x
Breaking News
More () »

Campaigns and Kavanaugh analyzed on Political Brew

Democratic analyst John Richardson and Republican Rick Bennett both agreed Maine Senator Susan Collins has handled the controversy well thus far, as she has maintained as close to an impartial view of the nomination as politically possible, and seeming been able to fend off the barrage of criticism and appeals from all sides.

PORTLAND (NEWS CENTER Maine)-- The controversy over the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh has enveloped Washington, and it’s no surprise the issue is front and center on this week’s Political Brew.

Democratic analyst John Richardson and Republican Rick Bennett both agreed Maine Senator Susan Collins has handled the controversy well thus far, as she has maintained as close to an impartial view of the nomination as politically possible, and seeming been able to fend off the barrage of criticism and appeals from all sides. They did not agree with some other analysts that Collins is in a no-win situation politically, because her eventual vote is sure to anger and incite opposition from the losing side, regardless of which way her vote goes.

%INLINE%

Regarding the accusation that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted a young woman named Christine Blasey (now Ford) at a party when they were both 17, neither Richardson nor Bennet was prepared to predict the outcome. They said the ultimate vote of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and the vote of the full Senate, may draw a new cultural line about how we view and react to sexual aggression toward women. Bennett, however, warned that the allegation against Kavanaugh is still unproven, and that he has denied it—all of which intensified the spotlight on the new testimony scheduled for the coming week.

In Maine politics, Richardson praised Democratic gubernatorial candidate Janet Mills for being the first to come out with a plan for Maine’s economy. He said those issues are perceived to be a strength for Republican Shawn Moody, and therefore it was important for Mills to outline her plans first.

Bennett, former chairman of the Maine Republican Party, said large amounts of political money were flowing into Maine from all sides for various campaigns, and would be financing intense attack adds on both sides. Those efforts are already highly visible in the Second Congressional District race between Jared Golden and Rep. Bruce Poliquin, as well as the Mills-Moody race for Governor.

Richardson and Bennett also said he does expect a surge a Democratic voters on election day—the so-called “blue wave”—and Bennett said Republicans, in Maine and elsewhere, are concerned that could pose real problems at the polls for their candidates.

Before You Leave, Check This Out