So, Maine’s been a trending topic on twitter for most of the day, due to the law allowing gay marriage being repealed (53% to 47%). Well, that, medical marijuana made some steps forward. But it was mostly the gay thing. I’d like to take a moment to discuss my home state.
It was stated in a New York Times article “The Maine vote was particularly discouraging for gay-rights groups because it took place in New England, the region that has been the most open to same-sex marriage”. So, the first off, Maine is not like the rest of the New England states. Yes, it’s cold, yes we have snow, and lobster, and a funny accent. But no, we’re not urban, and our remocrats are not your typical New England democrats. It’s not the same New England that you meet when you walk out of Logan Int’l.
After leaving Maine, I found that quite a few people think that Maine is urban, because that’s what the rest of the north east is. In the north east, you’ve got New York, Boston, Newark, and even Philly, Baltimore and DC (yeah, they’re not New England per se, but on a photo of the US at night, they’re part of the same light-mass). Maine has no major city. The entire state has roughly the same population as San Diego (city proper, not metro). Maine has trees, lots of them, and little else. While Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island are mostly urban or suburban, Maine is the Alaska of the east coast.
Up North, on the way to Limestone, Maine.
Maine’s politics are also quite different. As a gross oversimplification, democrats generally love trees, hate guns, and live in urban areas. The Maine’s population is mostly liberal, but they hate trees, love guns, and don’t live in an urban area.
When I say hate trees, I simply mean, they’re not “tree huggeres”. Yes, they care about the environment, like anyone, but they’re not too worried about it. To anyone who lives in Maine who cares to dispute that, I say come visit California – the land of hybrid cars, use your own cloth shopping bags, recycling more than you throw away, and people who fear that trees are becoming endangered.
Despite Maine’s democrat majority, both of it’s senators (Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe) are both republicans. Snowe, in particular, commands quite a bit of influence in the senate. Although a republican, she tends to be a more liberal one, as she supports legalized abortion, gay rights, and even voted for last month’s Finance Committee’s health care bill.
Generally when people think “republican” or “small town in the sticks”, they think of the other. The two notions are loosely connected in the American mentality. This is not the case in Maine; you’ve got a bunch of small-town folks, who love their guns and country music, and also the Democratic Party.
Despite having grown up there, I personally find it very difficult to anticipate how the state will stand on any given issue.
Owl's Head Light, Rockland Harbor
The shorline a few feet from the house I grew up in
Lobster Fishing
Eastern Harbor Landing, South Addison, also near where I grew up.
