I can predict what will be said.

On edit, did not have to wait long.

Wonder if they will continue their bs after he wins the senate seat.

about the felonies.

Go do your thing, Maine dems. Pick the candidate you think can carry Maine, and we will all support.

Commercial media trying, with all their might, to trash candidates who want to get big money corruption out of elected offices! Graham Platner speaks for the vast majority of people on both sides of the aisle.

Let the money obsessed get rich without buying politicians, and we'll see how rich they are afterwards.

That would make a good bumper sticker, imho
Or just the second sentence would be good too.

Never heard that one before.

Gotta love your low bar, though. 🙄

Platner's past actions can give women, minorities, Jewish people, gays, and people with disabilities the feeling that nothing is changing. He's still a white guy who has blamed women for rape and been abusive towards women. He's made casual comments that diminish black people. He uses retarded as a slur. He's an admitted fan of a guy who has claimed Israel killed JFK and Charlie Kirk. He was still using gay as a slur long after that was dropped from the public discourse.

His rhetoric does support one style of change on an economic level, and that's good, but he shows an all too common continuation of leaving behind those who aren't cishet white guys. Brushing past those concerns isn't satisfying the concerns. We know that minorities, particularly minority women are the backbone of the party. Is it really progress to keep centering straight white guys (I am one, but I know I don't need to be centered constantly).

...and still elected "Concerned" Collins. If this guy brings in independents it will be good.

Look at all the baggage already. How much more is out there?

...except the only one that actually mattered: Election Day. Source: https://www.realclearpolling.com/polls/senate/general/2020/maine/collins-vs-gideon

Who's to say Platner's polling is any different?

(I am a Texan - go Talarico! So I had to search for Maine).

Here we are:

U.S. Senate - Maine
Primary
Candidates
David Allen Costello(D)
Graham C. Platner(D)
Janet Mills(D)
Susan M. Collins(R)


So, who is David Allen Costello? Does he have any supporters? My understanding is that Janet Mills suspended her campaign.

What should Maine democrats do? We've got until tomorrow to figure this out

She's a strong and reliable Democrat and I have no doubt she will be a strong and reliable Democratic vote in the Senate.

If everyone that says we must vote for Platner so we can beat Collins actually believes that, they would do the same for Mills (or any other Democrat) and we would get the same result except with a less problematic and more reliable candidate.

Gov. Mills is neither strong nor reliable anymore. She could not run her campaign, so give it up.

Or, as I expect, come at me with some snide comment about how I am somehow applying purity tests.

I'm not sure how that is the flex you seem to think it is.

As I've pointed out to those who wanted change this past election: change doesn't mean better.

I said we should nominate a better Democrat than Platner.

That doesn't mean we will automatically win the general -- see last election -- but it does put us in the best position to do so.

PURITY TEST!!

Which again, let's just grieve.

The other 10 % republican talking points, i just have to remember this supposedly ends with the primary

But somehow I don't remember Republicans being concerned with women, minorities, gays, and disabled people. Can you please provide examples? Or maybe you could try reading about intersectionality to understand.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intersectionality

You not liking what I have to say doesn't make me incorrect or right wing. It doesn't say much for you that all you have are insults rather than engaging with facts, citations and critical thinking. But whatever lies let you sleep at night.

Or suffer character assassination and villification based on the "testimony" of a well-coached, experienced GQP operative and Heritage Foundation employee. A "Lady for Kavanaugh" who maligned Christine Ford talking about lack of respect for women....

I wouldn't want what was done to Platner to happen to anyone else.

Now you have a problem with cishet white guys running as Democrats? I look forward to you applying the same standard to every Democrat running in future, but I think I might be disappointed. What will be the objection tomorrow - Platner's beard?

I wonder if you read the o/p link in full? Do you think it's possible that the pile-on by so many across party lines might have to do with the view that Platner is a threat to the political orthodoxy and the power of those who've snatched it away from the people? That he wants to create a movemement to change the system itself, to work for ordinary people, and not just manage it better - so they get a few crumbs?

See you only mentioned 1 of the 3 ex girlfriends, you don't mention the other 2 who were Democrats. Also pretending his problems were long ago doesn't account for him sexting on his wife, using retarded as a slur, being a big fan of an antisemitic conspiracy nut, and behaving poorly towards women in just the last 5 years. That's not long ago. What's the demonstrated evidence he's not who he was and at times continues to be? If a Republican had a nazi tattoo for 20 years would you believe it was just an innocent mistake?

And how exactly is accounting for things he's said and done character assassination? Please be explicit in your definition of how pointing out his red flags fits this definition. Is it character assassination to say Trump is a corrupt criminal or is that simply part of who he is?

And no I don't have an issue with cishet white guys running. I have a problem with this particular one because he has a long history of problems of being exclusionary towards minorities. I have no problem with my cishet white guy senator Ed Marley. Jon Ossoff, good. I literally explained why I don't think he's going to do what he says for groups who aren't cishet white guys because of his own actions. Likewise, are you sure you aren't being just as selective as you accuse me of being in how you're interpreting what he has to say as evidence he will be good for everyone?

At least I provided specifics examples of where I think he's been repeatedly exclusionary of many groups via his words and actions.

I believe he eventually got absolution.

Bill Clinton is certainly popular here, despite his problematic relationships with his staff.

John Edwards was once quite popular here.


There are plenty of imperfect people that are good Democrats. That are better than Susan Collins.

Would you vote for former klansman Robert Byrd in West Virginia if he were running against, say, Jim Justice?

The argument is that only Platner can defeat Collins. Costello, the other democrat running, has an impressive resume. In a theoretical match, would Democrats vote for Costello or Collins if Platner wasn't running?

David Costello's experience:

Tax Cheat, Dumb Shit, bankrupt lier, etc, we can vote for this guy. Could there be a better person, perhaps but not enough time to sort them out

If Collins is reflected our chance of winning the senate is reduced and we continue to get Collins’ terrible governance.

If Platner wins we’ve got a better chance of winning the Senate. We don’t know for sure that Platner will give us better governance, but there’s a chance he will

I’ll take some chance versus no chance every time.

We need fighters in the Senate and not sell-outs who write "strongly worded letters."

Usually have no problem with Rep. Dean, but disagreed with her comments about Platner. Would she rather have Collins? Now if it comes out that Platner did anything violent or did sexual assault or harassment, that would be different.

That is entirely Platner's platform.

and stop with the pearl clutching insults. Most of us cannot afford real pearls.

Don't clutch pearls, they are just irritants wearing a fancy dress.

At this point, I don't care what Democrat wins in Maine, just so a Democrat wins. No more Susan Collins. We need numbers.

At that point we didn't know if it would be Cornyn or Paxton on the other side. I went with the young, white, religious guy - thought he could potentially win a statewide office in TX. Potentially. Against Cornyn, who knows? Known republican in office for decades. At least we'd have a chance though. The MAGA eat their own and put up Paxton instead. Now I like Talarico's chances even better. Still not sure, because Texas, but we have a decent chance, I think.

All I can say is: good luck Maine - do what you have to in order to get Susan out.

But as I see it, people do make mistakes, and people have an opportunity to learn and grow.

In my book, the greater sin is hypocrisy. Platner has not hidden from his past. He owns all these things, at least the things that are true. His sins are a tattoo and marriage difficulties. The people running this smear campaign have been conducting genocides almost continuously for generations.

We need some perspective here.

I believe we need to hold our elected representatives to a higher standard, rather than making excuses, looking the other way, or grading them on a curve based on our own personal flaws.

I am looking for honorable character, temperament, and professional demeanor in our candidates. It is simply not enough for me to relate to a candidate, or give free-passes, simply because we have both made mistakes, or because they seem like "someone I’d enjoy having a beer with."

I find the claim that he "owned his past" to be disingenuous. The core issue here isn't just the poor choice of a tattoo; it is the implausibility of his denial. To claim he had no idea what the symbol meant, that nobody ever questioned it, and that nobody ever told him strains credulity --- especially given his education level, the age of the tattoo, and his history of political activism.

If he truly wants to 'come clean,' we need a confession and apology that actually rings true. What we have received instead is a flat denial coupled with a last minute tattoo cover-up, done only when it became politically expedient. This feels entirely transactional rather than a sincere, meaningful admission of wrongdoing. We deserve better than 'convenient' accountability.