Facing the loss of the Senate seat she’s held since 1997, Maine GOP Sen. Susan Collins is trying to understand exactly why she’s in such political peril, conveniently forgetting the incredibly unpopular votes she took to confirm Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and give President Donald Trump a pass during his impeachment trial.
Collins spoke the Los Angeles Times, and she repeatedly expressed a complete lack of self-awareness as she complained that she cannot fathom why voters in Maine are so angry with her:
“Collins’ hard-won reputation as an independent-minded Republican moderate devoted to Maine — an image that enabled her to continue on as New England’s last surviving GOP senator — is being put to the test this year in the most difficult reelection race of her career. And with control of the Senate at stake, it’s become one of the highest-profile Senate races in the country, already prompting millions of dollars in spending by outside political groups.”
Why, Collins wonders aloud, are residents of Maine turning on her at a time when she most needs them?
Nicole Rogers admits she’s a Democrat who has cast a ballot for Collins in past elections, but won’t this time, and she’s only too happy to explain why:
“I don’t think she’s doing what’s in Maine’s best interest anymore. I think she’s following party lines and I’m interested in someone who has new opinions. Maybe I’m just more polarized. But I need someone who does what’s right, and right now our opinions don’t align on what’s right.”
But despite that, Collins tells the Times:
“I don’t even understand that argument. I am doing exactly the same thing I’ve always done. I’ve always cast votes with an eye to how they affect the state of Maine and our country. I think Mainers will look at my record, remember who I am and where I’m from.”
Sara Gideon, one of the Democrats hoping to unseat Collins, says the senator just doesn’t get it, and points to the Kavanaugh vote as a perfect example of how out of touch the incumbent is:
“What we have seen is a country that has changed around her and a world that has changed around her, and that the decisions that she makes are now laid very bare. There is not this place to just say ‘I am thinking about things’ or ‘making decisions based on all of the evidence available’ when what is at stake is so stark and obvious to all of us.”
Collins may well lose in November, if only because she refuses to admit that she’s the main reason for her own political downfall.
Featured Image Via NBC News
