There is a fundamental difference between sounding like you know what you’re talking about and knowing what you’re talking about. In last week’s first U.S. Senate debate, Troy Jackson brought the sound bites. Sen. Susan Collins brought the substance.
This likely wasn’t shocking to anyone who’s used to hearing Jackson fumble over his words or make a fool of himself while commanding the Maine Senate.
For much of the debate, while Jackson seemed determined to land the next punch, deliver the next rehearsed line or manufacture the next campaign clip, Collins did something much less flashy but far more important. The senator demonstrated that she, unlike Jackson, understands how government works, how policy is made and the responsibilities of the office she holds.
As the debate went on, this distinction became impossible to ignore. Jackson was quick with accusations but thin on details. And when the conversation moved beyond simple political rhetoric and into the mechanics of how policy is made, his lack of substance and shallow intellectual depth became painfully obvious. The contrast was striking.
Throughout the night, Jackson repeatedly returned to familiar attacks against President Donald Trump and Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Regardless of the question, he seemed more interested in delivering his next rehearsed one-liner than offering substantive answers about the challenges facing Maine families.
This kind of political rhetoric might generate applause at a campaign rally comprised of a small smattering of Graham Platner leftovers, but it’s hardly a substitute for knowledge or competence when it comes to a U.S. Senate debate.
Perhaps the most embarrassing moment came during an exchange about healthcare, when Jackson appeared to confuse the responsibilities associated with Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement.
Jackson criticized Collins for failing to increase Medicaid reimbursement rates for Maine hospitals, suggesting that her position as chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee magically gave her the authority to address the issue.
The problem? Jackson revealed he fundamentally misunderstands how the program operates and which level of government is in charge of reimbursement.
Collins correctly explained that Medicaid reimbursement rates are established by states within federal requirements. Maine has the authority to adjust those rates, meaning Jackson was criticizing Collins for something that falls substantially within the responsibilities of state government. Hopefully the irony isn’t lost on anyone.
Jackson has spent the better part of 20 years as a fixture in Augusta politics. He served as president of the Senate for six years, one of the most powerful positions in state government, helping to oversee the very legislative institution responsible for determining Maine’s healthcare policies and funding priorities.
Instead of increasing those rates to help the people he pretends to care about, Jackson and his allies went on bloated spending sprees in budget after budget. They provided oodles in subsidies to their friends in the “affordable” housing and “clean” energy worlds. They gave out “free” community college on your dime and “free” school lunches to the children of millionaires.
Yet there he stood, trying to blame Collins for a responsibility that largely belongs to the state government he once led for six years. For someone seeking promotion to the U.S. Senate, that’s an embarrassing display of ignorance.
This exchange also exposed a broader weakness of Jackson’s. It’s easy to criticize Washington for the problems Maine faces; it’s much more difficult to explain how we should solve those problems.
Based on Jackson’s statements during the debate, all of Maine’s problems would cease to exist overnight if Trump was no longer president or Brett Kavanaugh no longer served on the Supreme Court. His performance suggested he believes political outrage can substitute for legislative effectiveness.
To be clear, Collins’ record is not beyond criticism. Her decisions deserve scrutiny, and all Maine voters are entitled to question her judgment on any vote she’s cast while serving as our senator.
But meaningful criticism requires more than repeating the same accusations, delivering rehearsed insults or hoping the audience overlooks the absence of substantive policy knowledge.
More than anything, the debate demonstrated why experience and competence matter. Collins came prepared to discuss the responsibilities of government and defend her legislative record. Troy Jackson came prepared to attack Trump, Kavanaugh and deliver campaign slogans.
One candidate demonstrated the knowledge necessary to govern. The other demonstrated a meager ability to campaign.
If Jackson hopes to convince Mainers that he belongs in the U.S. Senate, he will need to offer considerably more than political theater.
Susan Collins didn’t just win the first debate. She gave Maine’s former Senate president a much-needed lesson in how government actually works.
Jacob Posik is the director of legislative affairs at Maine Policy Institute and the political director at Maine Civic Action. This opinion editorial was originally published in the Portland Press Herald.