All posts by Mike Tipping

Mike Tipping

About Mike Tipping

Mike is Maine's longest-writing political blogger and explores state politics and policy with a focus on analysis and explanation. He works at the Maine People's Alliance and Maine People's Resource Center.

Watching the sinking of Maine politics through a Periscope

Last week I watched Representative Bruce Poliquin sprint from the media, refusing to answer questions about his support for Donald Trump as Maine Public’s Mal Leary shouted “Congressman, you can’t hide!” I watched Governor Paul LePage’s impromptu press conference where he called President Obama a dictator and showed off his Russian nesting dolls with the […]

Maine marijuana campaign launches first TV ad

Yes on 1, the campaign to legalize and regulate marijuana for recreational use in Maine, has launched their first TV ad. The ad features former Cumberland County Sheriff (and current state representative) Mark Dion, who asserts that reducing the time spent issuing marijuana citations will allow police officers to spend more time fighting “serious, violent […]

Third-party presidential candidates poised to do well in Maine

Libertarian Party presidential nominee Gary Johnson’s visit to Maine this Friday isn’t surprising, given the state’s history and the current political moment. Third-party and independent candidates up and down the ballot have often received significant support in Maine, and the particular dynamics of the 2016 race may lead to an electoral boost for third-party presidential […]

Rep. Russell celebrates superdelegate win, preaches unity in DNC address

Speaking to the delegates of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia yesterday, Maine State Representative Diane Russell celebrated the success of her resolution to bind superdelegates to state votes in future elections. “We are united, and fixing the super-delegate system is the path to making sure our party is the strongest party, not just this […]

Rep. Poliquin’s two-faced approach to Trump

“I don’t get involved in the presidential election,” Maine Second-District Representative Bruce Poliquin told reporters yesterday, again refusing to answer questions from the media about his support for his party’s nominee for President, or even mention Trump’s name in public. But that statement isn’t quite accurate. Poliquin is willing to speak about the presidential election […]