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Amy Fried

@asfried.bsky.social

7.6K followers 5.2K following 4.8K posts

Political scientist, kayaker Emeritus, UMaine Political Sightlines at https://amyfried.substack.com/ Books on how U.S. conservatives weaponized distrust, New England politics, professionalizing polling, and perceptions of public opinion as a resource

amyfried.substack.com

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Amy Fried @asfried.bsky.social · Nov 12

Blueskyers, I’m a retired political scientist, still actively writing and doing more real politics, whose core research has been on the history and political uses of public opinion. But I've done research other topics, too! My 1st pub was on abortion politics, the latest on ranked choice voting. 1/5

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Amy Fried @asfried.bsky.social · 17m

Yes, it's well written and speaks to important issues. At the same time, I don't think her FB friends are representative of the people I'm talking about. A lot of them aren't on social media or only post with people about their families and such.

Amy Fried @asfried.bsky.social · 20m

And do you have the same criticism of Platner for his people putting up an Oct 7 FB post and then taking it down and replacing it with another one?

Amy Fried @asfried.bsky.social · 21m

The Cato Institute is actually concerned about freedom and the Constitution.

Reposted by Amy Fried

Will Stancil @whstancil.bsky.social · 1h

This is insane. I feel like I’m going insane when I’m watching this. Not just the fact that it’s clearly their fault, but the way a heavily-armed squad of masked thugs immediately jumps into the street and brutalizes the woman they just hit, despite having no idea who she is.

Raider @iwillnotbesilenced.bsky.social · 15h

ICE GOONS crash into car and then point weapons to kidnap man.

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Reposted by Amy Fried

Lena Sun @lenasun.bsky.social · 3h

The CDC official who was leading the measles response and was RIFd has more than 28 yrs experience as the senior USG official leading outbreaks on Ebola, Marburg virus, and mpox. 2/4

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Reposted by Amy Fried

jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 1h

an incontestable fact of the second trump administration is it is actively trying to sicken and kill as many americans as it can

Lena Sun @lenasun.bsky.social · 3h

NEW: @CDCgov hit hard by massive firings that several staff describe to me as a “bloodbath.”
Among those RIFd:
—leadership of the center for immunization and respiratory diseases;
—leadership of global health center
—leadership of the measles outbreak response; 1/4

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Amy Fried @asfried.bsky.social · 2h

It's certainly a real issue!

Amy Fried @asfried.bsky.social · 2h

Mills is, of course, a Democrat. In fact, she the most successful Maine Democrat in decades, having won two gubernatorial races with outright majorities. That said, a lot of Democrats are unhappy with her leadership and want to go in a different direction.

Amy Fried @asfried.bsky.social · 2h

The point is that Mills shouldn't be signaled out for a campaign bungle. Personally I don't think either is especially meaningful.

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Amy Fried @asfried.bsky.social · 2h

It's up to voters to decide, no? Also a competitive, contested primary would be good for Platner should he win it. He hasn't had that yet, ever, and won't be able to coast to a win against Collins with rousing speeches to friendly crowds.

Amy Fried @asfried.bsky.social · 2h

What about the Platner campaign posting an October 7 message, deleting it and then posting a substitute? #mepolitics

Amy Fried @asfried.bsky.social · 2h

That's kind of patronizing. She obviously thinks she's a better candidate. Voters will decide. A contested primary is good, especially for Platner, given his very limited political experience.

Amy Fried @asfried.bsky.social · 3h

That’s a real issue. But it won’t be a detriment vs Collins since she’s also old.

Amy Fried @asfried.bsky.social · 3h

This is unbelievably harmful. Maybe Democratic congressional candidates should talk about it?? #mepolitics

Sheryl Gay Stolberg @sherylnyt.bsky.social · 11h

FULL STORY HERE: Emails began flooding CDC inboxes late Friday night announcing dozens of layoffs. HR people brought back from furlough to oversee the RIFs. Disease detectives, entire Washington office, global health, injury prevention, MMWR staff among those hit.
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/u...

Trump Administration Lays Off Dozens of C.D.C. Officials

www.nytimes.com

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Amy Fried @asfried.bsky.social · 3h

Both Platner and Mills will show what they’re made of in a contested primary. It is good for both of them, whoever ends up winning the nomination. Platner won’t be remotely prepared to take on Collins if he coasts to the nomination on the basis of rousing speeches to friendly crowds.

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Amy Fried @asfried.bsky.social · 4h

As if Palestinians don’t? Biggest tragedy was Arafat refusing Camp David agreement of 2000 because he only got 95% of what he wanted. So much death and pain could have been avoided.

Amy Fried @asfried.bsky.social · 4h

Also note that the only time Bernie was in a Maine primary (2020 presidential primary), he got 32% of the vote. Biden was first but with not much more. Warren was third, Bloomberg fourth.

Amy Fried @asfried.bsky.social · 4h

It could be! Also now we have semi-open primaries. That could matter.

I think Platner is exciting although his campaign rhetoric and style are Bernie boilerplate. (Not surprising given that his consultants come from Bernie world). He will benefit from a competitive primary and will win or not.

Reposted by Amy Fried

emptywheel @emptywheel.bsky.social · 4h

Per NYT, Trump is trying to criminalize being generous, which I can understand if you're Trump but may not work out.

Under rules, Tish James could do short term rental in first year. She did (and made <$5K).
Then her great niece has lived there, rent free.

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/u...

In the indictment, the prosecutor, Lindsey Halligan, accuses Ms. James of having misrepresented the purpose of the house when she purchased it in August 2020 for $137,000. The indictment says that while Ms. James indicated to her mortgage broker that she expected to use the house as a second home, she had instead used it as a “rental investment property, renting the property to a family.”

But in June, Ms. Thompson testified to a grand jury in Norfolk that she had lived in the house for years and that she did not pay rent, a person familiar with her testimony said. She was not asked to testify again, and the grand jury that voted to indict Ms. James was not seated in Norfolk, but in Alexandria.

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Amy Fried @asfried.bsky.social · 4h

I’m saying it’s doubtful that was ever offered.

Amy Fried @asfried.bsky.social · 4h

It’s also always possible things have changed. After all ME was so Republican it was one of two states that didn’t vote for FDR in 1936 (and the other was VT!) but the last time a R pres candidate won statewide in ME was 1988.

Amy Fried @asfried.bsky.social · 4h

Like every group, they’re not 100% united but they do have tendencies. By the way, Collins has previously gotten enough of their votes to win.

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Amy Fried @asfried.bsky.social · 4h

Yep. Also how Mills won her first gubernatorial primary.

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Amy Fried @asfried.bsky.social · 5h

I would remind everyone that traditionally the largest bloc of Maine statewide Dem primary voters are middle class women in southern Maine and retired women who were in helping professions (teachers, health care, social workers). That’s who successful campaigns appeal to and win. #mepolitics

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Amy Fried @asfried.bsky.social · 5h

Yeah, that’s very doubtful. They’ve held Israeli hostages before and asked for releasing Hamas leaders.