Does LePage think he’d be a better president than Obama?

For years Mainers have been pulling our hair out over the absurdity, idiocy, and outright delusions that have come from Gov. Paul LePage’s mouth.

Photo- Troy R. Bennett, BDN.

Photo- Troy R. Bennett, BDN.

Now, Iowans can join the club.

Stumping for New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s presidential bid, LePage showed up at the Iowa caucuses on Monday to give one of his patented “what the hell is he talking about?” speeches.

Of course, on the heels of his now infamous “white girls” comments, not to mention his recent endorsement for bringing back the guillotine and open carry vigilantism to fight Maine’s drug epidemic, any Midwesterner who follows the national news probably already knew about LePage’s penchant for moronic behavior.

Still, his comments last night at Iowa’s 9th precinct in Urbandale left people scratching their heads.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie raises Gov. Paul LePage's hand at a Republican rally in Portland in 2014. Photo- Troy R. Bennett, BDN.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie raises Gov. Paul LePage’s hand at a Republican rally in Portland in 2014. Photo- Troy R. Bennett, BDN.

Speaking for Christie, LePage declared, “He doesn’t need all the votes. He just needs your vote.”

Christie is a “tried and tested” governor who’s ready to be “Commander in Chief on day one,” continued LePage.

Then things got strange as LePage took a jab at two of Christie’s GOP competitors (US Senators Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio), President Obama, and former President Warren Harding. He even managed to insult former President John F. Kennedy.

“I believe after the last 8 years, we need somebody with experience to go to Washington. Somebody who’s been tried and tested. (Christie) has been a good governor and he has earned his stripes to be elected president and Commander in Chief,” said LePage.

He continued, “There are three sitting senators in the history of our country that went from the Senate directly to the White House. Warren Harding’s one. Barack Obama’s number two. And the third one was John Kennedy, but we don’t know if he’d’ve succeed or not. But the other two are not known for being successful.”

More puzzling than LePage’s assertion that Harding and Obama “are not known” for being good presidents is his insinuation that experience as a governor undoubtedly leads to success as a president.

Sure, the list of past presidents who were governors before taking the White House includes Thomas Jefferson and Franklin D. Roosevelt, but it also includes Calvin Coolidge, Ronald Reagan, and George W. Bush.

Not exactly a stellar list.

As president, LePage concluded, “you’ve gotta make some decisions and you’ve gotta make it quick. You’ve gotta have some sound judgment behind it.”

One can only imagine what was going through Christie’s mind as the man from Maine who’s been dubbed “America’s craziest governor” made the case for sound judgment in the same breath that he encouraged people to vote for the governor from New Jersey.

In either case, LePage’s endorsement didn’t help with Christie’s bid, who finished in a dismal 10th place out of 11 with 2% of the vote.

Chris Christie. Photo- CHRIS KEANE / Reuters

Chris Christie. Photo- CHRIS KEANE / Reuters

Still, LePage’s comments, pointless as they were, are cause to wonder- does he think he’d make a better president than Harding, Kennedy, or Obama?

Better yet, does he think it prudent to be wasting time halfway across the country, pointlessly stumping for a candidate with no prayer of winning while Maine is currently dealing with so many problems including the opiate epidemic, the housing crisis, and the systematic deficiencies facing our mental health infrastructure?

It’s too bad we can’t get Obama up to the Pine Tree State to clean up LePage’s mess while he’s gone.

What do you think?

Chris Shorr

About Chris Shorr

Chris is a sixth generation Portlander who loves all things Maine. He has worked with mentally ill and marginalized adults at a Portland non-profit, on a lobster boat in Casco Bay, at several high-end Portland restaurants, and at a local meat packing plant. He also ran for Portland City Council in 2013, wrote a weekly column in the now defunct Portland Daily Sun, and currently writes a weekly column in The Portland Phoenix.