Staff Reports
Senator Susan Collins walked onto the debate stage in Maine knowing the stakes: a razor-thin race, a Democratic challenger trying to nationalize the contest, and a conservative media chorus reminding voters what’s actually on the line. Dana Perino — co-host of The Five — told viewers what a lot of people in her camp were thinking: let Collins run the race she’s going to run, not the one pundits want her to fight.
Takeaways from the debate
Troy Jackson, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate from Maine, attacked Senator Susan Collins on familiar ground — her vote on Justice Kavanaugh, her perceived alignment with Trump-era priorities, and immigration enforcement. Collins pushed back, leaning on her Senate seniority and on the tangible work she says she’s delivered for Mainers: federal projects, veterans’ support, highway money. That’s the crux: Jackson wants to nationalize Collins as a symbol; Collins wants to remind voters she’s a conduit for pork and projects that show up in town budgets and on Main Street.
Why Perino’s line matters
Perino’s plea to “let her run” isn’t just elbow-room for a campaign — it’s a strategy argument. The CBS/YouGov polling shows this race is essentially tied, which means every word and every shove away from the center could decide who wins. If Collins is busy defending against ideological labels pushed by national outlets or DSA-aligned talking points, she might not spend enough time reminding lobstermen, small-business owners, and seniors how a veteran senator translates clout into cash for flood relief, roads, and rural health clinics.
The bigger fight: messaging vs. reality
This isn’t mere TV theater. Conservatives worry that Democrats will blanket the airwaves with red-baiting and socialism labels to shrink Collins’ appeal to moderate voters, while Democrats hope to tie Collins to unpopular national figures and decisions. Ordinary Mainers don’t vote on labels; they vote on whether their bridge gets fixed, whether a hospital stays open, whether abortion access or ICE enforcement swings their community’s balance. That tangible ledger — infrastructure checks, hospital funding, fishing regulation — is where campaigns live or die.
Letting Senator Susan Collins “run the race she is going to run” is sound counsel if you believe voters reward results over rhetoric. But here’s the hard truth: in a toss-up state, one well-placed smear or one flubbed answer can hand a seat to the other side. Who wins will tell us whether common-sense, local-focused politics still matters — or whether national theatricality will keep stealing the show. Which do you want governing your town when the next storm hits?
