Nov 5 2013

The High Value of Integrity

It has been some years now since I decided to step into the murky and troubled waters of politics. I remember the first time I walked into a political headquarters and offered to help in any way I could. To that point, I had viewed politics as a necessary evil and only got close enough to vote. But as I watched the steady downward spiral of this Country and this State I loved, I wanted to help. Perhaps, I thought, we could start to turn things around for our children.

The first politician I met when I walked through that door was Paul Davis. From that day I entered into one of the most honest, straightforward and frank relationships that I have ever been in. Despite my entering the political fray as an outspoken and, at times, edgy activist columnist, Paul was always encouraging to my involvement, though I’m sure my tendency to push the envelope could make one uneasy. Paul has always been direct in his opinion of my opinions. There is no confusion to where he stands on issues and this is why The Maine Conservative Voice is publishing this letter of endorsement to support Paul Davis in the Senate primary race for the new District Four.

Paul Davis believes in fiscal responsibility and small government. He not only believes it, he lives it. He is one of the most frugal men I have ever met.

Paul Davis is a social conservative but it is more than a title to him. He has never betrayed those of faith whose vote he courts by claiming to believe one way and living another way. Paul gives his word and stands by it.

Paul Davis will never sell his vote for campaign favors. He does his best to ally himself with men and women of like conscience, who will work with him to represent his constituents. In the very tough and, at times, ugly business of politics, it’s nice to see someone who is willing to take a stand on principle.

Paul Davis believes that the government should stay out of the private lives of the people, their homes and their businesses. He is a strong proponent of private landowner rights and prefers to keep government out of the private sector. Government has a way of confusing what honest citizens do so efficiently.

Paul Davis’ record speaks for itself. Those he has represented for so many years know him. They know he will listen to them and speak for them in Augusta, like the time he put in a bill to change the regulatory mess that was keeping Chris Clukey from establishing his optometrist office in Dover-Foxcroft or the bill to protect the Sebec and Milo dams, which guard Maine’s only natural salmon fishery in Sebec Lake. They know they can put their trust in him because he has proven over and over again that he values and protects their trust.

It’s time to restore integrity to this Senate District again. It’s time to restore the common sense and honesty to this area. It’s what we value most in Maine. Please join me in supporting Paul Davis to be our next Senator from the new District Four.

Andy Torbett

The Maine Conservative Voice

Oct 22 2013

Blaine Richardson: Kevin Raye’s Biggest Ally?

With the recent revelations in fundraising, Kevin Raye may be sending olive branches, cuddly bunnies and warm well wishes to libertarian candidate Blaine Richardson in an effort to keep him in the race. It’s becoming increasing clear that Richard Rosen will most likely not enter the race so as to not split the moderate vote for Kevin Raye. The old guard/status quo Republicans will now be free to coalesce behind Raye.

Now, the former State Senate President and career Olympia Snowe favorite, will hold out his hope that Maine Conservatives will continue in their historical self-destructive pattern of sticking it to each other for the sake of, well, just sticking it to each other. Blaine Richardson has had a horrific start to the political fundraising season. He comes out of the gate already woefully in debt. His only hope for impact in this primary is to hobble the already strong striding Poliquin.

Bruce Poliquin has not just sent a shot across the bow of his political opponents of both Parties; he has fired a trident missile. As the shock waves have blistered through the Raye camp, the rattled old guard is now looking at Blaine Richardson as their new favorite BFF. He is their own dark horse, who represents their only outside chance to upset the surging and well-funded conservative, Bruce Poliquin. If their ace-in-the-hole Richardson strategy works, once again the status quo will be forcing 2^nd District Republican voters into holding their noses and voting for a candidate that does not share their values. It looks as if the ground swell behind Poliquin may be enough to overcome Richardson’s attempt to be Poliquin’s Achilles heel. But to watch Maine conservatives stubbornly cling to these self-destructive patterns every election cycle is mind numbing at best.

Oct 16 2013

Bruce Poliquin Outpaces His Opponents; Kevin Raye Falls Short

The numbers are in and it is a matter of what we expected and what we didn’t. We all expected Bruce Poliquin to be able to fundraise with the best of them, but I’m not sure we expected him to double Kevin Raye out of gate. Poliquin has also eclipsed the numbers reported by the Democrat contenders.

We expected that Kevin Raye would struggle outside of Washington County. We didn’t expect that he would fall short of the $100,000 mark conventional wisdom predicted he would raise easily. As many of the major donors have jumped ship to the Poliquin camp, Raye may be finding the pickings slim in the search for deep pockets. His disappointing start will not help.

We expected that Blaine Richardson would struggle to fundraise, but we did not expect that he would already be in the negative. While Richardson seems to relish his dark horse status, one wonders if he is the only hope that Kevin Raye has to challenge the surging Poliquin. Richardson will hold his loyal following and Kevin Raye will hope it is enough to help him steal the nomination from Poliquin.

Sep 3 2013

Not a Raye of Hope for Kevin

Our Nation is a democracy, which is a representative form of government. Acknowledging that there are differences in belief systems from region to region, we have divided our States and Counties up into districts to try and help elect a representative, who bests represents the needs and desires of that area. Although flawed in some respects, that is the general idea.

So, one would think that a candidate running for election in a selected district would try to best show himself a good representation of that district. Not so, for one career politician, who is running in the Republican primary for U.S. Congressional District Two. This man seems to be confusing who is representing whom?

Kevin Raye recently announced his candidacy, again, for Congress in CD 2. This will be his third attempt. In the last Republican primary for CD 2, Raye was only able to muster 51% of the vote against a no-name first time candidate. Moreover, 13% decided neither candidate was worth voting for, stayed home and didn’t vote. In only three counties, other than his own, was the former Senator able to garner more than 50% of the primary vote. Not a good omen for a candidate who claimed he could win the general election.

In the general election, Raye fared worse in his second attempt than he did in his first, losing by a larger margin. It seems name recognition did not work to the benefit of the State Senator from Washington County the second time around. The more they saw of him, the less they liked him. Kevin Raye lost every single county other than his own in the general election. Yes, even the historical Republican bastion of Piscataquis County chose perennial wallflower Mike Michaud as a stronger candidate over Kevin Raye. Many officials refused to carry Raye’s signs in parades fearing the backlash they would receive from the decidedly conservative crowds in the Second Congressional District.

Which brings up another interesting point. The Rayes have been very public about their support and promotion of abortion. They support Emily’s List and The Wish List; two organizations that zealously promote abortion and candidates that follow this mantra. Yet, Kevin Raye feels that somehow an overwhelmingly Pro-Life 2^nd District should set aside their belief system and allow him to represent them. Who is representing whom? And this represents the 2^nd District in what way? These are just few reasons why there is such tough sledding for Raye outside of Washington County.

Kevin Raye has done everything he can do to disenfranchise the voters of the CD 2. His one major political accomplishment outside of his county is to be the first Republican to lose an election in Piscataquis County, the Red County, in a very long time. It is easy to see, after a look at all the facts, that there is not a Raye of hope that this candidate represents the interests of our district.