savings that we can then use to raise teacher salaries, attract and keep better teachers, and in turn raise student achievement."
Scarcelli said other candidates talk about providing more money for education and teacher pay, but don't say how they will do it.
"We need to be realistic," she said. "No matter who becomes governor, changes will have to be made to the way we fund education. We need to find realistic, innovative ways to find efficiencies and cost savings that we can then reinvest in the classroom and in improving the quality of our teachers. We cannot turn out back on our students. Their future, and Maine's future, depends on providing a first class education to all Maine students."
For more information about Scarcelli's plan, see the Newsroom at www.RosaForMaine.com
This is the live blogging thread for tonight's Democratic gubernatorial debate, hosted by Maine Public Broadcasting. The debate can be seen on the television stations of MPBN, heard on the radio stations of MPBN, or live streamed at their website here. The debate begins at 8:00 p.m.
The candidates are: Maine Senate President Libby Mitchell; former Conservation Commissioner Pat McGowan; former Attorney General Steve Rowe; and housing developer Rosa Scarcelli.
I invite you to post your comments about what you've heard, what you would have liked to have heard, follow up questions, etc. Grab a bowl of popcorn and a beverage of you choice, and sit back for an hour of interest.
If you are not a member of Dirigo Blue, sign up is easy - just follow the link in the Menu Box in the right hand menu.
The University of Southern Maine and WMTW-TV Channel 8 in Portland will be hosting a forum for the Democratic candidates for governor, beginning at 7:00 p.m. If you are not in the broadcast area, you can live stream it here.
Use the comments to post your thoughts on what the candidates have to say, and suggest followups that you would like to see answered.
As many of you know, I've stayed above the political fray of the Democratic gubernatorial primary. My intent is to provide a platform for all those that are running, and for their supporters, one absent of my own biases.
Who will head our state government for the next four years is important, but that person is also the titular head of the Maine Democratic Party. To that end, a Democratic governor is the standard bearer of party ideals, as expressed by the Party Platform, and legislative initiatives.
Party building is a key component of that job. And this is why this advertisement really ticks me off.
While it is laudable to encourage unenrolled voters in Maine to become Democrats and participate in the upcoming primary, it is equally important to encourage them to remain Democrats, and to participate more than just voting.
What a future governor certainly does not want to do is encourage them to vote and then switch back to independent status.
PORTLAND - Rosa Scarcelli, Democratic candidate for governor, today proposed the creation of the Maine State Bank to keep state revenues in Maine available for lending to small businesses, farmers, student loans and other economic development projects.
Scarcelli said a Maine State bank would provide needed capital to businesses throughout Maine at a time when traditional banks are clamping down on loans and foreclosing on homes and businesses.
At a news conference today in Portland, Scarcelli said, "Each year in Maine, hundreds of millions dollars in state revenue - our money - is deposited into large out-of-state and foreign-owned banks. Those banks then lend our money to their customers, to create jobs mostly outside of Maine. The profits from these loans go to pay lavish banker's salaries, finance shaky derivative investment schemes and pay handsome returns to their shareholders in other parts of the world.
"The Maine State Bank would instead put our money to work right here at home, and in the public's best interest, not Wall Street's," she added.
Her initiative is modeled after the highly successful Bank of North Dakota, which was founded in 1919 in a state similar to Maine (rural, small population, large land area). But in part because of its state bank, North Dakota has been insulated from the economic downtown and banking crisis affecting the rest of the nation - its economy is growing, they have the lowest unemployment rate in the country and a state budget surplus this year of $1.3 billion.
Currently, nearly half of all state funds are deposited in a large Canadian bank. Much of the remainder is deposited in a Rhode Island bank in which the controlling stake is now owned by the British government.
Under Scarcelli's plan, all state revenue would be deposited in the Maine State Bank, which would then lend and invest the money here in Maine, keeping the profits here too.
"We'll keep control of our tax dollars and ensure they are handled sustainably and responsibly - no golden parachutes, no private aircraft, no lobbyists or political contributions," she said. "Just Mainer's money benefiting Mainers."
The Maine State Bank will make loans more readily available to small and medium businesses in Maine to get the state's economy moving again, she said. The bank will invest in economic development throughout Maine, particularly in rural areas, that will help keep and attract good jobs. It will also make student loans more available, invest in crumbling infrastructure and revitalize town centers across Maine.
Scarcelli emphasized that the Maine State Bank would not compete with traditional for-profit banks or credit unions, but will work in partnership with them to better compete with large national banks. She said the Bank would be divorced from politics, with a Board of Directors that includes independent, outside directors and an Advisory Council made up of experienced experts in the banking and finance fields.
"Tough times call for bold, innovative solutions," she said. "While we've seen the career politicians talk a good game, real leadership is about proposing concrete, workable solutions that will move Maine forward. It works for North Dakota and it can work here. Together, we will bring the best ideas forward to make Maine the best place to live, work and raise a family."
Gubernatorial candidate Rosa Scarcelli will propose an amendment to the Maine Democratic Party Platform this afternoon. It reads:
G. Rejection of Extremism
We reject the narrow, isolationist and extremist views expressed in the Maine Republican Party Platform, and reaffirm the Maine Democratic Party as one of inclusion, common sense and responsible government reflecting the true values and concerns of Maine people.
Proposed by Rosa Scarcelli
Cumberland County
Update: The proposed amendment was amended to read:
G. Rejection of Extremism
We reject the narrow, isolationist and extremist views expressed in the Maine Republican Party Platform, and reaffirm the Maine Democratic Party as one of inclusion, common sense and responsible government reflecting the true values and concerns of Maine people.
Proposed by Rosa Scarcelli
Cumberland County
It then went to a vote to see if the delegates wanted to adopt it, and by voice, it was not.
It's the Maine Democratic Party Convention, and let's face it, the emphasis is on "party."
Having been to a few more of these than I'd like to remember, my recollection is that most of the fun happens Friday night when the delegates from every corner of Maine wander around with their buttons and hats looking for the best hospitality suites.
I'll make one bold prediction: Rosa Scarcelli will have the best hospitality suite, by far. For one thing, she had the good sense of having it at a local bar (Holly's Own Restaurant and Deli in Auburn) instead of in one of those hotel rooms with bad lighting and dogs-playing-poker artwork on the walls.
For another, she got a live band (get ready for a shameless plug). Yes it's true, The Bob Band will playing the Scarcelli Hospitality Suite (find them on Facebook at The Bob Band). This is a four-piece band that recreates the spirit and vibe of America's greatest singer/songwriter Bob Dylan. Ok, it's a tribute band. But it's appropriate. The times they are a changin' indeed.
Rosa will be spending most of Friday doing the meeting and greeting stuff. I'll be honest. When she first decided to begin this endeavor many moons ago, I had my doubts. Only because I've worked with several candidates who were convinced they should be the next governor, congressman, senator, whatever, only to discover after just a few weeks on the campaign trail their blood pressure just couldn't take it. They found out the hard way that the skills you need for governing are a far cry from the skills required for campaigning. Only rarely do you find the two talents in one package. Angus King, for one, but even he would admit that he didn't know that going in. He found out much later that not only did he like campaigning, he was good at it.
SCARCELLI TV AD TOUTS MAINE ROOTS, BUSINESS EXPERIENCE
PORTLAND - Rosa Scarcelli, Democratic candidate for governor, began airing a 30-second television ad this week that touts her roots in Maine and experience as a businesswoman, factors that separate her from her rivals in the race for governor.
Called "Signs," the ad is running statewide on network and cable stations (except WGME in Portland). It is also available on YouTube and Scarcelli's website RosaForMaine.com
Today the Kennebec Journal begins a series of live online chats with each of the gubernatorial candidates, KJ managing editor Tony Ronzio informs me. The series kicks off at 2:00 p.m. with Pat McGowan, but continues at noon thereafter - you'll find the complete order below.
Here is the link to the live online chat. Ronzio held similar lunchtime chats when he was at the SunJournal; for those that have never participated in one, I urge you to stop by and see what they are about, and have a question or two ready to ask.
PORTLAND - Democratic candidate for governor Rosa Scarcelli said today that the official platform adopted yesterday by the Maine Republican Party "lowers an iron curtain of intolerance" around Maine and moves the state backwards.
"The principles established by the Maine Republican Party reflect the beliefs of right-wing extremists instead of the hopes, dreams and values of middle-class families in Maine," Scarcelli said. "My campaign for governor is about moving Maine forward using the best ideas, Democrat or Republican. Unfortunately, the platform of the Maine Republican Party takes us backward, further back than any reasonable Mainer would expect. Not only are the proposals extreme and out of touch, but they have little to do with improving Maine and more to do with promoting an intolerant national right-wing agenda.
"I find it curious that a party platform that claims to find its values in the Constitution doesn't mention the word 'democracy' even once," Scarcelli added.
"I invite all reasonable Mainers, regardless of party, including all the candidates running for governor, to reject these extreme ideas and have a healthy debate about issues that are actually relevant - growing our economy, educating our children, and making Maine the best place to live, work and raise a family."
About Rosa Scarcelli: Scarcelli, 40, Democratic candidate for governor, is the owner and CEO of Stanford Management that provides quality, affordable housing in more than 30 Maine communities and employs 100 people. A native of Wilton, Scarcelli said she wants to use her business skills to help create a better climate in Maine for job creation and growth. She lives in Portland with her husband Thom and their three children ages 13, 10 and 9. For more information, go to www.RosaForMaine.com
We would like to thank all of the candidates for their participation in this survey, and hope that it has helped you, the voter, with refining your choice.
We invite your comments and questions.
Question to the candidate: The Maine Education Association has opposed many of the reforms that have been attempted in Maine. Do you believe the MEA is still relevant? How will you work with the MEA to advance education in the state?
You can find their responses, in random order determined by lot, below the fold.
Question to the candidate: Do think funding for extra-curricular sports is more important than funding for arts curricula, and would you support cutting all funding for such sports before you cut classes in the arts?
You can find their responses, in random order determined by lot, below the fold.
2010 MAINE DEMOCRATIC GUBERNATORIAL PRIMARY Questionnaire on Education
In the fifth of a seven-part series, each of the Democratic candidates for governor have responded to a series of questions on education compiled by Bruce Bourgoine, Derek Viger of the Augusta Insider, and Gerald Weinand, editor of Dirigo Blue. The remaining questions and responses will appear over the next two days at 10:00 a.m.
We invite your comments and questions.
Question to the candidate: DOE Commissioner Susan Gendron released the list of school achievement and progress. Part of that list were the ten "persistently lowest-achieving schools". These schools are eligible for $12 million in federal grant money if they do one of the following; fire the principal and implement reforms such as extending learning time or adding professional development time, fire the principal and half the staff, or close the school completely. Do you agree with the "lowest-achieving" label? What do you think of the reforms required to receive federal grant money?
You can find their responses, in random order determined by lot, below the fold.
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