From the Editor
GOP gets pounded here, there, and everywhere
Nine months ago, Republicans Ken Lemont and Windol Weaver looked to be easy winners in their respective races, Lemont to the state senate and Weaver to the state house. Instead, Lemont was ousted by Democratic newcomer Peter Bowman, and Weaver held on for only a narrow 201 vote win over political neophyte Kinley Gregg. Lemont, who entered the race with a long and well-respected history of prior public service in both the state house and senate, and Weaver, a longtime local public servant with a significant resume, both received solid backing from their party and should, by most common logic, have cruised through in this one.But the bad day for Republicans nationwide appeared to extend all the way to southern York County.
Additionally, TABOR, which generally received support from the Republican establishment and was roundly opposed by Democrats, was sent down locally and statewide as well, and appeared to have had an impact on those associated with it.
Meanwhile, the tepid party support for incumbent Republican State Representative Brad Moulton accurately forecasted his demise as popular local businesswoman and community leader Dawn Hill won in a landslide for the Democrats. In county races, Democrats swept the table. Even John Baldacci managed to return as governor. The only healthy local margin for the Republicans came from U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe, the quintessential moderate who has long since carved out her niche as the non-Republican's Republican.
There are two things that we think are worth noting here. First, Republicans, at this juncture, are suffering from a very real credibility gap with the majority of voters both locally and nationally. Second, the idea that any tax reform is better than no tax reform clearly proved to be a loser. Nobody wants to pay more taxes than necessary, but that is a different thing completely from believing that taxes are the only issue on everyone's mind.
From our view, it's wake up and smell the coffee time for Republicans near and far. The growing disconnect with the moderately conservative, independent-minded voters in the middle is on the verge of severance, and once complete, is likely to be many years in recovering.
By all appearances, satisfied
As opposed to the chasm of party politics, the overwhelmingly large margin of passage for all of York's local zoning and Comprehensive Plan items seems to indicate that for the first time in a long time, the town planner, the town manager, the Board of Selectmen, and the town as a whole are generally on the same page concerning these issues. An improved level of public access and participation in the process appears to have calmed, for the present at least, these once stormy waters (see our story on page 6). Whether this is simply a sign of voter weariness on the matter, or the beginning of a long term trend toward involved, rational cooperation amongst stakeholders, the 3-1 and 4-1 approval margins made it clear that the mad-as-hell crowd were few and far between this time around.
