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Susan Young is the Bangor Daily News opinion editor.
Let me start by saying that I think trackers – the people paid to follow political candidates around to see if they say or do something stupid or offensive – are annoying. They have become a regular feature of political life, but – and no offense to the usually young people who do these jobs – they don’t add much to our already degraded political process.
That said, Paul LePage’s threats against a Democratic tracker who was following him recently in Madawaska unleashed a torrent of memories of other LePage insults, inappropriate comments and threats to harm those who disagreed with him or made him mad.
One hit particularly close to home. In 2015, he said, while laughing, that he would “like to shoot” my colleague and long-time friend, Bangor Daily News cartoonist George Danby. Danby’s offense? Drawing political cartoons that the governor didn’t like.
Danby was diplomatic and said simply that the threatening quip was in poor taste in light of recent shootings, including the killing of 12 people, including cartoonists, in Paris earlier in the year.
But, what made this situation worse was that LePage didn’t say this to George Danby directly. He said in front of a room full of teen-aged high school students, including Danby’s son, Nick, who were in Augusta for Dirigo Boys State. The governor later sent an apology to Nick Danby, who had asked the governor what he thought of his father’s cartoons, but not to George.
So, not only did the governor not have enough self control to not talk about his desire to shoot someone who made him mad, he didn’t have the self awareness to not make this threat, even in joke form, in front of children.
As with some past inappropriate comments or threats, LePage’s handlers have again turned to the former governor’s rough upbringing to justify his current actions.
“Paul LePage is not like most people. He was homeless as a child and was forced to live on the streets, overcoming tremendous odds to earn an advanced college degree, become a successful businessman, mayor and governor,” Brent Littlefield, who has worked for LePage for years and is serving as a campaign spokesman, told the Daily Beast when asked about the Madawaska incident.
LePage has a lot to be proud of. He overcame a difficult childhood to become very successful.
But, that success and his rough early life does not excuse his boorish, threatening behavior. Paul LePage, sadly, is not as unique as his campaign handlers seem to think.
There are likely millions of people around the world who endured difficult childhoods. Sadly, children are beaten by their parents. Millions of children are hungry and unhoused. Many are neglected.
Some have watched parents and siblings be killed before their eyes, by family members, gang members, political rivals. Others had parents die in tragic accidents or from horrid illnesses.
The list of horrors that young people have had to endure is tragically long and many of these people have no doubt struggled with this trauma throughout their lives.
Many have gone on to very successful careers and happy lives, without frequently threatening people around them.
When he launched his campaign for a third term as governor, LePage and his supporters said that he had changed. He was more mellow, we were told.
Call me skeptical, but it is hard to believe that the man who said he wanted to shoot my colleague, who called a Democratic lawmaker a “socialist c***sucker” and later said he wanted to have a “gun duel” with him, who laughed about wanting to blow up the Portland Press Herald building, who fantasized about bringing back guillotines – the list goes on and on – has really changed.
It’s true that Paul LePage is not like most people. Most people don’t threaten to harm others on such a regular basis.