The administration of Governor Paul LePage has been the most visible aspect of the new hard-line conservative movement in Maine and, for seven months, communications and political director Dan Demeritt was the voice of that administration.

(Granted, that voice often had to begin his statements with "What the Governor meant to say was...")

That's why it was surprising for many to see Demeritt's tweet last week: "I signed the Equality Maine petition today. Tough times easier with loving spouse. I wish the same support for everyone."

I've now written more times about how to properly interpret political polling than I can easily remember, including more than a dozen pieces here at Down East.

In early September 2004, a swirling vortex formed over the Gulf of Mexico. It would grow to be Hurricane Ivan, the 10th most powerful recorded hurricane in the Atlantic, and would soon hit the Gulf States, causing $18 billion in damage. First, however, it devastated several Caribbean Islands, including Grand Cayman.

One of the casualties there was the St. Matthew’s University School of Medicine. The campus and nearby student housing was badly damaged and the medical students, many of them Americans, had to be relocated.

Photographer/blogger Corey Templeton of the Portland Daily Photo blog has put together an infographic showing the current Twitter followers and Facebook likes for the fifteen Portland mayoral candidates (click the image to enlarge).

Michael Brennan, David Marshall, and Ethan Strimling all have strong showings, likely due to their high name recognition after having held other political offices.