EXPERIENCE OVER HOPE

If, as Oscar Wilde had it, second marriages are the triumph of hope over experience, second political terms may be the opposite. Maine saw Gov. John Baldacci begin his second four years as governor Wednesday having put away the vague hopefulness of his first inaugural address and instead lean on the experience of a rough first term.

There was nothing this time about bipartisanship or, as he said in 2003, “the task ahead of us is to show Maine people that we’re with them, that we can all work together – Democrats, Republicans, Greens and independents.” There was instead a swipe at TABOR, an accusation that all the public hears “are claims about what is wrong with Maine,” and a demand that Maine “lift the extensive pessimism that permeates this state.” He was at turns defensive (on taxes) -“[I]t doesn’t mean that everything is bad, or that we’re not doing anything right.” – and aggressively optimistic – “In this new economy, Maine stands head and shoulders above any state in the nation.”

There was also a list of what had gone well in Maine during the last four years. The governor followed up these with a hint of his budget plans. There, he was specific: He wants not merely that the number of Maine school districts be reduced from 152, but said the new number will be 26. And he was insistent: Either the Legislature require local governments to pass all school savings to residents or he would veto the entire budget. The inaugural address was a speech of pieces with the single message: The governor is taking charge as never before.

This is a difficult pitch for Mr. Baldacci – to feel the need to assert his right to the governorship after serving in it for four years exposes his fears as they are rarely seen. But it is a risk worth taking. His agenda this winter is substantial: a property-tax cap that is not well supported by his own party and dismissed by his opponents, a set of reforms from the Brookings Institution and an aggressive budget needed to close a significant revenue shortfall.

The challenge for the governor will be to lead while remaining open to ideas from the Legislature and the public. A shallow strategy would urge him to stick to his proposals no matter the opposition. A smarter one would have him set the goal – lower property taxes, say – and offer his solution, but say throughout the debate that he is willing to amend his solution as better ideas come along to meet the goal. The first strategy would make him look merely stubborn; the second, accomplished.

After decades of public service, Gov. Baldacci begins his final term in office with a new persona, more assertive, more certain of what he wants for Maine. To be successful, he must rely on long experience that teaches no leader achieves much on his own.