# What was Governor LePage thinking? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 15, 2011, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-governor-lepage-thinking/578500 "2011-04-15T16:20:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2011, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-governor-lepage-thinking/578500/21 "2011-04-15T19:55:04Z")
LePage himself is an “ethnic” – he grew up speaking French and learned English as a second language. He was originally rejected from his college of choice because of low SAT English scores. So he’s not some stereotypical caricature old-school WASP Republican. I’d admire his ability to pull himself up, if I didn’t hate his actions. > **[Paul LePage](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_LePage)** > > Paul Richard LePage (/ləˈpeɪdʒ/; born October 9, 1948) is an American politician who served as the 74th Governor of Maine from 2011 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, LePage served two terms as a city councilor in Waterville, Maine, before being elected Mayor of Waterville in 2004, serving until 2011. > LePage ran for governor of Maine in the 2010 election, winning the general election with a plurality, 37.6%, in a five-candidate race. He was re-elected with a stronger plurality, 48.2% ... ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2011, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-governor-lepage-thinking/578500/22 "2011-04-15T20:00:00Z")
Who says you have to be a WASP elitist to pander to them? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2011, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-governor-lepage-thinking/578500/23 "2011-04-15T21:14:45Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > I admit that I’m not of Gov. LePage’s political stripe, and don’t at all approve. But that’s not the issue. My question was – What End is Achieved by Doing This Now? as things stand, this is the most minor of things that LePage wants to get done. Even he is now saying that he wished he hadn’t done it, at least now, because it’s taking away too much attention. So why do it? I can’t buy that it was intense personal animosity towards labor – that’s absurd. If he had that little control he probably wouldn’t have held office as long as he had, or gotten as far as Governor (and before you start bringing up other unlikely governors or those you dislike, seriously consider your response. Don’t make this a Palin-fest). > > So why do it? Did the Price of Failure not enter his political calculus? Was this a debt he really had to pay off? Was it the Machiavelli Principle? With all that Tea Party agenda to enact, why take time out to perform an act that cannot help but galvanize and possibly unite your foes? It could be a case of living in the bubble. LePage seems to generally be a pro-business conservative and I’m assuming his staff is probably reflective of his views. So none of the people around him would have seen this as anything offensive. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2011, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-governor-lepage-thinking/578500/24 "2011-04-15T21:34:21Z")
It could be that he thought he was sending a message of: WE Are In Charge Now. And did not think that anyone would dare question this move. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2011, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-governor-lepage-thinking/578500/25 "2011-04-15T22:02:10Z")
If he keeps saying he wish he hadn’t done it, why doesn’t he just put them back? Problem solved. ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2011, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-governor-lepage-thinking/578500/26 "2011-04-15T22:07:44Z")
> [@joebuck20](#): > > It just comes off as a really petty move. And it smacks of the type of bullshit sensitivity conservatives are always accusing the left of pushing. Or like complaining about the precious murals. Here’s what he thought: “These suck. Now they’re gone. U mad?” Hook, line, etc. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2011, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-governor-lepage-thinking/578500/27 "2011-04-16T01:39:40Z")
Look for \*The Grapes of Wrath \*to quietly disappear from high school reading lists. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-governor-lepage-thinking/578500.md?page=1)