Hey What's The Deal With This Person Running Against Susan Collins, Because Fuck Susan Collins

Considering that Maine is a vast wilderness already known for for harboring truly vile politicians, that state’s worst export so far may be Susan Collins, the lying, paternalistic, and bafflingly obtuse politician who has occupied the Senate for more than two decades. Buoyed by donations and favors from Vegas gambling magnate Sheldon Adelson and Federalist Society executive Leonard Leo, Collins has been systematically dismantling her own appeal for years, either out of hubris or stupidity. Quite possibly it’s a combination of both.

Though Collins is best known at this very moment for treating the president like a child who accidentally ate some glue—“I believe that the president has learned from this case … and will be more cautious in the future,” she said during a speech explaining her vote not to impeach Trump—and insisting, beyond all reason or evidence, that Christine Blasey Ford had mistaken Brett Kavanaugh for someone else, she’s been shitty for quite some time. In the past, her support for same-sex marriage and bashful pro-choice agenda may have allowed her to embrace a public profile as a “liberal Republican,” but this is the senator who co-sponsored the act making it a federal crime to encourage boycotts of Israel, who voted against amnesty for undocumented immigrants in 2007, who voted against the DREAM Act in 2010.

As of the summer of 2019, Collins was surpassed only by Mitch McConnell in how widely hated by voters she was. A web of PACs have bundled half a million dollars to help her win the seat again in 2020; as of late last year, not a single cent had been donated though those dark money vehicles by anyone currently residing in Collins’ state, which should tell you something about the wisdom of the good people of Maine. Collins is so detested, in fact, a crowdfunding campaign raised nearly $4 million for her “future opponent,” whoever that person may have been.

That person is, apparently, Sara Gideon, the current speaker of the Maine House of Representatives.

Sara Gideon, as I learned by reading a few stories just now, is a 47-year-old mother of three from Rhode Island who started out in politics by running for town council in Freeport, a town with a number of very good outlet malls. Since joining the Maine House eight years ago, Gideon has sponsored bills to expand access to abortion and supported the state’s uphill battle to expand Medicaid. She’s making heathcare a central issue of her campaign, right next to absolutely wasting Susan Collins. In fact, Gideon became the first 2020 Senate candidate to collect enough signatures to qualify for the ballot a few days ago. She also happens to also own a jean jacket, which as a voter I tend to consider a sign of pragmatism and humility. In any case, she’s not Susan fucking Collins. I’m with Gideon, as you should also probably be.