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Former Republican Governor Thinks White People Are the Real Victims If We Do Away With the Electoral College
Riiiight.
During his tenure as the Governor of Maine, Tea Party Republican Paul LePage made national news several times for his casually racist comments—he once referred to "people of color or people of Hispanic origin" as "the enemy right now." And he has slowed down none since leaving office.
Now living in Florida, LePage frequently calls in or guests on conservative radio and TV programs like the Ingraham Angle.
Who would tune in to watch that loathsome idiot. Am I talking about Paul LePage? Yes. Or am I talking about Laura… https://t.co/TMe2JbGr9O— The Hoarse Whisperer (@The Hoarse Whisperer) 1551371385.0
While speaking on WVOM's morning radio show this week, LePage made the case against a new bill before the Maine legislature. Maine plans to join several states in having the popular vote determine the President instead of the electoral college.
LePage's argument against this?
The electoral college is a tool of White supremacy used to make sure White people determine presidential elections and must be maintained so minorities do not get to pick Presidents.
LePage stated:
"Actually what would happen if they do what they say they’re gonna do is White people will not have anything to say. It’s only going to be the minorities that would elect. It would be California, Texas, Florida."
He added the popular vote is an "insane process" and warned Whites "we’re gonna be forgotten people" unless the electoral vote is maintained.
Former Maine Governor Paul LePage claims national popular vote bill will victimize white people, who would become "… https://t.co/nfVvN1dD8a— Mark Pitcavage (@Mark Pitcavage) 1551374270.0
Trump-loving ex-Maine Gov. Paul LePage, says the electoral college is needed to stop 'the minorities' from picking… https://t.co/rJCYY9DYiz— EssenViews (@EssenViews) 1551369185.0
Here's a former governor stating openly that the electoral college is needed to protect white supremacy in the Unit… https://t.co/WbosuRtc3s— Angus Johnston (@Angus Johnston) 1551358876.0
It's funny. Usually when I say the electoral college is antidemocratic, a bunch of folks swoop into my mentions to… https://t.co/368UmTtc0S— Angus Johnston (@Angus Johnston) 1551367369.0
the delta between Trumper and Stormfront keeps getting smaller https://t.co/TDWwnpKpYJ via @TPM— Josh Marshall (@Josh Marshall) 1551367911.0
So the electoral college is a racist institution and LePage just admitted it. https://t.co/X9pppM1JX2— Danny Phantom (@Danny Phantom) 1551366906.0
LePage freaks out over white Americans becoming "a forgotten people" if the country gets rid of the electoral colle… https://t.co/R8ONumQ9oI— Talking Points Memo (@Talking Points Memo) 1551375052.0
While his honesty about his view of the role of the electoral vote versus popular vote was refreshing for some...
Paul LePage’s nuanced understanding of race relations and political theory is always appreciated. https://t.co/Z07lZ1EcV2— Jane Coaston (@Jane Coaston) 1551367278.0
...people still found it shocking for a politician to be so blatant in his desire to maintain a state of White supremacy and dominance in the election process.
remember those eight years when maine’s governor was a white supremacist? https://t.co/ssgv6VG19e— b-boy bouiebaisse (@b-boy bouiebaisse) 1551360772.0
And Mehdi Hasan called out the lack of response to such blatant statements, especially from a "so-called liberal media."
Ask yourself this: why does a former GOP governor saying openly, overtly racist things like this not even get 1 or… https://t.co/O07Uc3IfhO— Mehdi Hasan (@Mehdi Hasan) 1551367319.0
It seems like every day a Republican somewhere - in the White House, Senate, House, governor's mansion, on Fox - sa… https://t.co/SVzV8XRI0f— Mehdi Hasan (@Mehdi Hasan) 1551367448.0
LePage Matt Gaetz Duncan Hunter Steve King Mark Meadows Trump, Trump, Trump, Trump, Trump, Trump They say or do ma… https://t.co/ethzL5Pbxl— Mehdi Hasan (@Mehdi Hasan) 1551367600.0
But some did call out both LePage and those who enabled him in office and continue to enable him.
We have known for a LONG time that @Governor_LePage is an absolute racist. And the @GOP and @GOPChairwoman Ronna Mc… https://t.co/wkoG3vBJbA— rolandsmartin (@rolandsmartin) 1551362893.0
Let's all remember that Susan Collins supported Paul LePage.— Jonathan "Boo and Vote" Cohn (@Jonathan "Boo and Vote" Cohn) 1551375060.0
LePage is the strongest ex post facto argument I've yet seen for term limits. https://t.co/DLqY7YqZOF— Phil Plait (@Phil Plait) 1551369197.0
Others thanked LePage for making it clear why a system developed to enable rich White male land—and slave—owners to control elections in the late 18th century might be obsolete in the 21st.
This bluntly racist defense of the Electoral College gives us one more reminder of why it's got to go. https://t.co/WqEm0s2hYZ— Pete Buttigieg (@Pete Buttigieg) 1551395281.0
Just in case you weren't clear about the connections between the Electoral College and white supremacy https://t.co/w3ZMGmgbjs— Erik Loomis (@Erik Loomis) 1551362378.0
This bill before the Maine legislature will not be the first time Maineiacs took steps to address problems in the election process. The former Governor was so reviled by his own state that Maineiac voters signed petitions to put adoption of ranked choice voting on the ballot as a people's referendum then passed the change in Maine election law.
When LePage and a then Republican led legislature tried to delay implementation of ranked choice voting, Maineiacs gathered signatures again and passed a people's veto to begin ranked choice voting with the 2018 primaries and November's federal elections.
The impetus was to keep people's last choice on a multiple candidate ballot from winning. LePage won with less than 40% of the popular vote in both 2010 and 2014 on just such a ballot.
The former Governor recently made headlines again after it was revealed he and members of his staff spent $22,000 of Maine taxpayer money for room reservations and other expenses at Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C. over a two year period. The Portland Press Herald first flagged the trips in 2017, but no one could get the official Maine Comptroller records.
The revelation came after a Freedom of Access Act request LePage sat on while in office was finally honored after Democratic Governor Janet Mills took over in January. LePage's defense of the expenses was to call them fiction, then to state he was unaware, then to claim it was media bias because he is a Republican.