This may go down in history as the most uncivil, adversarial and costly mid-term election ever. A polarized society is becoming increasingly more willing than ever to resort to this sort of behavior during political campaigns. That may have something to do with a sense that civility in politics no longer works.

A political base has evolved that has roots planted a few years ago about the time free trade agreements made a rust belt out of Midwest manufacturing, leaving behind millions of unemployed and unemployable workers. These workers have been willing to follow anyone, even someone who makes false promises to help them find a way out of their poverty.

It is these workers who helped elect Donald Trump. He is now firing up that base in political campaigns with an uncivil diatribe that encourages fringe groups to engage in violent, adversarial and uncivil behavior. He does not want to lose his influence over Congress should the opposing party be elected to a majority. There is good reason for his concern.

We all should remember that in 2007, Wall Street bankers were engaged in gaming the stock market with their exotic investments made up of real estate mortgages they did not own. The real estate market bubble burst and home mortgages started to go underwater. Wall Street bankers’ exotic gambling games nearly caused their bankruptcy. We the people had to bail them out.

Now, after two years with the moneyed class in full control of our government headed by President Trump, there is a rush to return to that sort of laissez faire by overturning years of long-established regulatory restraints. None of us want to again bail out the moneyed class. We can prevent that by voting for those candidates that do not support Trump’s agenda.

Jim Chiddix

Waterville