Is Governor LePage Right About Term Limits?

Governor Paul LePage is no stranger to controversial remarks and he’s made more, this time regarding term limits. He has gone on the record making it clear that lifetime politicians are his friends, stating that term limits allow young legislators with firm agendas to get elected.

Politicians have agendas? Breaking news story there.

Governor LePage may have a valid point that term limits should be removed. The only problem is his logic behind this valid point.

All politicians enter politics with some sort of agenda or they wouldn’t waste their time. Period. Even the good politicians have some sort of positive agenda, it’s human nature.

Term limits should be removed, but only because they eventually push out the rare good politician. In politics, there is no shortage of selfish agendas and power hungry egos. This is true of both parties and even those outside of the two party system. Thus with term limits pushing out established bad politicians, fresh bad ones will be lined up right behind them.

It’s unclear whether others in Republican leadership share the same views in an election cycle that sees Senator Collins taking her two-term pledge and running for a fourth.

In the end, the problem in politics has little to do with term limits and more to do with the voters. A majority of Mainers aren’t journalists, comment crusaders, or bloggers. The most of what people see is in manipulated soundbites, whether it be a quick commercial on television or word-of-mouth from friends or colleagues.

Liberalism has long been dominant in Maine because the Republican Party has been about as effective as Dave Winfield in September and the mainstream media isn’t shy about which way it leans.

Term limits won’t change this.

If Governor LePage is upset because that majority he had entering this gig is now gone, then he needs to look at his own party. The same goes for any frustration about how ineffective that majority was towards achieving conservative goals.

The Republican Party needs to step up to the plate. Executive Director Jason Savage has the right idea in his aggressive approach on social media, because the mainstream media isn’t always going to give him the time of day. Others need to get with the program, though. Candidates and leaders don’t like the mean things being said about them? Speak up.

It doesn’t stop here though.

Voter turn out is low because of a number of reasons and it’s no secret Republican leadership is home to some awful sales people. Activists are treated poorly and are expected to act like good little collectivists like many claim Democrats are.

Term limits certainly need to go, but not because of Governor LePage’s strong support for life long establishment politicians who get too comfy in office. Republicans need to understand that Democrats’ bad ideas can be easily defeated if they can fix their strategy.

Everybody in politics has an agenda. The Republican Party only has to make theirs right if they believe the Democrats’ is wrong.

Chris Dixon

About Chris Dixon

Chris Dixon is a libertarian-leaning writer and managing editor for The Liberty Conservative. In addition to his political writing, he also covers baseball for Cleat Geeks and enjoys writing on a number of other topics ranging on Medium.