62 Comments
User's avatar
Jane in NC's avatar

Congratulations to Rep. Faircloth. Every secular voice in government is a plus for church-state separation. Awesome news. Thank you, Maine voters!

Expand full comment
Sean's avatar

He can concentrate on his job instead of wasting years pushing christian agenda and victimhood.

Expand full comment
Black Hole and DM mourner's avatar

Your country needs all voices against religious oppression it can get, even and above all at state and local level.

After the disaster with the last presidential election, I wonder how much of his victory can be attributed to being a Democrat rinning in a blue district and him being a man running against a woman.

Expand full comment
Kay-El's avatar

He also seems to be a known quantity which may have helped as well.

Expand full comment
PollyProletariat's avatar

Yes. Alarms have been sounding for a while now but no one's listening. See the recent video of a woman who was arrested by goons in Idaho. She heckled a speaker and suddenly found herself in Gilead.

Expand full comment
Lynn Veit's avatar

Good points.

Expand full comment
NOGODZ20's avatar

Wow, first Maine's governor stands up to the orange schoolyard bully and now this.

Good things happenin' theah, ayuh?

Expand full comment
Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

"Ya can't get theah from heah."

Expand full comment
larry parker's avatar

The bow tie police are out of control.

Expand full comment
Sean's avatar

He's being paid by Big Bow.

Expand full comment
NOGODZ20's avatar

(in Matt Smith's voice) "Bow ties are cool."

Expand full comment
Black Hole and DM mourner's avatar

Matri's picture lack of fish sticks with custard.

Expand full comment
NOGODZ20's avatar

There's a TARDIS just out of shot.

Expand full comment
Zorginipsoundsor's avatar

What, no fez?

Expand full comment
NOGODZ20's avatar

Stetson, then?

Expand full comment
Zorginipsoundsor's avatar

University?

Expand full comment
Guerillasurgeon's avatar

In John Stewart's voice – no they ain't.

Expand full comment
NOGODZ20's avatar

He's thinking of Tucker Carlson. :)

Expand full comment
Zorginipsoundsor's avatar

👍

Expand full comment
Whitney's avatar

Um.

Am I the only one wondering if the bow tie is under the collar of a black shirt? Maybe I need new glasses.

Expand full comment
Black Hole and DM mourner's avatar

I zoomed in and checked unless the bow tie and the shirt are made with the same cloth, it's a no. Plus on the left (you really need to zoom in as much as you can) you can see a little bit of red tinged cloth under.

Expand full comment
James Scammell's avatar

Great … from Australia

Expand full comment
wreck's avatar

"But Faircloth kept the seat blue, beating Carolyn Fish, a Republican currently serving on the Bangor City Council. He won with 72% of the vote."

"Stollen Election''!!!

Expand full comment
Black Hole and DM mourner's avatar

It's always the winter solstice somewhere in the universe.

Expand full comment
Sean's avatar

Good news indeed!

Expand full comment
Mr.E's avatar

I am sure it is due to cheating, fake election

Expand full comment
NOGODZ20's avatar

"Dems cheated in a fake election where the Republicans...um...won the White House, the HoR and the Senate."

Would love to see the GQP try to twist THAT to make sense.

Expand full comment
Zorginipsoundsor's avatar

Antifa, BLM, drag queens!

Expand full comment
NOGODZ20's avatar

Oh my!

Expand full comment
Len Koz's avatar

They don't have to make sense. Their base doesn't think and doesn't question.

Expand full comment
Matilda's avatar

My town! On the welsh coast but no beach - wonderful victorian pier though - I once read the song writer actually went to Rhyl, a'proper' seaside town about 30miles away with beach, chips, funfair and ice cream etc, but needed a two-syllable word for the line to scan, hence Bangor!

Expand full comment
Guerillasurgeon's avatar

My mother sang this song to me to get me to sleep she said. 75 years ago.:)

Expand full comment
Troublesh00ter's avatar

Wow! I had wondered what had happened to Sean since his book and the movement he organized to get more liberals and progressives to the polls. It's GREAT to see him back in action.

Because right now, we need ALL THE HELP we can get!

Expand full comment
oraxx's avatar

One step at a time. This is a good thing. The mindset that religious people are more trustworthy has got to change, because everything about this world says otherwise.

Expand full comment
Lynn Veit's avatar

The only thing you can trust about religious freaks is that they will, without fail, be total assholes.

Expand full comment
Jan Feeler's avatar

This news gives me a tiny bit of optimism, so thanks for posting! Andra Watkins has been keeping many of us informed about the White crischun nationalist agenda and how its intrusiveness harms us. I am still conflicted about whether it would be beneficial or not to have several really well known political and movie star people come out and say they are non believers, and why. Would it induce the "I have SOME doubt..." people to join, or would the pushback from the believers be too strong? Too much to contemplate...

Expand full comment
Lynn Veit's avatar

The pushback from believers...it could get really really ugly, really really fast. Those folks think they get their marching orders directly from the Almighty, and they have already shown they are not particularly rational, level-headed people. They are disturbingly angry hardcore fanatics, with very short fuses and delusions of grandeur for being in "the Lord's Army." These are folks who don't take too well to other people voicing opinions that differ from theirs.

On the other hand, seeing famous people standing up against and calling out Christian Nationalists with a 'bring it on' vibe that doesn't give a flying fuck about blowback, well, hmmm...could encourage other people to do the same, I would hope.

The speed bump for ordinary Americans is going to be the threat of physical harm or property damage. How many people here have put progressive or feminist bumper stickers on their cars, only to find their tires flattened or their cars keyed a short time later? How many people here have gotten threatening crazy-assed phonecalls after their letter to the editor ran?

Celebrities can afford extra security, but most middle Americans can't.

I'm not saying people shouldn't protest, just that they need to be aware of the rage boners their opponents have for them and be prepared to deal with it and protect themselves from it. If anyone here has some ideas and suggestions in that regard, please share them.

All in all, though, give it a try? Maybe there are some celebrities and political animals who would step up with a little encouragement. As an editor friend of mine used to say, "run it up the flagpole and see who salutes."

Expand full comment
PollyProletariat's avatar

How long will he survive when Trump is attempting install Gilead kingdom-wide?

Expand full comment
Boreal's avatar

Every victory, no matter how small, gives us some hope.

Expand full comment
NOGODZ20's avatar

Agreed.

(Dude, where you been? It's been forever) :)

Expand full comment
Boreal's avatar

Lots of life stuff: chaos, deaths, illnesses (not my own).

Expand full comment
Black Hole and DM mourner's avatar

Condolences.

Expand full comment
Boreal's avatar

Thank you.

Expand full comment
Black Hole and DM mourner's avatar

I lost DM last November.

Expand full comment