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.
The tattoo is nowhere near as bad to me as his military history (literally as recent as 2018 for blackwater) and his “rebuild our military” shit. Like, I feel like he’ll literally only be useful in pushing some pro imperialist legislation for liberals and be completely useless in his other very generalized policy positions.
Compare Mamdani’s very specific free bus and rent freeze policies to Planters “oligarchy is the problem” messaging. It feels like a means of capturing the momentum of that sentiment than anything else.
And, again, being “better” than a Republican is not enough. We have nearly a year to find a better candidate EVERYWHERE. Dropping some rich unexceptional white guy for some massive red flags is more helpful than spending a year defending a dude like him and at best getting some pro military legislation he “reaches across the aisle” for to make a name for himself. I’m sorry. I’m tired of unexceptional white dudes that use military service as a means to collect voters.
He’d have my respect if he actually called the military out for what it is. A terrorist organization.
There are 1.3 million people in maine. Of those, half are over the age of 45. And roughly 45% of the voters voted for trump.
There are roughly 213 thousand Mainers under the age of 45 that are politically engaged and not Trumpers.
Doubtless, some of them would be better candidates than Plattner. If they run I will consider donating to them. But currently, they are not running. Plattner has released videos, put together a team. It may be a grift. I’ll take that risk. I want candidates to say the things he says when they run. The boring centrists have a machine behind them. The DNC. There is no progressive National Committee. There is only people like you and me chattering online and donating money.
If he was still denying the tattoo was a Nazi symbol I would shake my head and forget about him. I will not dismiss him because he is not polished. The campaign is will polish him as a candidate or it won’t. Either way, my 20$ will do a tiny bit to encourage more candidates like Plattner to take the plunge and run for office.
He had it covered up. It’s a red flag, but I would take him over the former governor that isn’t a leftist at all.
The tattoo is nowhere near as bad to me as his military history (literally as recent as 2018 for blackwater) and his “rebuild our military” shit. Like, I feel like he’ll literally only be useful in pushing some pro imperialist legislation for liberals and be completely useless in his other very generalized policy positions.
Compare Mamdani’s very specific free bus and rent freeze policies to Planters “oligarchy is the problem” messaging. It feels like a means of capturing the momentum of that sentiment than anything else.
And, again, being “better” than a Republican is not enough. We have nearly a year to find a better candidate EVERYWHERE. Dropping some rich unexceptional white guy for some massive red flags is more helpful than spending a year defending a dude like him and at best getting some pro military legislation he “reaches across the aisle” for to make a name for himself. I’m sorry. I’m tired of unexceptional white dudes that use military service as a means to collect voters.
He’d have my respect if he actually called the military out for what it is. A terrorist organization.
There are 1.3 million people in maine. Of those, half are over the age of 45. And roughly 45% of the voters voted for trump.
There are roughly 213 thousand Mainers under the age of 45 that are politically engaged and not Trumpers.
Doubtless, some of them would be better candidates than Plattner. If they run I will consider donating to them. But currently, they are not running. Plattner has released videos, put together a team. It may be a grift. I’ll take that risk. I want candidates to say the things he says when they run. The boring centrists have a machine behind them. The DNC. There is no progressive National Committee. There is only people like you and me chattering online and donating money.
If he was still denying the tattoo was a Nazi symbol I would shake my head and forget about him. I will not dismiss him because he is not polished. The campaign is will polish him as a candidate or it won’t. Either way, my 20$ will do a tiny bit to encourage more candidates like Plattner to take the plunge and run for office.