I'm glad Susan Collins is doing the right thing. I STILL hope she's replaced by a Dem in 2020.

[Maven]

If we had just a few more Democrats in the Senate - liberal Democrats, centrist Democrats, even conservative Democrats a la Manchin - we would not be playing this guessing game about whether or not the Senate was going to vote to kill us this week.

Yes, I know Collins is moderate relative to other Republicans (which isn't saying much). I know she won by a big margin in 2014. But the point is this, we need to campaign ruthlessly, everywhere, to win every seat we can. And sometimes, yes, we need to vote for Democrats who don't check every box ideologically. Because having the majority is everything.

That is why we must GOTV for any Democrat with a chance of flipping a seat in either chamber in 2018.

[samnsara]

1. ive always liked her..not all her policies but her as a person..

[kstewart33]

2. Prediction.

She'll not run for re-election and will run for Governor instead (she's already stated she's interested).

[wryter2000]

3. Agree

Olympia Snowe wasn't bad, but Angus King is better. Besides, someone in another thread said Collins is thinking of running for governor. It'd sure be nice to bounce LePage out on his ass.

[Zing Zing Zingbah]

7. LePage will already be out on his ass because of term limits. n/t

[wryter2000]

8. Thanks

Didn't realize that.

[vi5]

4. I'm sure the sensible folks will be along shortly..

...to tell us how we can't POSSIBLY campaign and run anyone and put money into defeating Collins because she occasionally maybe, sometimes, possibly sort of kinda does the right thing.

[Maven]

5. I think that there's a tendency on our side to be too empathetic or forgiving

The fact is, even if she does the right thing some of the time, she is a Republican and her mere presence in Congress gives Mitch McConnell the gavel. We need to remember that.

We love the "heart of gold" story but the hard truth is that this is a numbers game. If she were to switch parties, on the other hand...

[vi5]

6. Too empathetic or forgiving...

...but only to those that fall on the center or center right end of the spectrum. Then it's always "But their constituents tho!!!!!!!"