Politics is, of course, a serious affair, but that doesn’t mean it should be devoid of humor, says Chris Potholm ’62, Bowdoin’s DeAlva Stanwood Alexander Professor of Government Emeritus.
It was this rationale that prompted Potholm—a seasoned political strategist and former Maine guide as well as a Bowdoin scholar—to help compile a newly released collection of humorous essays called Real Life, Real Funny: The Way Maine Humor Should Be (Down East Books, 2026).
Potholm says the book came out of a conversation he was having with a couple of friends who are also old hands from the Maine political scene—PR guru Dennis Bailey, a veteran of many campaigns, and former Congressman David Emery, a GOP insider and political consultant.
“We were talking about how miserable politics is today and how when we were on opposite sides of a campaign, of course we wanted to win, but we didn't think it was ‘all or nothing.’ We had friends on both sides, and if you lost, it wasn’t the end of the world.” In fact, adds Potholm, you might even hire your opponent to work on your next campaign. Politics today, he laments, is much less convivial and more divided. “People just didn’t do the sorts of things that they’re now encouraged to do.”
As a result of their conversation, the three friends decided to put together a collection of more than forty essays from dozens of contributors. In addition to contributions from the book’s three editors, there are vignettes from a number of well-known political figures, such as former US Defense Secretary and US Senator William Cohen ’62, H’75, former Maine governors John Baldacci and Angus King H’07 (currently a serving US Senator), as well as the current state governor, Janet Mills.
Potholm visibly cracks up as he recalls some of the anecdotes: Bill Cohen trying for a photo opportunity with “Andre the seal” while campaigning in Boothbay Harbor and promptly getting bitten on the backside by said mammal; John Baldacci failing miserably in a cow manure throwing contest at a Maine county fair (“I never was good at slinging the bull,” quipped the politician); or Maine Governor Janet Mills being attacked by a goose!
“Angus King also had some great stories,” says Potholm, “as he used to roll around the state on a motorbike, dressed in leather.” Many of the people he encountered weren’t used to seeing a politician looking like that. Some were incredulous. “Yeah, sure, and I’m Queen Elizabeth,” said one woman after King introduced himself as the state’s governor. On another occasion, King and his motorcycling buddies had pulled over at a rest stop when they met a couple of fellow bikers from Massachusetts. “Welcome to Maine, I’m the governor,” said King, only to be reminded that they were in still in New Hampshire at the time!
Apart from Potholm and Cohen, there are contributions from Jed Lyons ’74, Spiros Droggitis ’74, Bob Whelan ’62, Kevin Delahanty ’74, and Edie Smith ’81. Also featured is Bowdoin’s longtime communications director Scott Hood, who writes amusingly about his dog’s tendency for bringing roadkill into the house.
The book also includes stories from outside the world of politics, several of them featuring stock Maine characters such as farmers, fishermen, and hunters. Many of the tales are imbued with the deadpan humor so common in the Pine Tree State, says Potholm. “For example, if a Mainer runs into a friend at Hannaford, a typical greeting might be, ‘Hey, I didn't know you were out on bail,’” (said with a straight face).
Mainers are known across the nation for their dry sense humor, he observes. As the opening sentence of the book notes, “Maine humor is not an oxymoron, whereas Utah humor is.” The key trait is its understatement, explains Potholm. “It’s just a couple of clicks from reality.”
