Labor Day's when things get serious

At a time when Maine's problems are clear and serious, politics this summer has been diverted into one sideline issue after another.

Labor Day weekend marks an important demarcation line. From now through Election Day on Nov. 7, the serious players in Maine's gubernatorial race will be stepping forward.

That signals an important change from the laid-back days of summer when politics - if not political hijinks - slipped blessedly into the background.

Other than TABOR's Mary Adams and folks she has had over for dinner, who really wanted to talk about taxes when there was raspberry pie in the kitchen and chicken on the grill?

Blessed with a good beach day, who among us wanted to look beyond the controversy over school testing to figure out how much of the problem isn't with the tests but with how Maine students are learning?

And who felt an overwhelming compulsion when the fishing was good to think about environmental protection, beyond making sure they ventured out with insect spray and sunscreen?

On Labor Day the whistle blows, and the campaign season starts in earnest. Candidates who are in the race for governor for something more than self-gratification know this is when they need to look beyond the trivial to the hard reality of the November election.

Some have found that view discouraging. David Jones of Falmouth, one of four independent candidates and a long shot even among them, made his exit last week after failing to qualify for public funding.

John Michael of Auburn, a disaffected Democrat turned independent, said he, too, had made the same decision. Michael, a former state representative and a fairly good legislator in his day, has made a post-legislative career of bedeviling those in power.

As a result, many look at his announcement that he is "effectively dropping out of the race" and see that leading word "effectively" wreathed in question marks.

A third independent, Phillip Morris NaPier of Windham, a bearded mountain man as depicted on his Web site, Felons United, remains in the race as I write this, but he's finding the view cloudy.

NaPier, who is running on his own nickel, not on public funds, wants the words, "Thu People's Hero" to appear as part of his name on the ballot. I have no idea what the "Thu" may signify, and NaPier's Web site doesn't provide a clue. But the designation "People's Hero," which NaPier says results from a legal name change, seems pretty obvious.

It also underscores the point at which the process of selecting leaders to conduct Maine's serious business slips into the meaningless world of slapstick.

I have way too much confidence in Maine voters to think they can be convinced to vote for a man with Felix Unger's initials on his cap just because he adds the words "People's Hero" to his name on the ballot.

They declined a better offer a few decades back when Plato Truman of Biddeford offered them "one great man with two great names."

When I checked with state election officials last week, they had given NaPier a last chance to prove "People's Hero" was part of his legal name. Otherwise, the state ballot being finalized for printing will list him as "NaPier, Phillip Morris."

As for a political designation, NaPier's will read "Tax Equality Rebellion" after his earlier attempt to list "(Expletive deleted)-Off Patriot " was rejected.

Expletives, jokes and self-awarded glory have no place on an election ballot. Even Arnold Schwarzenegger didn't try to list himself as "The Tax Terminator" when he ran for governor of California.

Would any among us be more tempted to vote for Democratic Gov. John Baldacci or Republican State Sen. Chandler Woodcock if their ballot listings included words like "Proven Maine Leader" or "Light of the World"?

Would Green Independent candidate Pat LaMarche be more appealing to voters if the ballot labeled her "Maine's Mother Nature"?

Or would state Rep. Barbara Merrill, a former Democrat turned independent, pick up votes if she crafted herself a new middle name - "All the Smarts and Money Maine Needs"?

Such kidding around can be fun in the waning days of summer. But it doesn't have much to do with electing good leaders.

The ants have had their fun at the picnic. They've played in the sugar and tracked tiny feet through the jam. Now it's time to move on.

Candidates who have qualified to run for governor are waiting to tell us why they want the job and what they will do if they win it.

Nancy Grape comments on state and national issues for the Maine Sunday Telegram. She can be contacted at:

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