Maine governor
Inspired by Justin Russell’s list
I won’t vote for you if you don’t support gay marriage.
I won’t vote for you if you think creationism should be taught alongside science.
I’m less likely to vote for you if you support nuclear power.
I’m much less likely to vote for you if you support offshore drilling.
I’m more likely to vote for you if you support biomass or offshore wind.
I’m much less likely to vote for you if you think there should be an abortion ban in law.
I won’t vote for you if you don’t use Twitter.
Click through to see more explanations of his list. I will try not to duplicate too much. Here is my list of things I want in a governor.
1) Support equal rights. I like Jacobsen’s plan to make all marriages civil unions and leave marriages to churches. Should really be the way it is, since one is related to civil property rights and such, and the other is spiritual beliefs. Barring that, I would just do what the legislature did last year and simply make the forms say “spouse” instead of husband or wife. All the Democratic candidates have said they were against last year’s #1 and Mills as well.
2) Push for big incentives for weatherization projects and renewable energy, including higher gas taxes with money funneled to compact development and more buses. I know higher taxes are always problematic, but maybe the Deepwater Horizon mistake can encourage people to use less.
3) I don’t want someone for Governor that I would feel chummy with, have a beer with, be “regular people” (whatever the hell that is). I want someone who makes me feel not as smart as them. Someone who can answer questions on stuff I have not though of, someone that makes me think, “Wow they have something special.”
4) I want someone with experience doing business based budgeting, in the hopes that they will apply those skills to removing some of the junk from the current budget.
5) Someone in favor of school consolidation, especially at the administrative level.
6) Someone whose associates I admire or like their public statements. If you tend to hire and/or associate with good, smart people, that is a good sign.
If a candidates supporters mostly are monosylabic and insult other candiates/people/races/etc, then I am not going to vote for you.
That said, I am voting for Rosa Scarcelli in the primary.
You stated: ” I don’t want someone for Governor that I would feel chummy with, have a beer with, be “regular people” (whatever the hell that is). I want someone who makes me feel not as smart as them. Someone who can answer questions on stuff I have not though of, someone that makes me think, “Wow they have something special.”
Well said! Although I feel very comfortable in my own skin, and always feel empowered to be the best I can be whenever I am with Rosa, I am at the same time “Wowed” by the depth of her knowledge, her confidence, and how well she articulates and answers tough questions, even when put on the spot.
Rosa is THE candidate to vote for if you want to see forward thinking and a leader who can definitely inspire those she works with, whether that be in her own company, or as an elected official.
Great list! And thanks for the link.
I agree and disagree on your point about chumminess; though I think that it’s important to have thoroughly smart people in high elected offices, I don’t think that being chummy and being smart are mutually exclusive. (I’d say that Obama fits this description. I could imagine a conversation with him, but at the same time I wouldn’t think of him as “regular people.”)
There’s a balance between being brilliant and being approachable at some level. An elected official shouldn’t be a god, but s/he damn sure better know how to handle problems during the term.