I am absolutely behind Platner. Anyone who's spent time in the military can attest to being young, drunk and coming back to the barracks with a regrettable tattoo. It's almost a right of passage. Tired of the smear campaigns and the lack of support from pro-democracy media on this.
I have my regrettable tattoo. It’s terrible, but I’ve left it untouched mainly because it reminds me of that time of my life, my buddies, etc. And, I’m sure if I dig thru my phone enough I’ll find some questionable texts I’ve sent. That doesn’t make anyone unfit. What makes someone unfit is molesting teenagers and committing crimes right in our faces like Republicans are doing right now.
I am not going to respond to comments throughout the day and want to let all of you run with the conversation but these kinds of comments are not in keeping with the respectful tone we try to establish here. The issue isn't any one of the things that Platner has done, it is all of it together, including the newly admitted serial infidelity in a young marriage, and how it is already impacting his standing in Maine, and how it will be used against him in the general election.
I strongly urge everyone here not to dismiss or downplay the significance of the totality of what we've learned. As many of you say our democracy is on the line. We need to look at it all objectively, strategically, in order to assess whether our limited dollars and time are best spent here in Maine or in other areas of opportunity for us. We are not making a moral judgement we are making a strategic and political one. Thanks for weighing in everyone.
I did not think that Vic's comment was disrespectful. He was telling the truth and expressing his thoughts. No swearing, no hyperbole, just expressing his thoughts.
It's disrespectful to our intelligence and the discourse that this is about any one of these things in isolation. We are way passed that in making an assessment of where we are.
This is my first post as a paid subscriber. You asked for your opinions on Platner. I support him. There are no candidates without flaws. He appears to have the support of his wife. He appears to have grown from his past mistakes. That is more than you can say for our President. To lose the Senate because Collins squeaks by because Democrats don't rally around this candidate is to lose a major opportunity to challenge Trump's authoritarian agenda. Saving democracy is the greater good here. Let's just say it: that end justifies some flexibility on means. If we want to be the party of a big tent, and compete in red states, we can't lead with purity tests. It will kill our momentum. Thanks for listening.
I want to establish up front is that the main question in front of us isn't purity tests it is whether he can win given everything that has happened, how much will it cost, and what will it mean for resources we need for other states. That is the main question in front of us.
The polls you posted today indicate he is ahead in ALL the polls against Collins, between 2 and 7 points. He was up by over 50 points in the primary results with over 80% of the vote counted.
If it was any other candidate with these numbers, would there be a question?
If you want to wait a couple weeks to get more polling, that seems prudent to let any detritus from the latest revelations shake out.
"You go with the team you have." Why wouldn't that apply here? We need that Senate seat. Whether you set up a contribution link for him is your call, but we should not consider him as "less than" other opportunity pick-ups.
We should amplify his campaign as one of our own and highlight his strengths and Collins weaknesses as we would any other candidate in his position. I think it is good for the party brand to get behind him. To avoid him raises the spectre of purity test in the mind of the public.
Michael, that charts shows his support dropping significantly in recent polling. This is why we need to see post-primary independent polling, to fully assess the health of his candidacy.
One would have thought that the Democratic electorate in Maine would have registered its hesitation. You can't see it in the results. The overall turnout was far higher than it was in 2020. Platner blew away the total that Sarah Gideon got, and she was running against an incredibly unimpressive opponent whereas Platner obliterated a two-term sitting governor who, while she suspended her campaign, made it clear she would welcome votes. And yet, where was the protest vote against Platner? Maine Democrats said as clearly as possible "he's our guy." That's why I immediately made another contribution. He's the nominee -- let's go win this thing.
I couldn’t agree more. Platinum is not perfect but it is small potatoes compared to the depth of corruption and depravity of the GOP. His message is what we need right now and what we need a lot more of - it is resonating with voters, along with him being an outsider. We MUST get rid of Collins. I’m honestly surprised it’s even a question. We have a clear opportunity here and to not take it is shooting our self in the foot in my opinion.
Here's what I think many people are still missing:
Anger.
The deep anger ordinary voters feel about what's happened to middle America over the last 45 years. It helps explain Trump. It explains the Tea Party, Occupy Wall Street, Bernie Sanders, and the wild political swings we've seen every election cycle.
Middle America is fed up with decades of trickle-down Reaganomics and an economy that many feel has left them behind.
Platner has tapped into that anger.
I think it's wise to see how things develop over the next four to six weeks, but my hunch is that he's going to remain competitive. Because of his past mistakes—and whatever additional information may still emerge—he's also going to need Democratic support to withstand the attacks that are coming.
The question is whether we begin providing that support now, while the race is still taking shape, or wait until he's been so thoroughly defined by Republican attacks that it's much harder to change the narrative.
We're already seeing a similar playbook being used against Talarico in Texas. No one is debating whether he's "worthy" of investment; supporters understand that defining a candidate early matters.
This community obviously has limited resources. But if everyone makes the same cautious calculation and waits, we may wake up on August 1 and realize that this was a winnable race—and that support provided in June could have made the difference.
One can tap into that anger and not be consumed by rage. The vest politicians can do so....I'm not sure Platner has found the right balance. I recognize that others who I respect think he has.
I am a Maine voter. Ever since I attended a Platner town hall, I have been enthusiastic about him as a senator. I did worry after the latest revelations, but realized I still wanted him to win. His message is electric. I think if he keeps connecting with voters face to face as he has been he has a very good chance to beat Collins who hides from her constituents and votes with Trump 94% of the time. We need to get this guy over the finish line! Collins and MAGA are killing us.
listened to a local reporter up there this morning; he edits a small local paper and is an experienced reporter; like a lot of people, he moved to maine for the quieter life, as if...he said it will come down to older white women who have shown up for collins. i have read that elsewhere. we will have to wait and see. note; the reporter is alex sietz-wald, the paper he edits is the midcoast villager. you can hear his interview on molly jong fast's latest podcast; he does note that platner is charismatic.
Does anyone have any more recent information about his campaign team? The way they handled the sexting thing with finger-pointing and blame was pretty inept and unprofessional. I'm nervous investing in him until he beefs up his campaign team and gets more professional people on board, because the right-wing is sifting through his online past even as we speak. They need to be ready to be up to the challenge and I'm not confident they are right now. Just popping back with meme-worthy responses won't cut it. Only Republicans get to do that sort of thing and still get elected. We don't have that luxury.
Also Suzi LeVine (former ambassador and political commentator) asked him to do a Zoom call with her followers which I attended. He own his mistakes. He is authentic. The former girlfriend most vocal about his behavior works for the Heritage Foundation. And (this made a difference in my assessment): he is 41. The behavior in question was committed by a vey young man. “Good judgment comes from experience. And experience comes from bad judgment.”
Listen to his acceptance speech. Amazing insight and grace.
At the outset, Platner wasn't my first choice. Frankly, given the baggage surrounding him, I'd still prefer someone else. But he's the nominee.
When it comes to offering full-throated support, I think the only question that really matters is: Who is more likely to cause greater harm, Graham Platner or Susan Collins?
Collins will vote to confirm whatever 40-something right-wing ideologues Trump nominates to replace Thomas and Alito. The long-term impact of those Supreme Court appointments far outweighs whatever Platner did—or may have done.
For me, that makes the choice clear. Platner is the less harmful option.
Tracy, I believe what you say is the best way to frame whether to vote and/or support Platner. I find blaming the establishment or those who still do not believe in Platner not helpful. How Platner and his team have chosen to address and defend these past actions have only exacerbated and highlighted the past actions. Honestly, some of these past actions are not that far in the past. I think people can respectfully disagree about how they feel about Platner. Platner chose to run for the senate and with that comes all this attention and attacks. I do not live in Maine. If I did, I probably would vote for Platner bc the alternative would be a blank check for Trump again and our democracy would further erode with Collins in the Senate. For those who want to donate to Platner are free do so and those who do not, are also free not to donate to him.
I suggest you read Rick Wilson today who writes he knew of the woman at the center of the Platner “scandals” and says she was a Republican operative, who ran “Ladies for Brett Kavanaugh”.
In our efforts to be respectful of one another this is widely known and understood. The story that mattered last week wasn't the NYT story it was the now admitted serial infidelity in a young marriage. That is what created the new crisis for him.......
I didn't read the article and I knew. It was all over the blogs and online news. But we can all miss stories. I do all the time, but this one I knew. There is so much going on, one can miss stories or information.
My understanding is that his “infidelity” early in the marriage was digital only. He and his wife both say it stopped early and they have jointly worked out boundaries for their marriage with the help of a therapist. Whether elder white women in Maine (I’m almost 80) will accept the Platners assurances that they have healed the early breach of trust in their marriage may be an unknown. Still, it’s hard for me to see that we can know objectively what my northern sisters in Maine will do. Each will vote on her gut feeling. My gut feeling is that he can win and should be supported now.
There is so much about Platner, it's hard to keep track. Is this infidelity the sexting or is there another one? Personally, I don't care about that bc it's between him and his wife but it does add to the baggage.
Does anyone have an idea when Collins and Platner could schedule their first debate?
I know it's always best for money to flow to a candidate sooner rather than later, but is waiting until then an option for us?
Don't get me wrong - it's not the debate itself I'm waiting for - though we might be able to glean some salient info about the state of his campaign afterward - but let enough time to pass to see where things stand.
I appreciate how Simon framed it. My opinion of him is not important - I'm interested in supporting him if Maine continues to embrace him, and I have a funny feeling we are not done with discoveries yet.
Thanks, Simon, for your emphasis on helping the Maine Democratic Party. I don't know what I think or how I feel about Platner, and am paying attention to posts here about that. But I do know that there's also an important Governor's race in Maine and an important Congressional seat there that we need to win. So, I'll be giving more money to Maine Dems to continue building the robust ground game we'll need there to help all D candidates this fall.
Platner can win. The Dem Party needs Collins to go. Women need Collins to go. Platner said what I needed to hear last night. He is flawed. He is working to be better. He has taken accountability. His wife forgives him. I see he is on a road to redemption with the grace and embrace of his voters. This is what the road back looks like - messy, hard, necessary. We have all witnessed this in reverse many times with long term politicians. It will be refreshing to watch him grow and rise.
Platner is the candidate we have, and we need to win the seat. I am a Democrat, but I refuse to play the Holier Than Thou game typical of the Democrats. That is how we lost Al Franken from the Senate. He was a terrific senator, and we certainly could use him now in the Senate. We need get behind Platner with everything we've got.
Al Franken was a different situation and he was not treated fairly. I would respectfully suggest that those who are worried about Platner are more concerned that there might be other shoes to drop. I don't think most have a holier than thou attitude. I think they are genuinely concerned. I really think so much of this falls on Platner's team. For all the blaming they have done, they would do well to stop blaming those who are concerned and try to unite. Maybe more town halls with people who want to know more about Platner. Everyone who supports him says he is great at rallies. Maybe he can address Hopium on a Zoom interview?
I think your more cautious position on Platner is wise. Hopium’s support for the Maine Democratic Party is very important and will Platner. I have been worried about his candidacy all along but was encouraged about his chances after listening to his entire speech last night… which was really outstanding. Let’s see what happens in the next couple of months and continue to support Maine’s Democratic Party.
When I listen to Platner, I'm impressed. On the issues that appeal to working people in Maine, I think he makes a very strong appeal. Would I prefer he had less personal baggage? Yes. But he seems to be addressing it well. Also, if we want to start nominating younger candidates (and we should want to), we're going to have to get used to candidates with online histories, some of it less than ideal. Let's not freak out over what the Republicans will do to attack him. They're going to do it anyway, no matter how "clean" our candidate is (look at what's happening in Texas against Talarico). Platner is our candidate and from the looks of it he has at least as good a chance to win the seat (and probably a better chance) as any of our other candidates to flip Senate seats. If we keep behaving like the circular firing squad, we're not doing what we need to do.
David, c'mom ffs. 1) No one is doing a circling firing squad. We are having a respectful conversation. 2) the idea that everyone will get attacked no matter their baggage is absurd. Means there is no reason to vet candidates.
Asking folks to raise their game here on a tough issue and not throw silly stuff around.
Perhaps I wasn't clear. The comments here are fine. But I do think we need to keep some perspective - not all the criticism of Platner we hear is coming from a place of wanting us to have the best chances of winning the Senate; some people (including some Dems) have hidden agendas and don't like what Platner is saying. Fine to look at polling. But let's not take the position that some people take - that there will always be more stuff coming out and that Platner is sure to lose. Even after sustained criticism, he's still ahead of most of the candidates we're hoping will flip seats.
I would recommend Daniel Barkhuff’s Substack piece from yesterday for a different insight into Graham Platner and the forces that shaped him and still probably influence him:
I also suggest Rick Wilson’s Substack piece posted today.
Rick Wilson doesn’t always get it right. But he is right more often than he is wrong.
And he knows how the game is played.
I hope one day that the game is no longer played that way, and the past experience of operatives such as Rick Wilson is no longer relevant. Until then, however….
Dr. Barkhuff's piece was brilliant in my opinion. My father, uncle and two of my three brothers all served, and my best friend's son is a quadriplegic from a sniper in Fallujah. I think many people do not understand the sacrifices and devastation that happened to people in war. I would appreciate someone at senior levels of our government who can speak for the human cost of sending our sons and daughters to fight.
I agree. Dr. Barkhuff’s piece was not an apologia for Platner’s past, nor was it in any respect an exoneration. It was a deeply moving request that we try to give deeper understanding to what a very small, infinitesimal in proportion, percentage of our population experience in service to their country, and how it impacts them. Some people never recover, but many grow from those experiences and have much to offer for having had those experiences.
Graham Platner represents a new face for Democratic leadership—someone shaped by the realities of overseas wars and our own volatile political climate. He carries the scars that reflect the dysfunction of our society, whether that manifests as PTSD, past relationship struggles, or personal missteps.
The fundamental question for us is this: Do we demand perfect angels as our political leaders, or do we support flawed humans who are willing to grow and improve their humanity? I have seen enough of Graham Platner to know where I stand: I fully support Graham Platner!
I would recommend Daniel Barkhuff’s Substack piece from yesterday for a different insight into Graham Platner and the forces that shaped him and still probably influence him:
I've held off commenting on Platner, but since you asked . . . .
I agree his speech last night was good.
As a feminist, I have real problems with Platner. I'm less concerned about the sexting than I am about comments he's made, and has only minimally bothered to walk back, about women being responsible for their own rapes. (He's vaguely blamed those on his time in the service. But we have many women candidates who fought and who didn't feel the need to say things like that. Blaming everything on PTSD is a little too convenient.) But as a feminist, I have bigger problems with Susan Collins' votes, especially on Kavanaugh. She's 73 years old. If she wins another 6 year term, she'll be 79 the next time she's up for election. So this upcoming term would likely be her last. She'll feel no constraint to pretend to be middle of the road. And at some point in the next two and a half years, we're likely to see one or two Supreme Court resignations. We can't let Susan Collins cast the deciding vote. So if I lived in Maine, I'd vote for Platner, despite my problems with him. (And I will say his speech last night helped a bit as he spoke several times about a woman's right to choose.)
I have another problem with Platner. He comes from a wing of our party, largely populated with white men, who think that if we'd only improve life economically for working class voters (by which they largely mean white men) we'd win working class votes. That's a nice idea and, to be clear, I think we should do everything we can to improve life economically for working class voters. But it's not enough. The problem with this theory as an election strategy is that Joe Biden tried it and it didn't work. It didn't work because there is a group of voters who will vote against their economic interests because they want to hurt women, people of color, immigrants, LGBTQ people, etc. If you've never read Dying of Whiteness by Jonathan Metzl you should read it. White men, who haven't experienced being black, or female, or whatever, often discount the role that this plays in our society. (Poo pooing "identity politics" is easy when your identity is the privileged one.) But I have a bigger problem with Susan Collins who regularly votes against the interests of both working class white voters AND women, people of color, etc. So if I lived in Maine, I'd vote for Platner, despite my problems with him.
Voting generally comes down to a binary choice. I'm not a chess player, but I think sometimes in chess, as in politics, you have to make a move you'd maybe rather not make in order to block the other side from doing something that would be worse for you. (It's why I supported Jay Jones for Virginia AG, even though I thought his emails were bad. Miyares was worse.) I'm 70 years old and I've voted most of my life for white men who weren't the feminists I wish they were. It's nothing new for me. In Maine, the choice is now Collins or Platner. Control of the Senate (and thus of the Supreme Court) may come down to Maine. So we have to do what it takes to win, including supporting Platner.
Recently, I started rewatching (for the 3rd time !!!) the very politically incorrect Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Rewatching the episode "FATWA" had me screaming and nearly peeing in my pants.
Larry David insults Muslims with his new musical about Salman Rushdie, and they put out a FATWA on him.
His life is just hell, until he has a soul-to-soul meeting with Salman Rushdie, who enlightens him on how to use the FATWA to his benefit, to look more courageous and masculine, get more sex, and get out of social glitches and commitments. Don't want to go to someone's horrible poetry reading? Tell 'em you can't because of the FATWA. Get out of picking someone up at the airport because, you know, FATWA.
We need to do a better job of supporting our veterans who carry with them mental health issues directly related to their patriotric service.
But I do wonder about the public's ability to continue to accommodate a candidate's serial disappointments, dyregulations and inter-personal issues simply by going back to the PTSD well. What's private is private and a candidate platform is a candidate platform - why we vote for them.
But, at some point, comportment and temperament take their toll on representing constituents. The private is no longer just private and the public service role suffers.
I'm not saying it's not real and I'm not saying it's not big and I'm not saying it's not long: The personal issues.
I'm talking about voters' ability to remain understanding of it.
As always, I'm interested in hearing from Mainers themselves. I maintain, my thoughts on him as a candidate are immaterial. I will give what I can if our community seems to believe (the way I am leaning) that we can't afford not to.
what I wish for candidates like Platner is that he come completely clean at least with his wife and team about any indiscretions that may still be out there waiting to pounce, so they can try to get in front of it -
and that he establish a close mentor/sponsor/confidante (and particularly for Platner, a MAINER) who will serve as a sounding board, to keep his feet on the ground, and remind him that the stakes are too high, ad he is there for the state he loves -
also, within Congress, the steadiness of a Bernie to avoid big money influence like the plague - (I know, I am a hopeless idealist) -
I see Washington as a pit of vipers right now, and those who enter there need a support team other than career party advisors
Catherine, I can appreciate how you feel. I'm nearly 72, a white, college educated woman who voted for whom I thought was a feminist. I'm talking about Kirsten Sinema. I'm in AZ and was thrilled to support and vote for her. She turned out to be a turncoat, that was on the side of the hedge fund bros and taking corporate money. She alienated the voters that put her into office by continually voting with Joe Manchin to thwart Joe Biden's agenda to help Americans. Never held a town hall or responded to her constituents. She was the democrat version of Susan Collins. All I can say to the voters of Maine is a vote for Susan Collins is a vote for Donald Trump.
I am absolutely behind Platner. Anyone who's spent time in the military can attest to being young, drunk and coming back to the barracks with a regrettable tattoo. It's almost a right of passage. Tired of the smear campaigns and the lack of support from pro-democracy media on this.
I have my regrettable tattoo. It’s terrible, but I’ve left it untouched mainly because it reminds me of that time of my life, my buddies, etc. And, I’m sure if I dig thru my phone enough I’ll find some questionable texts I’ve sent. That doesn’t make anyone unfit. What makes someone unfit is molesting teenagers and committing crimes right in our faces like Republicans are doing right now.
I am not going to respond to comments throughout the day and want to let all of you run with the conversation but these kinds of comments are not in keeping with the respectful tone we try to establish here. The issue isn't any one of the things that Platner has done, it is all of it together, including the newly admitted serial infidelity in a young marriage, and how it is already impacting his standing in Maine, and how it will be used against him in the general election.
I strongly urge everyone here not to dismiss or downplay the significance of the totality of what we've learned. As many of you say our democracy is on the line. We need to look at it all objectively, strategically, in order to assess whether our limited dollars and time are best spent here in Maine or in other areas of opportunity for us. We are not making a moral judgement we are making a strategic and political one. Thanks for weighing in everyone.
I did not think that Vic's comment was disrespectful. He was telling the truth and expressing his thoughts. No swearing, no hyperbole, just expressing his thoughts.
Simon begrudgingly tolerates me. I’ve fired off a few spicy comments in the past. I do greatly appreciate his work.
I agree with Greg. I can not find anything disrepectful in Vic's comments.
It's disrespectful to our intelligence and the discourse that this is about any one of these things in isolation. We are way passed that in making an assessment of where we are.
I'm not being disrespectful to anyone's intelligence on here. Just unsubscribe me and get me out of here please.
I spoke my truth, which is valid, and you just don't like it.
My father (US Navy 1962-65) has my entire life worn t-shirts that cover his embarrassment, a badass eagle tattoo on his upper right arm.
Ultimately, I do agree there’s more to the story than just the tattoo and I agree with Simon’s caution.
This is my first post as a paid subscriber. You asked for your opinions on Platner. I support him. There are no candidates without flaws. He appears to have the support of his wife. He appears to have grown from his past mistakes. That is more than you can say for our President. To lose the Senate because Collins squeaks by because Democrats don't rally around this candidate is to lose a major opportunity to challenge Trump's authoritarian agenda. Saving democracy is the greater good here. Let's just say it: that end justifies some flexibility on means. If we want to be the party of a big tent, and compete in red states, we can't lead with purity tests. It will kill our momentum. Thanks for listening.
I want to establish up front is that the main question in front of us isn't purity tests it is whether he can win given everything that has happened, how much will it cost, and what will it mean for resources we need for other states. That is the main question in front of us.
The polls you posted today indicate he is ahead in ALL the polls against Collins, between 2 and 7 points. He was up by over 50 points in the primary results with over 80% of the vote counted.
If it was any other candidate with these numbers, would there be a question?
If you want to wait a couple weeks to get more polling, that seems prudent to let any detritus from the latest revelations shake out.
"You go with the team you have." Why wouldn't that apply here? We need that Senate seat. Whether you set up a contribution link for him is your call, but we should not consider him as "less than" other opportunity pick-ups.
We should amplify his campaign as one of our own and highlight his strengths and Collins weaknesses as we would any other candidate in his position. I think it is good for the party brand to get behind him. To avoid him raises the spectre of purity test in the mind of the public.
IMO
Michael, that charts shows his support dropping significantly in recent polling. This is why we need to see post-primary independent polling, to fully assess the health of his candidacy.
makes sense.
One would have thought that the Democratic electorate in Maine would have registered its hesitation. You can't see it in the results. The overall turnout was far higher than it was in 2020. Platner blew away the total that Sarah Gideon got, and she was running against an incredibly unimpressive opponent whereas Platner obliterated a two-term sitting governor who, while she suspended her campaign, made it clear she would welcome votes. And yet, where was the protest vote against Platner? Maine Democrats said as clearly as possible "he's our guy." That's why I immediately made another contribution. He's the nominee -- let's go win this thing.
I couldn’t agree more. Platinum is not perfect but it is small potatoes compared to the depth of corruption and depravity of the GOP. His message is what we need right now and what we need a lot more of - it is resonating with voters, along with him being an outsider. We MUST get rid of Collins. I’m honestly surprised it’s even a question. We have a clear opportunity here and to not take it is shooting our self in the foot in my opinion.
Here's what I think many people are still missing:
Anger.
The deep anger ordinary voters feel about what's happened to middle America over the last 45 years. It helps explain Trump. It explains the Tea Party, Occupy Wall Street, Bernie Sanders, and the wild political swings we've seen every election cycle.
Middle America is fed up with decades of trickle-down Reaganomics and an economy that many feel has left them behind.
Platner has tapped into that anger.
I think it's wise to see how things develop over the next four to six weeks, but my hunch is that he's going to remain competitive. Because of his past mistakes—and whatever additional information may still emerge—he's also going to need Democratic support to withstand the attacks that are coming.
The question is whether we begin providing that support now, while the race is still taking shape, or wait until he's been so thoroughly defined by Republican attacks that it's much harder to change the narrative.
We're already seeing a similar playbook being used against Talarico in Texas. No one is debating whether he's "worthy" of investment; supporters understand that defining a candidate early matters.
This community obviously has limited resources. But if everyone makes the same cautious calculation and waits, we may wake up on August 1 and realize that this was a winnable race—and that support provided in June could have made the difference.
One can tap into that anger and not be consumed by rage. The vest politicians can do so....I'm not sure Platner has found the right balance. I recognize that others who I respect think he has.
I am a Maine voter. Ever since I attended a Platner town hall, I have been enthusiastic about him as a senator. I did worry after the latest revelations, but realized I still wanted him to win. His message is electric. I think if he keeps connecting with voters face to face as he has been he has a very good chance to beat Collins who hides from her constituents and votes with Trump 94% of the time. We need to get this guy over the finish line! Collins and MAGA are killing us.
listened to a local reporter up there this morning; he edits a small local paper and is an experienced reporter; like a lot of people, he moved to maine for the quieter life, as if...he said it will come down to older white women who have shown up for collins. i have read that elsewhere. we will have to wait and see. note; the reporter is alex sietz-wald, the paper he edits is the midcoast villager. you can hear his interview on molly jong fast's latest podcast; he does note that platner is charismatic.
I don’t understand even a moment’s hesitation to support Platner.
Does anyone have any more recent information about his campaign team? The way they handled the sexting thing with finger-pointing and blame was pretty inept and unprofessional. I'm nervous investing in him until he beefs up his campaign team and gets more professional people on board, because the right-wing is sifting through his online past even as we speak. They need to be ready to be up to the challenge and I'm not confident they are right now. Just popping back with meme-worthy responses won't cut it. Only Republicans get to do that sort of thing and still get elected. We don't have that luxury.
I am fully behind Platner too: I encourage all to listen to the NYT Interview with him
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-interview/id1624946521?i=1000768096417
Also Suzi LeVine (former ambassador and political commentator) asked him to do a Zoom call with her followers which I attended. He own his mistakes. He is authentic. The former girlfriend most vocal about his behavior works for the Heritage Foundation. And (this made a difference in my assessment): he is 41. The behavior in question was committed by a vey young man. “Good judgment comes from experience. And experience comes from bad judgment.”
Listen to his acceptance speech. Amazing insight and grace.
Daily reader, first-time commenter.
At the outset, Platner wasn't my first choice. Frankly, given the baggage surrounding him, I'd still prefer someone else. But he's the nominee.
When it comes to offering full-throated support, I think the only question that really matters is: Who is more likely to cause greater harm, Graham Platner or Susan Collins?
Collins will vote to confirm whatever 40-something right-wing ideologues Trump nominates to replace Thomas and Alito. The long-term impact of those Supreme Court appointments far outweighs whatever Platner did—or may have done.
For me, that makes the choice clear. Platner is the less harmful option.
100%
Not only the Supreme Court, but all federal judicial appointments for the next two years. We can not lose sight of that.
Tracy, I believe what you say is the best way to frame whether to vote and/or support Platner. I find blaming the establishment or those who still do not believe in Platner not helpful. How Platner and his team have chosen to address and defend these past actions have only exacerbated and highlighted the past actions. Honestly, some of these past actions are not that far in the past. I think people can respectfully disagree about how they feel about Platner. Platner chose to run for the senate and with that comes all this attention and attacks. I do not live in Maine. If I did, I probably would vote for Platner bc the alternative would be a blank check for Trump again and our democracy would further erode with Collins in the Senate. For those who want to donate to Platner are free do so and those who do not, are also free not to donate to him.
I suggest you read Rick Wilson today who writes he knew of the woman at the center of the Platner “scandals” and says she was a Republican operative, who ran “Ladies for Brett Kavanaugh”.
In our efforts to be respectful of one another this is widely known and understood. The story that mattered last week wasn't the NYT story it was the now admitted serial infidelity in a young marriage. That is what created the new crisis for him.......
I respectfully disagree that the background of the Republican woman at the center of the information about Platner’s past was widely known.
It's in the NYT story. She is IDed in the story as a Republican with extensive Republican ties.
I spend far too much time reading the news and did not know this.
Agreed here, I feel reasonably well informed and don’t know.
I didn't read the article and I knew. It was all over the blogs and online news. But we can all miss stories. I do all the time, but this one I knew. There is so much going on, one can miss stories or information.
My understanding is that his “infidelity” early in the marriage was digital only. He and his wife both say it stopped early and they have jointly worked out boundaries for their marriage with the help of a therapist. Whether elder white women in Maine (I’m almost 80) will accept the Platners assurances that they have healed the early breach of trust in their marriage may be an unknown. Still, it’s hard for me to see that we can know objectively what my northern sisters in Maine will do. Each will vote on her gut feeling. My gut feeling is that he can win and should be supported now.
There is so much about Platner, it's hard to keep track. Is this infidelity the sexting or is there another one? Personally, I don't care about that bc it's between him and his wife but it does add to the baggage.
“Ladies for Brett Kavanaugh?” That takes some balls…
Does anyone have an idea when Collins and Platner could schedule their first debate?
I know it's always best for money to flow to a candidate sooner rather than later, but is waiting until then an option for us?
Don't get me wrong - it's not the debate itself I'm waiting for - though we might be able to glean some salient info about the state of his campaign afterward - but let enough time to pass to see where things stand.
I appreciate how Simon framed it. My opinion of him is not important - I'm interested in supporting him if Maine continues to embrace him, and I have a funny feeling we are not done with discoveries yet.
Thanks, Simon, for your emphasis on helping the Maine Democratic Party. I don't know what I think or how I feel about Platner, and am paying attention to posts here about that. But I do know that there's also an important Governor's race in Maine and an important Congressional seat there that we need to win. So, I'll be giving more money to Maine Dems to continue building the robust ground game we'll need there to help all D candidates this fall.
Platner can win. The Dem Party needs Collins to go. Women need Collins to go. Platner said what I needed to hear last night. He is flawed. He is working to be better. He has taken accountability. His wife forgives him. I see he is on a road to redemption with the grace and embrace of his voters. This is what the road back looks like - messy, hard, necessary. We have all witnessed this in reverse many times with long term politicians. It will be refreshing to watch him grow and rise.
Platner is the candidate we have, and we need to win the seat. I am a Democrat, but I refuse to play the Holier Than Thou game typical of the Democrats. That is how we lost Al Franken from the Senate. He was a terrific senator, and we certainly could use him now in the Senate. We need get behind Platner with everything we've got.
Al Franken was a different situation and he was not treated fairly. I would respectfully suggest that those who are worried about Platner are more concerned that there might be other shoes to drop. I don't think most have a holier than thou attitude. I think they are genuinely concerned. I really think so much of this falls on Platner's team. For all the blaming they have done, they would do well to stop blaming those who are concerned and try to unite. Maybe more town halls with people who want to know more about Platner. Everyone who supports him says he is great at rallies. Maybe he can address Hopium on a Zoom interview?
I think your more cautious position on Platner is wise. Hopium’s support for the Maine Democratic Party is very important and will Platner. I have been worried about his candidacy all along but was encouraged about his chances after listening to his entire speech last night… which was really outstanding. Let’s see what happens in the next couple of months and continue to support Maine’s Democratic Party.
Agree and I need to listen to his speech. I only heard a clip. Thank you Simon for posting a link to his speech.
When I listen to Platner, I'm impressed. On the issues that appeal to working people in Maine, I think he makes a very strong appeal. Would I prefer he had less personal baggage? Yes. But he seems to be addressing it well. Also, if we want to start nominating younger candidates (and we should want to), we're going to have to get used to candidates with online histories, some of it less than ideal. Let's not freak out over what the Republicans will do to attack him. They're going to do it anyway, no matter how "clean" our candidate is (look at what's happening in Texas against Talarico). Platner is our candidate and from the looks of it he has at least as good a chance to win the seat (and probably a better chance) as any of our other candidates to flip Senate seats. If we keep behaving like the circular firing squad, we're not doing what we need to do.
David, c'mom ffs. 1) No one is doing a circling firing squad. We are having a respectful conversation. 2) the idea that everyone will get attacked no matter their baggage is absurd. Means there is no reason to vet candidates.
Asking folks to raise their game here on a tough issue and not throw silly stuff around.
Perhaps I wasn't clear. The comments here are fine. But I do think we need to keep some perspective - not all the criticism of Platner we hear is coming from a place of wanting us to have the best chances of winning the Senate; some people (including some Dems) have hidden agendas and don't like what Platner is saying. Fine to look at polling. But let's not take the position that some people take - that there will always be more stuff coming out and that Platner is sure to lose. Even after sustained criticism, he's still ahead of most of the candidates we're hoping will flip seats.
I would recommend Daniel Barkhuff’s Substack piece from yesterday for a different insight into Graham Platner and the forces that shaped him and still probably influence him:
https://substack.com/@dbarkhuff/note/p-200627811?r=50lse&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=notes-share-action
I also suggest Rick Wilson’s Substack piece posted today.
Rick Wilson doesn’t always get it right. But he is right more often than he is wrong.
And he knows how the game is played.
I hope one day that the game is no longer played that way, and the past experience of operatives such as Rick Wilson is no longer relevant. Until then, however….
Dr. Barkhuff's piece was brilliant in my opinion. My father, uncle and two of my three brothers all served, and my best friend's son is a quadriplegic from a sniper in Fallujah. I think many people do not understand the sacrifices and devastation that happened to people in war. I would appreciate someone at senior levels of our government who can speak for the human cost of sending our sons and daughters to fight.
I agree. Dr. Barkhuff’s piece was not an apologia for Platner’s past, nor was it in any respect an exoneration. It was a deeply moving request that we try to give deeper understanding to what a very small, infinitesimal in proportion, percentage of our population experience in service to their country, and how it impacts them. Some people never recover, but many grow from those experiences and have much to offer for having had those experiences.
Hello everyone.
Graham Platner represents a new face for Democratic leadership—someone shaped by the realities of overseas wars and our own volatile political climate. He carries the scars that reflect the dysfunction of our society, whether that manifests as PTSD, past relationship struggles, or personal missteps.
The fundamental question for us is this: Do we demand perfect angels as our political leaders, or do we support flawed humans who are willing to grow and improve their humanity? I have seen enough of Graham Platner to know where I stand: I fully support Graham Platner!
I would recommend Daniel Barkhuff’s Substack piece from yesterday for a different insight into Graham Platner and the forces that shaped him and still probably influence him:
https://substack.com/@dbarkhuff/note/p-200627811?r=50lse&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=notes-share-action
I also suggest Rick Wilson’s Substack piece posted today.
Rick Wilson doesn’t always get it right. But he is right more often than he is wrong.
And he knows how the game is played.
I hope one day that the game is no longer played that way, and the past experience of operatives such as Rick Wilson is no longer relevant. Until then, however….https://therickwilson.substack.com/p/hard-to-kill?r=50lse&utm_medium=ios
Thanks, Simon!
I've held off commenting on Platner, but since you asked . . . .
I agree his speech last night was good.
As a feminist, I have real problems with Platner. I'm less concerned about the sexting than I am about comments he's made, and has only minimally bothered to walk back, about women being responsible for their own rapes. (He's vaguely blamed those on his time in the service. But we have many women candidates who fought and who didn't feel the need to say things like that. Blaming everything on PTSD is a little too convenient.) But as a feminist, I have bigger problems with Susan Collins' votes, especially on Kavanaugh. She's 73 years old. If she wins another 6 year term, she'll be 79 the next time she's up for election. So this upcoming term would likely be her last. She'll feel no constraint to pretend to be middle of the road. And at some point in the next two and a half years, we're likely to see one or two Supreme Court resignations. We can't let Susan Collins cast the deciding vote. So if I lived in Maine, I'd vote for Platner, despite my problems with him. (And I will say his speech last night helped a bit as he spoke several times about a woman's right to choose.)
I have another problem with Platner. He comes from a wing of our party, largely populated with white men, who think that if we'd only improve life economically for working class voters (by which they largely mean white men) we'd win working class votes. That's a nice idea and, to be clear, I think we should do everything we can to improve life economically for working class voters. But it's not enough. The problem with this theory as an election strategy is that Joe Biden tried it and it didn't work. It didn't work because there is a group of voters who will vote against their economic interests because they want to hurt women, people of color, immigrants, LGBTQ people, etc. If you've never read Dying of Whiteness by Jonathan Metzl you should read it. White men, who haven't experienced being black, or female, or whatever, often discount the role that this plays in our society. (Poo pooing "identity politics" is easy when your identity is the privileged one.) But I have a bigger problem with Susan Collins who regularly votes against the interests of both working class white voters AND women, people of color, etc. So if I lived in Maine, I'd vote for Platner, despite my problems with him.
Voting generally comes down to a binary choice. I'm not a chess player, but I think sometimes in chess, as in politics, you have to make a move you'd maybe rather not make in order to block the other side from doing something that would be worse for you. (It's why I supported Jay Jones for Virginia AG, even though I thought his emails were bad. Miyares was worse.) I'm 70 years old and I've voted most of my life for white men who weren't the feminists I wish they were. It's nothing new for me. In Maine, the choice is now Collins or Platner. Control of the Senate (and thus of the Supreme Court) may come down to Maine. So we have to do what it takes to win, including supporting Platner.
Sorry to be so long-winded, but you asked.
Yes, and yes.
Recently, I started rewatching (for the 3rd time !!!) the very politically incorrect Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Rewatching the episode "FATWA" had me screaming and nearly peeing in my pants.
Larry David insults Muslims with his new musical about Salman Rushdie, and they put out a FATWA on him.
His life is just hell, until he has a soul-to-soul meeting with Salman Rushdie, who enlightens him on how to use the FATWA to his benefit, to look more courageous and masculine, get more sex, and get out of social glitches and commitments. Don't want to go to someone's horrible poetry reading? Tell 'em you can't because of the FATWA. Get out of picking someone up at the airport because, you know, FATWA.
We need to do a better job of supporting our veterans who carry with them mental health issues directly related to their patriotric service.
But I do wonder about the public's ability to continue to accommodate a candidate's serial disappointments, dyregulations and inter-personal issues simply by going back to the PTSD well. What's private is private and a candidate platform is a candidate platform - why we vote for them.
But, at some point, comportment and temperament take their toll on representing constituents. The private is no longer just private and the public service role suffers.
I'm not saying it's not real and I'm not saying it's not big and I'm not saying it's not long: The personal issues.
I'm talking about voters' ability to remain understanding of it.
As always, I'm interested in hearing from Mainers themselves. I maintain, my thoughts on him as a candidate are immaterial. I will give what I can if our community seems to believe (the way I am leaning) that we can't afford not to.
Thanks for listening.
what I wish for candidates like Platner is that he come completely clean at least with his wife and team about any indiscretions that may still be out there waiting to pounce, so they can try to get in front of it -
and that he establish a close mentor/sponsor/confidante (and particularly for Platner, a MAINER) who will serve as a sounding board, to keep his feet on the ground, and remind him that the stakes are too high, ad he is there for the state he loves -
also, within Congress, the steadiness of a Bernie to avoid big money influence like the plague - (I know, I am a hopeless idealist) -
I see Washington as a pit of vipers right now, and those who enter there need a support team other than career party advisors
I appear your thoughtful comment. No worries on the length!
Appreciate
Catherine, I can appreciate how you feel. I'm nearly 72, a white, college educated woman who voted for whom I thought was a feminist. I'm talking about Kirsten Sinema. I'm in AZ and was thrilled to support and vote for her. She turned out to be a turncoat, that was on the side of the hedge fund bros and taking corporate money. She alienated the voters that put her into office by continually voting with Joe Manchin to thwart Joe Biden's agenda to help Americans. Never held a town hall or responded to her constituents. She was the democrat version of Susan Collins. All I can say to the voters of Maine is a vote for Susan Collins is a vote for Donald Trump.
Well said. Poignant and spot on. Thank you. More of this and I think we will be fine.