But Some Are More Local Than Others<\/strong><\/font> While there, we had the pleasure of attending a micro-political event About a dozen supporters were expected to the comfortable arrangement The district Damon currently represents contains about 36,000 adult Of course, the last Presidential election was ultimately decided by The table in Mom’s dining room was awash in hors d’overs, The crowd was well-heeled and sophisticated, typical of the successful While lifelong Downeastern Mainers are still in the majority, and account Dennis comes from a very different background than the people he was After graduating from high school he continued working as a fisherman, After an additional career as a businessman, he was approached by the After two terms he decided to run for the State Senate, and he won again. He This time, however, Damon has some serious competition, as Republicans After his brief remarks and some questions and concerns from the audience, Several people pointed out that the Linnehan folks had numerous signs We buttonholed the Senator after most of the guests had left, and asked But we liked him, and we hope he wins. All over America mini-dramas Today, it is much harder But And We will be sure to check back on November 2 and see how the Damon-Linnehan But Some Are More Local Than OthersWe recently returned from a visit to the Great State of Maine, an idiosyncratic bastion of individualism and self-reliance wedged onto the northeastern-most corner of the United States like a vestigial green thumb. While … Continue reading ![](\"http:\/\/cyber.law.harvard.edu\/blogs\/static\/dowbrigade\/\nlinnesine.jpg\")
We
\n recently returned from a visit to the Great State of Maine, an idiosyncratic
\n bastion of individualism and self-reliance wedged onto the
\n northeastern-most corner of the United States like a vestigial green
\n thumb.<\/p>\n
\n hosted by the Dowbrigade’s Mom, with whom we were staying. It was an
\n organizer\/fundraiser for Dennis
\n Damon<\/a> (and there’s a name straight from
\n the Great American Novel), an incumbent candidate for the Maine State
\n Senate.<\/p>\n
\n of rectangular solids our stepfather the architect (who designed and
\n lives in it with our Mom) calls the "Amtrack House" due to it’s resemblance
\n to a train wreck, when seen from the street. Outside the remnants of
\n Hurricane Charlie were whipping the tops of the tall white pines around
\n the house across the sky, like rain-soaked brushes in the hand of a spastic
\n impressionist.<\/p>\n
\n Mainers, about half of whom usually vote. We call this micro-politics
\n because it is an election in which a thousand votes one way or the other
\n will probably decide the outcome. A race in which the candidates could
\n conceivable identify those thousand voters and personally talk to every
\n one.<\/p>\n
\n less than a thousand votes, and now the entire world is facing the consequences.
\n Local politics can have global repercussions.<\/p>\n
\n the identifying spoor of cultural cliques across America. In
\n this case, Norwegian wheat crackers with cream cheese and smoked salmon,
\n clever
\n little pastry
\n triangles with some scrumptious pureed spinach filling, mini Quiche
\n Lorraine the size of peanut butter cups. Also on the table were four
\n or five bottles
\n of red and white, including the bottle of Australian Long Flat Red we
\n had picked up the day before at the Wine and Cheese Cask on our way out of town.<\/p>\n
\n professionals "from away", who at some point in their lives fall in love
\n with Maine and move there, as the Dowbrigade’s Mom had done, about 18
\n years ago. Of course, Mainers are famously insular and a twenty-year
\n resident is barely distinguishable in their eyes from the outsiders who
\n flood up the coast for a few weeks of vacation time every summer.<\/p>\n
\n for the preponderantly Republican landscape of local and state politics,
\n folks from away are a sizable enough minority that they are a factor
\n to be reckoned with in elections, and are partly responsible for a small
\n number of Democrats to arrive in the state house in Agusta. Like tonight’s
\n guest of honor, Dennis Damon<\/a>.<\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/cyber.law.harvard.edu\/blogs\/static\/dowbrigade\/\ndamonsine.jpg\")
Damon is not even remotely from away. From his story and his accent,
\n it sounds like he has never set foot outside of the state. At 55 he talks
\n proudly of having had four professions, but first and foremost
\n he strikes
\n us
\n as
\n a Maine
\n fisherman. As he explained, his father was a fisherman, as was
\n his<\/em> father, and his father before him.<\/p>\n
\n talking to, who were also 10 or 20 his senior. Yet he looks comfortable,
\n and settles into a relaxed rhythm as he speaks. Of course, he is a politician
\n talking to constituents about himself, a subject we can assume he knows
\n well.<\/p>\n
\n together with his father and brothers, until his father let drop that
\n he had always
\n hoped
\n one of his children would go on to college. So he did, and became a teacher
\n and coach. Like many teachers his entree to politics was through the
\n teacher’s union.<\/p>\n
\n decidedly underdog Democratic establishment and asked if he was interested
\n in running for Commissioner of Handcock County. He was, and much to the
\n surprise of all concerned, he won. <\/p>\n
\n seems to win because he exudes an earnest sincerity and because he works
\n hard (one of only 6 legislators with 100% voting records). He seemed
\n to be honestly interested in the concerns of the guests at tonight’s
\n meeting: property taxes, Maine’s implementation of No Child Left Behind,
\n road conditions,
\n term limitations.<\/p>\n
\n have given the nod to a wealthy local businessman, used car mart
\n owner John Linnehan, who has a slick
\n web site<\/a> touting his business acumen
\n and "Biblical world view".<\/p>\n
\n Damon literally passed the hat, and a discussion ensued on how and where
\n to place advertisements for the candidate. Damon mentioned that state
\n law prohibited the placement of ANY political advertising within 300
\n feet of the middle of any public street or road until 6 weeks before
\n election day, which this year would be September 27, and asked his supporters
\n not to do so.<\/p>\n
\n up all over town, including one 30-foot banner on centric Route 3 (see
\n pic above). Unfortunately, according to Damon, the statute in question
\n sets a $100 fine for violations, and the fines are set per candidate
\n and NOT per sign, so Linnehan has no problem paying to play.<\/p>\n
\n him what he knew about blogging. "I gather it has something to do with
\n writing," he answered honestly. He was quite understanding and supportive
\n when we tried to describe them as an alternative to the centralization
\n of the major media outlets. Everybody seems to dislike the media, left
\n and right alike, but almost everybody relies on the media for the information
\n they use to navigate the world. Unfortunately, John Linnehan looks more
\n likely to utilize a blog in his campaign than Dennis Damon.<\/p>\n
\n like this a playing out. Back before a million channels of drivel
\n and the limitless spaces of Cyberspace were available to divert our attention,
\n local politics was the main hobby or amusement activity of a significant
\n portion of the American public. Quite frankly, there wasn’t that
\n much else to do. In fact, if Monday Night Football and Wednesday
\n Karaoke had existed in 18th century Boston, we doubt they would have
\n been able to pull off the American Revolution.<\/p>\n
\n to get people to spend their precious leisure hours
\n on political organizing, but there is still a hardcore who either have
\n politics in their blood or consider it a civic duty. <\/p>\n
\n the beauty of the system is that it exists and functions silently over
\n these now hundreds of years, waiting to be used, available to any
\n interest group, mass movement, charismatic candidate or civic crusade
\n that wants
\n to use
\n it,
\n and is capable of waking up or pissing off enough voters to have an impact.<\/p>\n
\n these teachers and retirees and small business owners gathered in living
\n rooms across America do<\/em> participate in the actual political process of
\n selecting the leaders of the "free
\n world". The
\n meeting we attended in Downeast Maine was not that different than the
\n dozens
\n of pancake
\n breakfasts and coffee klatches we attended in small suburban kitchens
\n and dens in New Hampshire in December and January, featuring local politicians
\n named Dean and Kerry and Clark.<\/p>\n
\n race is turning out. Find out about your local races. Trust your instincts
\n to tell the good guys from the bad guys. Vote for the good ones.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"