Gov. John Baldacci
Baldacci: Ads don’t fool Mainers
The governor says he wants to make sure that the people of Maine are getting a good deal.
AUGUSTA – Remember the nice elderly lady on television last fall urging voters to support Question 2, the referendum to allow slot machines at horse tracks?
She’s back.
Even though there’s no election, television ads featuring the same senior citizen talking about how slot machines will help seniors and students began airing statewide on Monday.
This time, the senior is warning that Gov. John Baldacci is about to change “Q2,” or Question 2.
The subject of the ad is Baldacci’s proposed L.D. 1820, changes to the language behind the referendum to give what Baldacci calls needed state oversight to protect the public from large-scale gambling.
In the ad, the senior has a concerned look and says: “Contact Gov. Baldacci and your legislators. And tell them the best way to respect our wishes is to give Q2 a try. Any changes it needs will have more support after we see how it works.”
The ads offer large print urging viewers to call the governor’s office phone number.
It’s an appealing ad, Baldacci said. Like a lot of people, he’s got a soft spot for older women who look like they could be anyone’s grandmother.
Won’t be ‘bamboozled’
But with everything that’s happened since Question 2 was passed on Nov. 4 – local elections in Saco, Westbrook, dirty campaign ads from one of the tracks – the public has grown skeptical, Baldacci said.
“People in Maine are smart enough to look behind the ad. You can’t get a 30-second sound bite and try to bamboozle the people of Maine,” Baldacci said. “They’re going to look behind this and see there’s an economic interest here. And it’s not the public interest.”
What he’s trying to do with L.D. 1820 is make sure that the referendum language that was drafted by the racino operators for the racino operators be changed to benefit the public.
Slot machines are coming to Maine and to Bangor Raceway, Baldacci said. “The people voted for it, but let’s make sure that people get a good deal out of this. Our job is to make sure we balance the scales here.”
Both Baldacci and Sen. Kenneth Gagnon, D-Waterville, said they’ve had few if any calls from citizens, so the ad doesn’t seem to be effective. Gagnon co-chairs the committee working on Baldacci’s bill to regulate slot machines.
Most Mainers are concerned about jobs, taxes, the economy and affordable health care, Gagnon said. Someone is spending a lot of money to hamper the bill, he observed, adding it only “means an awful lot to a small amount of people.”
Uncommon tactic
Ads urging people to contact their lawmakers when there’s not an upcoming election are common at the national level, but not in Maine, said University of Farmington political science professor James Melcher.
The ad with the senior citizen is an effective political ad, he said, calling it a smart move to bring back the familiar senior. But the ad may have little impact because there’s so much going on at the State House.
“With property tax relief, the liquor issue, everything in the State of the State speech, laptop computers, this could get drowned out,” Melcher said. Besides, he added, “it seems the governor has his mind is made up.”
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