Grade Susan Collins’ campaign

[VAR]

?

[Woody]

A.

[One Term Floridian]

Obviously A+++

[MT Treasurer]

She’s the only Republican Senator left in a blue state, was the only blue state Republican Senator to defy the massive Democratic wave in 2008 (when she won by more than Obama against a credible opponent), outperformed her polls substantially in 2008/2014/2020, wasn’t ahead in a single public poll since July, was outspent by more than 2-to-1, and survived an 8-point Biden win in an election with historically little split-ticket voting to win by high single digits. She definitely deserves an A.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

She’s the only Republican Senator left in a blue state, was the only blue state Republican Senator to defy the massive Democratic wave in 2008 (when she won by more than Obama against a credible opponent), outperformed her polls substantially in 2008/2014/2020, wasn’t ahead in a single public poll since July, was outspent by more than 2-to-1, and survived an 8-point Biden win in an election with historically little split-ticket voting to win by high single digits. She definitely deserves an A.

[smoltchanov]

A+. She is as moderate as possible in present day Maine Republican party (no more Stanley Tupper's), and good campaigner. By voting for Cavanaugh (2 years before election) and against Barrett has shown excellent sense of timing and preserved enough moderate support for win.

[Skye]

I wonder what the answers would be like if you asked this question the day before the election.

[Starmerite2024]

My first thoughts when I saw the results were "How the  did she survive?"

[Roll Roons]

She’s the only Republican Senator left in a blue state, was the only blue state Republican Senator to defy the massive Democratic wave in 2008 (when she won by more than Obama against a credible opponent), outperformed her polls substantially in 2008/2014/2020, wasn’t ahead in a single public poll since July, was outspent by more than 2-to-1, and survived an 8-point Biden win in an election with historically little split-ticket voting to win by high single digits. She definitely deserves an A.

Ahem.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Fitzpatrick_(American_politician)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Scott_(politician)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Bacon_(politician)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Wyman

[Torie]

She did a masterful job in navigating between the Scylla and Charybdis in waters roiled by a sea monster with red hair against a very competent opponent.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

It doesn't take that much to beat Sara Gideon who was treated like a shoe in by Act blue just like Cunningham, now D's have to rely on GA to tie the Senate and GA was only wave insurance not the pivotal seats

[Lognog]

most of the campaign: B. Last month: A+++

[Xing]

Hot take: She didn't run a particularly good campaign, and was mainly fortunate that there was still some residual good will toward her among Independents. While I get that it's "hard to argue with success" and all that, I don't think winning candidates always run especially good campaigns.

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

C-

She won for reasons having nothing to do with her weak campaign.

[Calthrina950]

She’s the only Republican Senator left in a blue state, was the only blue state Republican Senator to defy the massive Democratic wave in 2008 (when she won by more than Obama against a credible opponent), outperformed her polls substantially in 2008/2014/2020, wasn’t ahead in a single public poll since July, was outspent by more than 2-to-1, and survived an 8-point Biden win in an election with historically little split-ticket voting to win by high single digits. She definitely deserves an A.

I greatly underestimated Susan Collins. Clearly, she knows her state and was able to retain enough of her crossover appeal to win another term. I also feel Collins was helped by her state's long-term Republican trends. Trump won ME-02, like he did in 2016, and Jared Golden only held on by a narrow margin. Biden also did not carry the state by as wide a margin as many had anticipated. I don't think Collins will have any difficulty winning again in 2026, if she decides to go for a sixth term.

[Stand With Israel. Crush Hamas]

This is like the kid who slacks off all year in class and then aces the final. You're going to be confused, but you'll give him the A anyway.

She obviously knows what her voters want.

[compucomp]

She’s the only Republican Senator left in a blue state, was the only blue state Republican Senator to defy the massive Democratic wave in 2008 (when she won by more than Obama against a credible opponent), outperformed her polls substantially in 2008/2014/2020, wasn’t ahead in a single public poll since July, was outspent by more than 2-to-1, and survived an 8-point Biden win in an election with historically little split-ticket voting to win by high single digits. She definitely deserves an A.

Your points are very good, but I wonder if Biden's substantial win in Maine (it's 10 points now) actually had something to with her victory. Maine voters lean liberal but they're definitely independent and quirky. Maybe Maine voters, as they planned to vote for Biden and perceived a Biden victory as likely, started moving towards Collins to be a check on Biden. I know the polls were trash but they were deteriorating for Gideon in the last week (around +2) compared to her earlier polling.

[SenatorCouzens]

A. I really do have to hand it to Collins for pulling this one out. Balancing Kavanaugh and Barrett, the way she handled Trump questions (despite the blue checks on twitter being displeased), and constantly talking about Maine as well as her bipartisan agenda.

I've watched a lot of the attack ads against her, and many almost seem as if they were written to support her. Were these created by people actually in Maine? They seem delusional as to what motivates the vast majority of middle of the road voters.

The ads play POSITIVE clips of her talking about bipartisanship and process and her independent brand. Then the ads blast essentially TRUMP... KAVANAUGH in the final seconds.

It's as if they were written by the worst type of politically-obsessed twitter trolls who expect Maine voters to get the smelling salts every time she does something non-Maine progressives oppose.

Mind you, I can only give this analysis after the vote was in, but I think it's accurate.