Here’s the problem with Donald Trump’s campaign: even if he loses — and let’s all hope to God he does — he’s made it easier than ever for truly terrible politicians to behave like absolute lunatics.
Trump’s candidacy gives cover to basket cases like Maine Governor Paul LePage, whose racist tirades have been making everyone gasp for far too long.
If you pay attention to Maine politics, you know that he’s been claiming for a long time that people of color are invading the state, bringing drugs and crime with them. And now he’s ramped up that rhetoric by calling his opponent — well, you’ll just have to listen to the voicemail he left for a political rival:
Mr. Gattine, this is Gov. Paul Richard LePage. I would like to talk to you about your comments about my being a racist, you cocksucker. I want to talk to you. I want you to prove that I’m a racist. I’ve spent my life helping black people and you little son-of-a-bitch, socialist cocksucker. You, I need you to, just friggin. I want you to record this and make it public because I am after you. Thank you.
Well, okay! This temper tantrum was set off after Representative Drew Gattine suggested that it was maybe just a little bit racist for the Governor to say that in a war, you shoot the enemy; and that right now the enemy is people of color. YIKES.
Governor LePage added “I wish it were 1825,” and that “we would have a duel, that’s how angry I am, and I would not put my gun in the air, I guarantee you, I would not be Hamilton. I would point it right between his eyes, because he is a snot-nosed little runt and he has not done a damn thing since he’s been in this Legislature to help move the state forward.”
Wait, did LePage just make a Hamilton reference because he’s a student of history, or because he just really likes Lin Manuel Miranda? Given his attitudes about brown people, we’re going to guess the former.
