Having watched Governor LePage for five years now and having had an up close and personal view for four years, I find his latest outburst another example of what a columnist recently described as, refreshing ineffectiveness. The refreshing part being “what you see is what you get.” There is nothing about the man to make you wonder where he stands on any issue.

And while this type of personality may refreshing to voters tired of the usual slippery political evasions, it has made it hard to achieve his policy goals. In his first term many of his major achievements were obtained in spite of this, not because of it.

I have participated in many elections and witnessed the results first hand. I had a front row seat when he won his first election in 2010. The mood from the Democrats was one of shock but also a sense that they were caught off guard. One veteran told me it an anomaly that would be easily fixed in four years’ time.

His opponents didn’t understand that the public was fed up with the status quo and wanted change. On the major issues like welfare reform, tax reform, paying our bills, and creating a better environment for Maine’s citizens to flourish, LePage has been mostly in tune with the public and on the right course. And the public saw fit to reward him with a second term. Some chose to overlook or forgive his rough around the edges personality while others admired it.

After the 2014 elections the Democrats in Augusta were not just in shock, they were demoralized. Many told me they just couldn’t believe it. They had come to realize there was more to his wins than they previously thought.

I remember thinking he was in a strong position to achieve many of his policy goals. Opponents were saying that they now “wanted welfare off the table” and asked for legislation to work on. His tax reform package caught both parties by surprise; having worked unsuccessfully on these issues before I was hopeful for some real progress especially now that the governor’s office was engaged front and center.

Now, though, I am quite saddened about the governor allowing himself to be taken out of the budget picture almost entirely. As any budget essentially needs two-thirds support, it has always needed Democratic votes to pass.

When the Democrats unveiled their budget it was remarkable how many pieces of Governor LePage’s tax reform ideas it contained. But due to his personal attacks and insults there is little chance any Democrats will want to work with him which now means the best chance for tax reform in decades is all but dead.

Politicians are people and like any profession involving people relationships matter. Politics is how policy is enacted and politics involves people. Something LePage has yet to learn is the value of relationships. These rants are actually ineffective to achieving his policy goals.

He well knows how to use the stick but not the carrot. In fact, if one gave him a carrot he would likely beat someone with it.

An example of what relationships do would be to look at Nixon vs Reagan. Nixon certainly was more liberal than Reagan and yet less effective and much more despised by Democrats all due largely to his personality not policies. Reagan while much more conservative achieved greater policy goals in large part to due to his personality. He was far less disliked even by those who greatly disagreed with his policies.

Churchill explained this when asked about aiding the USSR after Hitler attacked Stalin in the summer of 1941. He said if Hitler invaded hell he would at least have to give the devil favorable mention in the House of Commons. Along the same lines I once told the governor that I thought many of his policy goals were so important to our state’s future that I would do most anything to get them to pass short of selling my soul. I wouldn’t sleep with the devil but I would take him out to dinner.

Failure in politics to build working relationships even with those you disagree with means it is not likely you will achieve your policy goals. Governor LePage owes his discipline not only to those who voted for him but to all the citizens of Maine. If that isn’t enough, he might well heed the advice written in Proverbs 21:23: Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble.