Red Right Returning…Maine Edition

(Red Right Returning, a nautical mnemonic for the side of the buoy or marker on which to pilot a ship in order to stay in the channel, is a look back at the activity of the past week of the Republican candidates in the 2012 primary. Feel free to voice your opinions in the comment section.)

The Republican caucus in the state of Maine is a curious affair. It’s been going on for a few days now in a rolling county by county caucus that ends tonight. It gives Mainers plenty of time to make decisions. The hardest part is keeping the results from districts that have already voted a secret.

The one interesting thing about Maine is that it could be a win for Ron Paul. And why not? Everybody else has a notch in their belts. Paul has been campaigning vigourously there and Mainers are notoriously Libertarian in their political veiws. Plus Paul got 18% of the vote in 2008 and he’s been outperforming expectations this year in almost every race; certainly every caucus. That’s why he looks so happy in his second place speeches.

But is a Maine victory for Paul a possibility? It’s not out of the realm of possibility. The closest competitor is Mitt Romney who fared we’ll in Maine in 2008 but given his recent defeats in Minnesota, Colorado, and Missouri it’s entirely possible that the Romney brand is damaged and Maine will be the first Ron Paul state.

That will really throw a monkey wrench into the machinery.

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