It is not exactly a secret that I am pro-American, a confirmed Anglospherist (no, dear, that is not the same as thinking the Commonwealth can be revived as a real political force) and someone who is very interested in American politics. The reason for the last of these is because ... well ... how shall I put it .... American politics is more interesting than our own. And the reason for that is the readiness of a substantial and ever growing section of the American population to engage in politics and not just by voting on the day or, even, getting all excited about parties. One can see this in the growth and importance of the blogosphere and, more recently, of the Tea Parties (which remain a dirty word or dirty two words for a number of allegedly politically active people on this side of the Pond).
So far so good. I have written about American politics over the years both on this blog and on my previous outlet but rarely about individual states, having maintained that you have to be in that state to understand how it works and what are the political issues. This might change as the 2012 campaign approaches and, in particular, I shall be following the senatorial challenge in the state of Maine where a friend and political ally of many years standing (we were both there at the founding of the Anti-Federalist League, which morphed into UKIP), Andrew Dodge is standing. Mr Dodge is an interesting figure in any political life but, especially, in the Republican Party. I shall be writing about him and his involvement in politics and the Tea Parties again but in the meantime, here is a piece by Tim Stanley, which analyzes Maine Republican politics, talks about the probable extinction of RINOs and gives a brief summary of what Mr Dodge is up to. Oh, and by the way, unlike President Obama Mr Dodge is entirely sound on the European Union.
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