We read Graham Platner’s whole Reddit archive. The vilification of the Maine candidate for Senate doesn’t square with what he actually wrote in his posts.
People latching onto this like it’s some huge dealbreaker or a story about someone traitorous to progressive politics, you are probably the same people worked up about Hasan’s dog.
What? These two things are not at all the same.
Platner seeks a position of power and the mere existence of a nazi tattoo shows questionable judgement at best and nazi sympathies at worst.
Its a pretty tame position to take in not wanting a politician with ANY connection to nazis
Actually… they are probably more linked than they really should be.
This isn’t about whether the blackwater merc who lied about his 20 year old nazi tattoo is actually a hero or a chud. It is about people having made up their mind and viewing anything else as “fake news”. People made up their minds. They are presented with new information. Rather than re-assess, they just assume it is “a smear campaign” and immediately disregard all new information. And then it just devolves into tribalism.
And that is true whether it is about The Father Of Leftist Thought having some bad takes, The Hero Of Socialism PROBABLY having some Thoughts on the SS, or Some Rich Bastard Who Sits In Front Of A Computer For 13 Hours a Day maybe not being the best pet owner. Just like He Who Will Drain The Swamp being corrupt as fuck or The Smartest Man On Earth being an edgelord nazi dumbass with a breeding fetish.
Because of The Algorithm, we basically sit in content bubbles 24/7. You constantly are listening to people who reinforce your own beliefs (or, more likely, convert you to theirs). When you see new information? It isn’t just wrong. It is an attack on your very sense of being and thus must be a lie. It is the same reason why basically any internet argument in the past few years isn’t “Huh. That is some new information I hadn’t considered but I think this information might cast some doubt on that” and instead “You are being disingenuous and I refuse to look any further because I already made up my mind so we should both agree to disagree on whether I should inject bleach into my gooch”
And just to add on: I think the constant “HE IS OUR ONLY HOPE” stupidity is a mix of people not realizing this isn’t the election going on right now and is actually for 2026 (so 13-ish months until the general) combined with people settling scores over “Well… we have like 3 months until the general so Kamala is it”. If we didn’t have time for a primary when there were 3 months to go we OBVIOUSLY can’t have time when it is Our candidate and we only have 13 months.
What? These two things are not at all the same.
Platner seeks a position of power and the mere existence of a nazi tattoo shows questionable judgement at best and nazi sympathies at worst.
Its a pretty tame position to take in not wanting a politician with ANY connection to nazis
Actually… they are probably more linked than they really should be.
This isn’t about whether the blackwater merc who lied about his 20 year old nazi tattoo is actually a hero or a chud. It is about people having made up their mind and viewing anything else as “fake news”. People made up their minds. They are presented with new information. Rather than re-assess, they just assume it is “a smear campaign” and immediately disregard all new information. And then it just devolves into tribalism.
And that is true whether it is about The Father Of Leftist Thought having some bad takes, The Hero Of Socialism PROBABLY having some Thoughts on the SS, or Some Rich Bastard Who Sits In Front Of A Computer For 13 Hours a Day maybe not being the best pet owner. Just like He Who Will Drain The Swamp being corrupt as fuck or The Smartest Man On Earth being an edgelord nazi dumbass with a breeding fetish.
Because of The Algorithm, we basically sit in content bubbles 24/7. You constantly are listening to people who reinforce your own beliefs (or, more likely, convert you to theirs). When you see new information? It isn’t just wrong. It is an attack on your very sense of being and thus must be a lie. It is the same reason why basically any internet argument in the past few years isn’t “Huh. That is some new information I hadn’t considered but I think this information might cast some doubt on that” and instead “You are being disingenuous and I refuse to look any further because I already made up my mind so we should both agree to disagree on whether I should inject bleach into my gooch”
And just to add on: I think the constant “HE IS OUR ONLY HOPE” stupidity is a mix of people not realizing this isn’t the election going on right now and is actually for 2026 (so 13-ish months until the general) combined with people settling scores over “Well… we have like 3 months until the general so Kamala is it”. If we didn’t have time for a primary when there were 3 months to go we OBVIOUSLY can’t have time when it is Our candidate and we only have 13 months.