Olympia Snowe’s Primary Challenger: Some Blogger

Blogger Andrew Ian Dodge announced at CPAC that he will challenge Maine’s Senator Olympia Snowe in the 2012 Republican primaries. Right Wing News’ John Hawkins has an exclusive interview. Some excerpts:

She routinely votes against the Republican Party line and that roughly speaking, she thinks she runs the place and, in fact, she is not a Republican and she makes basically more Democrats happy than she does Republicans.

[…]

Well, first of all, the governor and both Houses in this state are now Republican. Secondly, there are people trying to portray me as a far right Republican when, on social issues, I’m fairly Libertarian. I’m not socially liberal; I’m socially Libertarian. The difference between the two is social liberals think you should be able to do everything you want and the state will pay for it. I believe that the state needs to meddle in personal behavior far less than it’s doing now and that we should allow individuals to make personal choices; however, we need to implore people to take personal responsibility as well.

[…]

[T]he first thing I’d do is get rid of the FCC because I think it’s completely outdated. I think we should pass a law to completely restructure the EPA, probably get rid of the Department of Education, too. My priorities would be fiscal in nature obviously.

And by the way, let me note one point about Snowe’s attack on civil liberties. She and Rockefeller first proposed the Internet kill switch. That’s similar to what was used by the Egyptians. She supports this. It’s a fundamental affront to our liberties online.

Secondly, Snowe voted Obamacare out of committee. She was the first Republican to vote for Obamacare. That needs to be said. It’s, “Oh, she didn’t vote for it on the floor.” These are fundamental affronts to our personal liberty and for any Republican to have voted that out of committee, in the form that it was and it became — it’s just mind-boggling. Even if the Supreme Court overturns it and completely throws it away, that whole process was launched by Olympia Snowe voting it out of committee.

Andrew’s a bright guy and well connected within the Maine Tea Party movement. But he’s not exactly a polished politico and has no chance in hell of beating Snowe, much less getting elected to the Senate. It should, however, be an interesting primary.

UPDATE: Commenters remind me of the success of Sharron Angle and Christine O’Donnell in the last cycle’s Republican primaries. It’s a fair point. I have no sense of how strong the Tea Party is in Maine, much less their ability to dominate a Republican contest there. But we are indeed in a different era.

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James Joyner
About James Joyner
James Joyner is Professor of Security Studies at Marine Corps University's Command and Staff College. He's a former Army officer and Desert Storm veteran. Views expressed here are his own. Follow James on Twitter @DrJJoyner.

Comments

  1. Chad S says:

    Depends on whether or not Maine has open voting for primaries. If its party line only, Snowe probably loses.

  2. PJ says:

    One thing is certain, he will not be the only one challenging Snowe for the republican nomination.

  3. TheColourfield says:

    Have to agree with Chad.

    For proof see : O’Donnell, Christine

  4. Moosebreath says:

    “But he’s not exactly a polished politico and has no chance in hell of beating Snowe”

    As opposed to Christine O’Donnell? Sharron Angle?

  5. Herb says:

    “If its party line only, Snowe probably loses.”

    No, it’s Maine that would be losing…..

  6. mantis says:

    Andrew’s a bright guy

    “Bright” in wingnut speak means he knows all the right lies to tell:

    She routinely votes against the Republican Party line and that roughly speaking, she thinks she runs the place and, in fact, she is not a Republican and she makes basically more Democrats happy than she does Republicans.

    Democrats hate Snowe. She’s just another Lucy from Peanuts.

    The difference between the two is social liberals think you should be able to do everything you want and the state will pay for it.

    Standard wingnut/libertarian bullshit. We do not think that.

    I believe that the state needs to meddle in personal behavior far less than it’s doing now and that we should allow individuals to make personal choices

    Unless they are women, homosexuals, etc.

    And, in fact, there are a lot of issues I agree with social conservatives on, but not from a religious point of view but from a fiscal conservative, limited government constitutionality point of view. I mean and unfortunately they need to realize that just because I don’t come to the conclusion the same way they get there doesn’t necessarily mean that I’m bad.

    Don’t worry social conservatives! I may need to come up with silly fiscal reasons for things, but I’ll hate on gays and muslims and liberals for you just the same!

    They still want to stop capitalism.” What does all this environmental legislation do? A lot of it, it hurts the capitalist system. They can’t attack it from normal ways; so what they do is via a regulation, via the EPA, is they limit the behavior of a company and achieve their goal of hurting the capitalist system.

    Yep, that’s why there are environmentalists. It has nothing to do with the environment. They just hate capitalism.

    Real bright star, James. Same lies as all the rest of you.