WAY OFF TRACK

Tracking is the campaign practice of filming an opponent to the greatest extent possible, making amply certain the opponent is aware of the filming. Nominally, tracking is used to gather information, but in reality, a camera stuck in the face of the opponent is a weapon to intimidate, harass and provoke that person into doing something foolish. Once accomplished, as fast as you can say “macaca,” the embarrassing film clip is sent, oh, everywhere in the universe.

Maine Democrats currently are using the tactic against Republican Sen. Susan Collins, whose chief of staff Monday asked the Tom Allen for Senate Campaign to cease. The campaign has refused. This is unwise, not only because it worsens the opportunity for Maine to hold a decent race between two strong candidates, but because it could backfire – Maine has a low tolerance for this kind of campaigning. As Democratic Rep. Mike Michaud said Monday of tracking, “Something like that, I don’t think Maine people will appreciate.”

He is correct, and they should not appreciate it because it does not reflect Maine values. It certainly doesn’t make for a fair election and, at the very least, it tramples on the privacy of Maine people who commonly approach elected officials with specific issues on which they need help. Those previously private conversations could now end up on YouTube if the tracker feels something unusual was said.

Democratic officials defend the tactic by arguing that everybody does it and that a form of tracking was used by the Baldacci campaign in 2006 against Republican Chandler Woodcock. Two things: Maine is not obliged to adopt egregious practices from other states, no matter how often national senatorial committees insist it does; and if the best campaigns can do is match the dismal 2006 gubernatorial race, they might as well pack it up now.

Before the use of tracking gets out of hand, the Allen and Collins campaigns should develop ground rules for the use of cameras by anyone associated with their campaigns. For instance, filming speeches, meetings, events where the candidate is offering policy or ideas, are all fair game as exercises in information gathering, as the Collins camp suggested. Using the camera to harass the candidate is not. (In the most recent case, Democratic Party worker Rick Redmond tracked Sen. Collins in a recent Stockton Springs parade, perhaps waiting for her to frown at the wrong time or sneeze inappropriately, but certainly not expecting a policy announcement in midparade.)

Despite the national interest in this race and despite the party pressures that both sides must feel, Tom Allen and Susan Collins will determine whether Maine sees a high-level, issues-based contest or just one more drooling example of what’s wrong with politics. It’s up to them to provide, in Rep. Michaud’s words, something Maine people will appreciate.