Susan Collins Challenged by Sara Gideon
By Sophie Sizzle *Please support female driven journalism: Subscribe & Share
By the end of 2019, Collins had the highest level of disapproval of any senator, according to Morning Consult's polling. The latest PPP poll results show Gideon beating Collins by a thin margin. The same poll shows that 51% of Maine voters believe that Donald Trump should have been impeached and removed from office.
In 2016 when asked if she would be voting for Trump, Collins emphatically said no. Last week when she was asked if she would be voting for Trump, she refused to answer. Her devotion to Trump is troubling to many Maine voters—especially women.
Collins’ crafted reputation as a moderate seems to be a fake as her “concern.” She cast the deciding vote for Brett Kavanaugh, voted against witnesses in Trump’s Impeachment Trial and then promptly voted to acquit Trump.
The problem with Collins is that after lots of worry, concern and pearl clutching, Collins nearly always does Trump’s bidding.
After acquitting Trump, she proudly gave a self-serving speech from the Senate floor. Collins stated, “I do not believe the House has met its burden that the President’s conduct, however flawed, warrants the extreme step of immediate removal from office. This decision is not about whether you like or dislike this president or agree or oppose his policies or approve or disapprove of his conduct in other circumstances. Rather, it is about whether the charges meet the very high constitutional standard of treason, bribery, or other high crimes or misdemeanors.”
Collins then told Norah O’Donnell of CBS, “I believe the President has learned from this case.”
Of course, Trump immediately proved that he had not learned. When asked about Collin’s comments, Trump said, “The call was perfect,” when describing the phone call in which he tried to bribe and extort Ukraine’s President Zelensky. Moreover since his impeachment, Trump has been reportedly caught trying to enlist election help from several foreign governments including Russia, Ukraine and China.
However, all Collin’s fake concern and worry may be finally catching up with her. Her campaign used to limit out of state donations, now she is literally banking on them.
Follow The Money
Democrat Sara Gideon outraised Collins in the first quarter of 2020 according to filings with the Federal Election Commission.
Less that 1% of the funds Collins raised came from the people of Maine.
In contrast, 96% of Gideon’s campaign donations came from small-dollar donors who contributed $100 or less.
Sara Gideon Has Credibility
Sara Gideon is Speaker of the Maine House. She has made healthcare and affordable drug prices her primary campaign issue. She is pro-choice and a women’s champion. She helped pass legislation to keep women’s reproductive healthcare both affordable and accessible.
Gideon wrote in a recent statement, “Mainers are ready for a new U.S. Senator, and since we launched our campaign last year, I’ve listened to and heard from thousands of Mainers across the state about the challenges they face and the kind of representation they need in Washington. It’s clear that Senator Collins has changed, and Mainers deserve a senator who will fight for them to reduce the influence of big money and special interests in our politics, increase access to affordable health care, lower the cost of prescription drugs, and take bold action to fight climate change.”
With “Bye-Bye Susan” bumper stickers popping up everywhere and women voicing their support for Gideon, Collins has a strong challenger.