In the days leading up to the Tuesday night election, many people who had worked hard during the campaign process were left to wonder if their hard work would result in victory. For some the results were in their favor. But for others, the election results brought with them a difficult realization – their candidate had lost.
USM student Henry Bindbeutel was one of the latter. Bindbeutel was working as an intern on the Peter Cianchette campaign. Bindbeutel is majoring in political science and is working on adding economics as a second major. He is no stranger to politics. He began working on this campaign because he knew and respected people on Cianchette’s staff, people he had worked with before.
Bindbeutel’s political activism began at a young age in support of the Republican Party.
“I led George Bush Sr. to victory in my third grade class,” he said.
In seventh grade after taking a career test, it seemed Henry was destined for public service.
“This sounds like a really bad joke, but my top two [choices] were that I should either be a priest or a lawyer,” he said.
Bindbeutel thinks politics is a good synthesis between the two.
During high school Bindbeutel got involved in the student council, but felt that the position left a lot to be desired. He was interested in the possibility of an open campus, or creating new classes, while his peers were interested in the streamer colors at homecoming. His position on the student council was short-lived.
In 2000, Bindbeutel went to work campaigning hard for John McCain. He felt that Bush was “too socially conservative” for his taste. When Bush was victorious, Bindbeutel had to rethink his support of the GOP, because he did not like the direction things were heading. He went Libertarian and got involved in the single-payer health care plan. During this time, he met the people that would later help him land his internship with the Cianchette campaign.
Bindbeutel sees himself as an idealist. Growing up in Maine, he has been able to identify the problems that he sees happening here. He is well aware of the disappearing job opportunities, the failing industries, and the growing dependence on tourism and service as Maine’s primary source of income. But his major concern is education.
Bindbeutel sees many flaws in the structure of education in Maine schools. He attended a high school in western Maine where he felt that students similar to him were filled with a sense of being disconnected.
“They could not have structured a system that alienates students from any sense of civic responsibility better than what they’ve done,” Bindbeutel said.
He thinks the current structure of schools resembles a “bureaucratic machine.”
Bindbeutel explained what he saw as the differences between the ways the Republican and Democratic parties handle problems such as the education system.
“The Democratic philosophy is that there are problems and the only way for us to solve them is to have a small group of people come up with ideas and for [people] to support them financially,” he said.
He believes the Republican Party is more individualistic. Instead of government control and state-funded programs, he believes that Republican ideals put the problem-solving power in the hands of the people. He noted that Republican ideas are often a hard sell. He thinks this happens because “a lot of people associate Republicanism with some of the most outspoken nuts in the Party.”
Bindbeutel gave his support to Cianchette because he felt he would be a great leader.
“Peter is a champion of individual liberty and a champion of business and tax payers,” he said.
Bindbeutel said he would have been involved with this campaign even if it hadn’t earned him college credits.
Even though his candidate didn’t win the election, 23-year-old Bindbeutel has his whole future ahead of him in which to pursue his goals.
Bindbeutel is currently working at a mutual fund company in South Portland. At one time he thought he wanted to be a broker. Seeing what the work is like first-hand, he has changed his mind.
“I don’t think I could stomach it. It’s boring,” he said.
At USM, Bindbeutel feels very connected to the political science department. He hopes to make a career out of politics, though he is not quite sure how he will make this a reality.
“I’d like to do something that makes me fulfilled without bankrupting me,” he said. “[Politics] is the one occupation that I truly love. Someday I will run [for office].”
Many people were saddened by the results of the election, but Bindbeutel is picking up the pieces and moving forward.
“It’s the nature of the game. There’s no point being in the game if you can’t take the loss,” he said.