A senator’s bipartisan act is also a survival tactic
A Maine senator's alliance with a former Democrat reveals how political identity is both performance and protection.
The story
Maine Republican Senator Susan Collins is campaigning with former Democratic Senator Joe Manchin, emphasizing her independence and 'true blue-blooded Maine' identity as she faces a tough reelection bid against Democrat Troy Jackson.
Source: fortune.com
Our reading
Senator Collins, who calls herself a ‘true blue-blooded Maine person,’ is now campaigning with a former Democratic senator, a man who once called Trump a threat to democracy. It’s a curious pairing, like a person who insists they are not a fan of crowds suddenly joining a parade.
The message is clear: she is not a Trump loyalist, but she is still a Republican. The line between independence and survival is thin, and she is walking it with the precision of someone who has done it before.
At the New Balance shoe factory, the focus was on Maine’s manufacturing legacy, but the real legacy being sold was one of political neutrality. The workers might have been there for the job, but the real audience was the voters, who were being asked to believe that a senator could be both a patriot and a pragmatist.