ClickBack on Palins

Northern and eastern Maine has Palin fever. Or not. At any rate, Alaska’s “first dude,” Gov. Sarah Palin’s husband, Todd, visited the region during the weekend, and Gov. Palin herself will visit Bangor on Thursday. What do editorial page readers make of this attention from America’s newest political celebrities?

Also on the ClickBack menu this week are the economic and housing crisis and gas prices.

To participate, go to bangordailynews.com, pull down on the “Opinion” menu, and let up on “ClickBack.” As always, some reader comments may be featured on Friday’s OpEd page.

Will the Palin appeal work in Maine?

Love ’em or hate ’em, there’s no denying – gosh darn in – the folksy charm of Gov. Sarah Palin and her husband, Todd. The McCain campaign has dispatched both to Maine’s 2nd Congressional District in hopes of winning over enough voters here to land Sen. McCain one of the state’s four electoral votes. Will it work? What do Maine and Alaska have in common? What values to Mainers and the Palins share? Was it a wise political move?

Will Maine see a shallower recession than the nation?

Maine was not infected with the subprime mortgage mess as much as other states. And because Maine’s economy expands slowly even in good times, the state may see a more shallow recession than the rest of the U.S. Or will Maine households, many of which are close to the poverty line, be nudged over the edge by the coming downturn?

Will in-migration halt, and if so, is this bad for Maine?

With housing prices substantially deflated across the U.S., Maine will likely see fewer retirees from New Jersey and Connecticut selling their houses and building new ones in Maine. Will this mean Maine’s population will continue to be stagnant? Can the state do anything to encourage more people to move here? Can individual communities encourage such in-migration? Should they?

Gas prices drop – what’s happening to the extra money in your wallet?

Prices at the pump are nearly where they were a year ago, dipping below the $3 threshold in parts of the state. What has the decrease meant to your budget? Are you catching up on bills, or spending the extra money on something more enjoyable, like dinner at a restaurant or a new item of clothing? What would you advise your friends and neighbors to do with their extra cash?