Four weeks to go until the mid-term elections. I can’t wait until it's over and we can resume worrying about real stuff, like the price of heating oil, the price of gas, and how to stretch the family budget to include (you can insert the rest).

One of my favorite politicians called this the Slander Season, where the Smart Alec, Know it All consultants are paid big bucks to insult local candidates.

As the talking heads on my TV set burbled away interviewing themselves for the 11th time since breakfast, I turned to a local election observer, an influencer, if you will: Ms. Pigette. You know her. She holds up a mailbox located on Route 27, the main road from Boothbay to Wiscasset.

“Well, old dog,” she said. “If you want my opinion, here goes.”

“Let’s start with the polls. They sure look good for the outs, and bad for the ins. Blue challengers seem to be doing pretty good in Red districts. Democratic hopefuls are hopeful as some Republican supporters wring their hands. Does that mean the game is over? Are Democrats riding a blue wave into control of the House and Senate? Don’t bet the farm, Grasshopper. It ain’t over til it's over.

“If I believed the polling data, I would book a flight to Las Vegas. Polls tell us something might have existed at the instant the pollster asks the question. And if the person being polled tells the truth to a pollster who also tells the truth. Betting your kid’s college money on a poll you see on TV or in the press is a big no-no.

“Let’s start with the big contest: Republican Sen. Susan Collins has represented Maine since 1997. She has a great record of delivering federal $$$ to the folks back home. She has been to every bean supper from Kittery to Fort Kent.

“Recently, Politico dropped a hit piece accusing her of pay-to-play. You know, the old if you give me a fat check, I will (you know the rest). In a normal election, that might be a game changer, but don’t bet the farm on that, either. Folks like her. She sometimes opposes the White House, and I would not count her out.

“Meanwhile, her opponent, Democrat Troy Jackson, aired a TV spot showing him hugging his mother. Surprise, she says he is a good guy, while he accuses Collins of voting with Republicans on most issues. Collins is a Republican. What do you think she would do?

“In the race for governor, polls say Democrat Hannah Pingree seems to be way ahead, as Republican Bobby Charles seems to be running as the ‘tough on crime’ mayor of Lewiston. His biggest campaign coup was to entice Chris Christie to endorse him. Not sure what that means.

“In the Second Congressional District, Democrat Matt Dunlap, a former Secretary of State, looks uneasy as he campaigns in a jacket and ball cap. We are used to seeing him in a coat and tie. Republican Paul LePage, who served two terms as governor, touts his closeness to the president and applauds the White House/ICE tough anti-immigration policies. But he recently stumbled admitting that one of his relatives, an immigrant with legal status, had been busted by ICE and spirited away. LePage then backed off, calling for reform of the current immigration system, putting him at odds with the MAGA crowd. Will it mean anything?

“This year, will voters care about a candidate’s particular position or promise? That, Grasshopper, is the question. At a recent political event, the president pleaded with voters. He said something like, 'While I am not on the ballot this year, I want you to vote as if I am.'

“So, will this election be about Collins, Jackson, Pingree, Charles, Dunlap and LePage? Will it be about the president and his far-away war that squeezed world oil markets, kicking the price of gas, diesel and heating oil into orbit? Will voters care about a bad paint job on the reflecting pool, a White House ballroom, a cabinet made up of yes-men? Will voters care if the White House pulls the credentials of a bunch of snoopy reporters? Or will voters mark their ballots based upon how they feel about the presidency? Will they vote based on the way they believe the president’s actions affect their families?

“If you can answer these questions, you have already made up your mind, and no ‘hit job,’ last-minute TV spot, or charge/counter charge will change your mind,” Ms. Pigette said.

See you at the polls.