In the end, he did what he should have done in the first place — go to an ML King service and agree to meet with the state NAACP.

But before we say all’s well that ends well, let’s stop and examine what happens when a governor pops off without thinking.

In case you were out of the country, say Siberia, for the past week, you have probably heard that Maine Gov. Paul LePage told the state NAACP on camera to “kiss his butt,”

To be fair, LePage was goaded into the statement by a TV reporter, but he said it nonetheless.

Unfortunately, nothing good comes from outbursts like this.

First, the statement sets a bad example for not only children but adults. While everyone else is talking about civility in political discourse, our leader chose incivility.

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Second, the statement does not well represent Maine or our people to the outside world. We may be plain spoken and direct, but most of us avoid vulgarity in public.

Third, we cannot think this helps improve Maine’s image as a progressive, forward-thinking place to live or do business. It just makes us look crude.

Fourth, it does not show good “message discipline.” Distractions like this take time and energy to straighten out, sidetracking the governor and his staff from more productive work.

What can the governor learn from this incident? Well, unfortunately, its probably something he already knows: Engage brain before putting mouth in gear.


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