Well, Dems and their supporters seem to be jumping on the Collins bandwagon, by drawing a yellow highlighter over Platner’s essentially meaningless texts. So that’s the major “problem” with Platner, the failure to live up to another Dem “purity” test, and I am heartily sorry to see Bulwark jump on this bandwagon.
Yeah, I agree with this; if Platner's behavior was abusive or violent or harassment, that would give me pause. That does not seem to be the case.
I don't love this, but also, if you listen to both Graham and his wife talk about it, they seem to be dealing with it / have already dealt with it.
There's breathless coverage of the Maine senate race where folks keep looking (if not cheering for) the wheels to come off Platner. We'll see if that happens. If it does, it won't be over this.
I'm confused. Is someone from a good background who didn't choose white collar work and doesn't speak like a Harvard grad "pretending to be stupid" or are they perhaps speaking through their authentic self?
What should Platner speak like to make you feel he is authentic?
To your point, we're talking about the Maine race. What does Pete have to do with any of this?
Why does Platner being a good communicator with his voter base act as a negative?
Has he been crafting his life just for a Senate run?
I've got a college degree and work blue collar. Should I refrain from "pretending to be stupid"?
Platner is from the upper class. His mother is funding his business. If he were actually from the working class, he wouldn't be running for Senate as he'd have to support his family right now.
Platner's mother is not funding her son's business. We live in Hancock County Maine and I know graham's mother, Leslie Harlow. That's not unusual, because everyone knows Leslie. She has always been a very hard worker. Back in the 70's she ran a restaurant in Bar Harbor called the Town Farm, which was terrific. We loved eating there.! Now she runs a restaurant called Ironbound, in Hancock, Maine, ( named after one of the islands in Frenchman Bay) That restaurant is also very well regarded. Do you have any idea how hard running a restaurant is? There is a nice story about how Graham ended up owning his oyster business, but it has nothing to do with Leslie. Suffice it to say that the rumor you heard about Leslie funding it is not true.
People see a busy restaurant, maybe a bit pricey for them, etc. and think it's a gold mine. What they don't see is what comes out of the night's receipts. Rent/upkeep and other costs if they own the property, cost of food, cost of utilities, payroll, equipment maintenance/replacement, the list goes on.
The media pretends he is working class when he is not. That's because the media looks down on the working class and thinks they can sell us ANYTHING. Even Nazi tattoos.
I tend to cut Graham and his fellow Marines some slack about the tattoo. this was a group of Marines on leave in Split, Croatia. They got drunk and all decided they wanted to get scary tattoos. They chose one that resembled the Pirate flag, The jolly Roger., with the skull and crossbones. Google the Jolly Roger sometime and then Google the Totenhopf flag. They are very similar. I believe it's absolutely possible for these guys to have thought they were getting Jolly Roger tattoos with the skull and crossbones.
Wow, you are really trolling against the progressive choice to represent the working class. You already told a false story about his mother. What's wrong with you?
It's not that absurd. My Senator Tim Sheehey was born as rich as they come & he served honorably as a SEAL. (About the only good thing I can say). Our current Senate candidate went to West Point. Pete Buttigeig. Pete Hegseth.
I know there are more, those guys all just come readily to mind. Its not that unusual.
True. Although that's basically every politician. How many GOP reps who are like lawyers or trust fund kids do we see in campaign ads wearing cowboy hats and wandering around a farm...
He served in the Marines in combat, worked as a bartender, and now an oyster farmer. Sounds like working class to me, although I have never been an oyster farmer.
his grandfather is a world famous architect, the only person who buys oysters from his "farm" is his mother who owns a fancy restaurant, he went to hotchkiss for awhile and his ivy league educated father is spending $$$$ to fly graham and his wife to norway for fertility treatments. it's fine he's better than collins but he's also a bit much.
Two duties as a Marine in combat. A famous architect and prep school education doesn’t protect you there. This is the same game they played against John Kerry, an updated swift boat. Meanwhile, real women are suffering because Susan Collins destroyed reproductive rights.
George W*. Bush stops folksily clearing brush on his ranch, just to consider this phenomenon.
*for “Walker”, as in Walker Cup; never mind the merely patrician Bush side of things. I just can’t wait to “have a beer” with these regular people, can you?
Elite is a mindset as much as anything. Having a headstart and reaching down to pull others up, reaching out to those with other backgrounds that you can speak to and share commonalities with is "bipartisanship."
TR still carries weight because he was able to do similar things while he bucked his "class." He called the bullshit in his own home.
Neither he nor Platner were/are perfect, but it's a model that speaks to others far more than those who "did it the right way" in their own heads.
It's only a matter of time before something abusive, violent, or harassing comes out. Only a matter of time. Then we'll see if people like you are true to their word.
Because the GoP has nothing positive to offer Americans , of course they are going to raise culture war issues and personal attacks and falsehoods to defeat Democrats.
Understand that most of the staff of The Bulwark are disenfranchised Republicans who shrugged their shoulders while Republican candidates were doing far worse than Platner's naughty texting.
I don't think that's the point here. The Bulwark is largely old neocons who are much closer to old centrist Democrats than anything current. That era is just gone and we don't have time for it. Platner is messy and winning because he's a real person who connects with real people. The old manicured and poll tested personalities are not going to win anymore. Trying means that we will lose.
You yourself might not have shrugged, but plenty did.( Mark Sanford anyone?) In any case, if the women were fullly adults, and the couple is dealing with it, is it our business?
Democrats need to be careful, as members of the party of Bill Clinton and Teddy Kennedy, about accusing Bulwarkians of shrugging their shoulders at Republican sinners. I am still horrified when I look back at how many of my fellow-Democrats in the 1990s cheered when James Carville slimed Paula Jones with the words, "Drag a $100 bill through a trailer camp and there's no telling what you will find," as feminists like Gloria Steinem declared that the Clinton scandals represented mere "sexual McCarthyism."
As for Teddy Kennedy (an infinity of Kennedys, actually), Democrats found ways to shrug off one scandal after another including the Mary Jo Kopechne incident in order to keep sending Kennedy back to the US Senate.
This is a bipartisan horror show, and there's no need to pretend otherwise.
Thankfully, lot has changed since Bill Clinton was in office. There were multiple allegations of sexual misconduct about him. While we aren't absolutely certain if any of them were true, I think the Democrats have learned from that experience.
When Anthony Weiner, who was a NYC House Member, was caught sexting multiple women, he was talked into resigning. Likewise, when it was revealed that Rep Swalwell was alleged to have engaged in multiple sexual relationships with women who worked for him, and possibly raped, he was forced to resign. The Me Too movement and the Epstein Files have shown that in the Democratic Party at least, these kinds of acts will no longer be tolerated. Except, now that the party is stuck Graham Platner, the Democrats need to decide whether to be in denial about his many character flaws so they can flip the Senate, or shun him. While I would love to do the latter, if I lived in Maine, I would have to take a good dose of Pepsi Bismol before and after I went to the polls to vote for him.
The Bulwark has done an admirable job of bringing in younger people who fit the mold you're talking about less and less. Egger graduated from college in the Trump era, just for example.
By bringing them in you mean giving them a writing slot and then telling them to write puff pieces about how centrist democracy brought us the greatest wealth transfer, I mean economy, tge world has ever known and how people of color will be so much happier when they are back in the fields again, sure.
No one is kidding themselves here that there is a left voice further left than Hakeem Jeffries at the Nullwark, and you only have to go read a couple of polls to realize that voice ignores the third of America who are firmly to the left of Sanders and have as much of a vote as the J6 crew.
Same. The stakes are way too f'in high for pearl clutching, folks. The senate is going to be replacing "justices" Thomas and Alito and we need a fighting shot to stop SCOTUS, Inc. from the hell it has unleashed.
Keith - for real. But how bout this summer daydream (tho the events will occur after November 3) or more like a hopium multiverse where McConnell & Cornyn decide to give in to personal animus, along w/Collins & Murkowski... but even then there's Fetterman flipping to vote w/Republicans to tie the vote for Vance to settle. Where's that 5th Republican senator to scuttle the replacements? Need another hopium fix... 🎼"Up to Lexington, 125..."
Yeah McConnell didn't get where he is by letting his emotions run wild. He'll carry out Federalist Society agenda as ever, will probably figure that squares his legacy for whatever damages Trump brings
LOL! True but it's like the blues - somehow singing the depths helps me. One of my Reed faves is from his New York album, surely around the city's nadir, right? Busload of Faith. Doesn't even claim you can depend on yourself yet I never took it as nihilistic cuz whatever I might construe faith to be, it just IS. Maybe it's all that is. One of the songs that's helped me hang in thru various challenges in the decades since
Mitch and Cornyn would vote for any conservative for the Court. That's basically been Mitch's life's work. They'd never screw future Republicans to screw Trump. What Democrats don't understand is that 60% of the GOP is ready to go back to normal once Trump is gone. Yeah, the MAGAs are going to be a problem for a few cycles, but with the head cut off the snake, eventually the body will stop twitching and die. I know a ton of Trump voters who are embarrassed to have had to vote for him, and they can't wait until he is gone.
I'm a little curious why these people in your last sentence had to vote for trump, rather than simply leaving the presidential ballot choice blank. This tribal reflex that takes over otherwise intelligent people is the crux of America's voting problem.
This is sorta hopeful, long as I don’t think too much about people putting their self- reported deeply held constitutional & family values on hold for a fling with authoritarianism 🤷♂️
The stakes ARE high, and that's exactly why such a terrible candidate should never have been allowed to get this far. It shows that they're not taking the high stakes seriously.
I understand Andrew's concerns about the latest Platner revelations, but it's late in the day, and there's a real risk of Democrats simply ceding the election to the odious Collins here and now, as of early June.
The fact is, Republicans are poised to pull all kinds of scandal rabbits out of all kinds of Democratic hats between now and November, relying on both the press and the Democrats to do what they've been doing since they took down Al Franken--take to the fainting couch in a show of wounded virtue before chucking the latest sacrificial lamb into the pyre.
Franken was one of the strongest and brightest progressive voices in the US Senate. The Democrats, led by Gillibrand and Schumer, took him down, using as a pretext a decade-old spoof photo first revealed on Sean Hannity's show by a publicity-hungry right wing hack who was both a friend and employee of Sean's. This was followed up with a spate of anonymous accusations in the Times that Franken had once smiled inappropriately, patted a back uncomfortably close to a backside, winked at a woman when she didn't want to be winked at, or whatever. Gosh.
In the real world, we know that the two New York Senators Gillibrand and Schumer (both D-Wall Street) were delighted to take Franken down precisely because he was a strong, bright progressive voice, and Wall Street couldn't stand him.
The Party has a way of ignoring all kinds of scandals when they touch legislators who can be counted on not to upset the corporate applecart: it is less tolerant of mavericks, progressives, and those who in any way challenge the Party establishment.
I would remind The Bulwark that they've been in the forefront of those fretting about the takeover of the Democratic Party by a gerontocracy. The one virtue of septuagenarians and octogenarians is that (with the exception of Dear Leader Donald) they're unlikely to spend much time on social media, which minimizes the risk that embarrassing or compromising posts or texts will suddenly pop up.
It isn't that the elders aren't adulterers, or gropers, or lechers, or various other horrid things: it's that they are less likely to act out on social media.
If you're going to recruit younger candidates, you're going to have to deal with the issues that come with youth. Finding candidates under sixty who simultaneously please the Party leadership, soothe Wall Street, and pose no risk of embarrassing social media indiscretions, is going to be quite the task.
I just want to emphasize the point about Al Franken. This was investigated - too late, unfortunately. He was a friendly guy who was a little insensitive to the fact that some people are averse to being touched, not a groper.
I liste to his podcast , juts because I like to Hera him talk ... In terms of character , he never mentions Gillebrand , or any of it and says nothing bad about Schumer. A class act
THANK YOU for pointing out that candidates who actually take strong positions against the status quo mobilize all kinds of fury both within their own party as well as the opposing party. Rho Khanna and Chris Murphy, when questioned, suggested that character can be measured by willingness to bravely defend your country and stand up to oligarchy.
Graham Platner is unifying voters because we already know that the current system is rigged and will not change unless we elect warriors who fight for working people (and BTW he once said that in the new economy, we are divided into those who earn money from their work and those who earn money from their money). What is at stake today is the U.S. Senate.
Platner has a coherent, intelligent political vision and I want him to fight for that vision on the Senate floor. I do not doubt his character when it comes to representing the concerns of those who work for a living and facing down the oligarchy.
I disagree. It isn't about "purity" tests. I can understand being younger, being in combat, becoming disillusioned and succumbing to stupid words and behavior. This is different - this is on-going and it isn't about meaningless texts. It's about keeping commitments versus putting oneself above having to. The very same people complaining about "purity tests" are outraged that Fetterman would even consider becoming a Republican. Why? Because he should honor the commitment he made to those who elected him. IT MATTERS.
We are helmed now by an existential threat to democracy and a GOP that facilitates that. Including Susan Collins. We have a clearly deranged President who posted over 50 demented social media comments in 7 hours. And we lost a damned fine Senator, Al Franken because of Dem elite pearl clutching because he failed another purity test. Let’s focus!
There's also a whole lot of daylight between sexting and actually having sex, and between consensual sexting and non-consensual.
It certainly shows bad judgment. I'll agree with you there. But . . .
In current polling, Platner leads Collins by 9 points. If that holds, the only thing standing in the way of a Democratic victory in Maine is poor Dem turnout.
The Republicans can't reasonably derail that, because any finger they point just means three fingers pointing back at themselves.
So essentially what's being batted around in the comments is the question of just how many Democrats should stay home on Election Day because they find Platner to be lacking in moral fibre.
In my book, a bad Graham Platner is better than a good Susan Collins any day of the week.
Platner needs Indies. More importantly, Platner needs voters who have voted for Susan Collins in the past, some multiple times, to crossover. Those voters are the ones who can be influenced by the constant Chinese water torture of his sheer awfulness. I agree he already has the Sarah Gideon voters, for what they were worth.
I also have to think of the ever-repeating accomodationism of Collins. I know I would be sick of it to the point where an unabashedly flawed but genuine candidate could appeal.
And yes, I know that's what people thought they were getting in Trump. But this is different . . . maybe?
Stop calling it "pearl clutching," this is the same dude who basically blamed women drinking too much for getting raped in those old Reddit posts.
I understand the threat the GOP poses, and would hold my nose and vote for him if I lived in Maine but this constant dismissal of legitimate concerns is beyond the palse
How can you judge if a candidate will keep the commitments he/she makes during his/her campaign without looking at their track record? The Platners' marriage is between them - stay together and accept it, break up over it - I really don't care. But I do care whether he would keep his commitments to the voters and all I can judge him by is his poor track record in his personal life...
Maine voters should decide for themselves. Maybe you vote for him anyway because it's way too late to field a different candidate, and you don't want to give Collins another win. There's nothing wrong with that, but for people to talk about "purity tests" as if character does not matter in our candidates - well isn't that what happened to the Republican party and their voters? Character does and should matter is all I'm saying.
Oh my. Platner has zero government experience. It is our job and responsibility, which we should take seriously, to judge whether people can be counted on to live the values they profess. Platner has not lived the values he professes.
I agree. A married man sexting other women shows incredibly poor judgment and immaturity, not to mention a fat ego. I want the Dems to beat Collins, but am sorry this was their choice in a successor. Having said that, Collins has shown incredibly poor judgment in backing Trump and letting the voters of Maine down almost every single time. I say vote for Platner, and if he turns out to be a cad, "86" him in the next election. To save Democracy, we really do need to defeat Collins, even if some voters in Maine have to hold their noses to do so.
I can’t know how he will respond. I know that redemption is not just a dictionary word, but real. I believe he will not disappoint. If I am wrong more people than I will suffer, but I will admit I was wrong. This is all I can do. George Washington was an ordinary soldier in the King’s army. But he was the general the colonists needed in the fight for independence.
I am just tired of Democrats and progressives going in an endless quest for candidates who can measure up to a standard that the GOP regularly flouts, and for which they are rewarded.
Let's get down to brass tacks, the good citizens of Maine are stuck with a binary choice come November: Platner, whose past behavior strongly suggests that he is not a person of good character, and Collins, whose past behavior has conclusively established that she will continue to support Trump in his campaign to destroy democracy in the United States of America and to support his corruption in stealing vast sums of money from the American people.
Does anyone on this forum really want the citizens of Maine to send Collins back to the Senate?
If the choice is between Susan Collins, and somebody with NAZI tattoos, who attempts to explain them away as being a youthful indiscretion, then please: Susan Collins is many things, but someone who makes light of the Third Reich she is not.
No, Collins merely enables the Fourth Reich. And I hear she supports Paxton, which kind of neutralizes her "concern" about Platner's moral character. Collins is just a nasty, amoral opportunist, whose base character, as Shakespeare would say, is all sicklie'd o'er with with her gushing and mewling about her "concerns." To hell with her.
If I may vent about purity tests from a different perspective:
I live in a Nebraska congressional district that hasn't sent a Democrat to congress since the early 1960's. Yet the district is competitive enough that in a wave election, the Democrats have a fighting chance. (The independent Senate candidate Dan Osborn received more votes in 2024 in the district than incumbent Senator Deb Fischer, who ultimately won reelection.) There was a competitive primary last month between two Democrats with the more progressive candidate who advocated for Medicare-for-all losing to the candidate who favored healthcare reform in the context of Obamacare. The winning candidate has foreign policy experience, having been on the JCPOA negotiating team. The left seems to think he has some Gaza stink on him, and now, having not participated in the primary, are using the petition process to place a candidate on the general election ballot. This appears likely to ensure the reelection of the Republican incumbent. Because, why not: Centrist Democrats are as bad as Trumpists, I guess.
The problem there is the far left, no the centrist Democrats. Too many of the far left refuse to accept that they need to participate in the primary process and WIN THERE for their candidate to have a chance in the general election. Politics is a team sport, and they refuse to accept that. They need to grow up!
I like in district 2 as well, and voted for the candidates I liked best in the primary, fully understanding that I need to vote for whoever has the (D) behind their name in the general election, with the exception of Dan Osborn (who will have an (I) behind his name.
The Blue Dogs were slaughtered, and the demise of moderate Republicans was only half because of the Tea Party and Trump's litmus tests. Moving to the center ain't what it used to be.
If we should have learned anything from the last decade plus in politics, it is about the effects/importance of character... or the lack thereof.
But maybe the problem is that the way we do politics (especially these days) seems to attract people lacking in character... and people are even more willing to excuse it, so long as it is our tribe and not their tribe.
This extends beyond this particular case and there are real problems and weaknesses in the Democratic party WRT candidate selection and messaging. Turning into MAGA-lite or to people lacking in character probably isn't a good answer.
You don't need "purity" tests WRT ideological issues, but maybe character should be a concern?
Lately we have been electing people who know how to run for government, not run government. Let’s give someone else who doesn’t want this trick. Abraham Lincoln is a great example. With today’s metric of electability he would never have been chosen to lead the new party, and we would all be poorer for that twist of fate.
I largely agree. The problem is that the skillset and character required to get elected don’t match up with the skillset/character needed for effective governance. I learned that lesson early from student government in school.
That is why I am hugely in favor of doing away with legislative elections in favor of sortition selected citizen assemblies.
I also do not think that judgeships or law enforcement positions (like sheriffs) should be elected positions.
Lincoln didn't sext women or espouse Nazi ideals. It's as if the people supporting Platner refuse to name our objectives, and that worries me. If there are things you can't say and still support a candidate, that's a huge red flag to me personally.
Kate, do you live in Maine? Because a previous message above implied that you thought there was still a possibility that Platner could be defeated in the primary. He no longer has any Democratic opposition.
So if you live in Maine, are you voting for Platner or Collins? That’s the choice.
I'm Sure all the Republicans in Texas are having the vapors about that naughty man Ken Paxon running for the senate. And any day now they will be changing their allegiance to James Tallarico. /s
He also had mental issues. Was clinically depressed. Had a high reedy voice, and failed in business. That’s why I spoke of him. Kate, I do not want Collins to win another term. Planter is all we’ve got. I have to think positive about him because Felon Trump is destroying us.
There are other people running, but the media won't give them attention. They want what they want. I tend not to want what they want, but like I said, I expect to stay in the minority on this issue. Unless people know Platner personally, all they know of him, they get through the media, which people seem to have forgotten. We don't know what else is coming down the pike from him.
He did. Mary Todd Lincoln was born to a wealthy Kentucky family. She was educated, spoke French, and loved Lincoln. She was devoted to him, and he to her. She watched two of her four sons die, one while she was in the White House. The third died after, leaving only one son. That, the war, issues with her Confederate family, the Cabinet who thought she should be investigated as a spy, and possibly real mental issues have left us with an imperfect picture of who she really was.
Yes, I did know that. not about her language skill(s) I'm saying she fell apart, and perhaps her emotional health was not always stable.
Not very fair of me. I know. Also recall they really chastised her for some decorating, or china settings, expenses anyway. Any woman would have
some emotional issues after losing children. they were a bit of an odd match. But you know, maybe she chose him. I truly like almost half of what Sally Field does as an actress ( not smokey and the bandit, or the was it norma rae, union ) felt it was a weak performance, As she played opposite Daniel Day Lewis
I felt she failed. but I did not or do not base my opinion on that, I've read
of her sadness before the children died. Now, I'm emotional sometimes the strangest things hurt my heart. Still think she was , affected by something, maybe she inherited something.
I was trying to say that Mary Todd Lincoln was seen as strange. I don’t think any historian actually studied her. I did see a book review that corrects a lot of the misconceptions. I intend to read it. She did choose Lincoln. She could have married Senator Steven’s who bested Lincoln in his run for the seat. History has not been fair to her.
Lincoln was also an upscale railroad lawyer when he ran for president -- the equivalent of a tech company counsel today. Which isn't necessarily bad, but it sure could be used in ads.
"Well, Dems and their supporters seem to be jumping on the Collins bandwagon ..."
I wouldn't worry about the Democrats. After all, they didn't waver when Bill Clinton did far worse. Platner didn't even lie under oath. I would worry about Independents and persuadable Republicans (if there are any).
Well, we will see if those persuadable Republicans and independents really care about character when we see the outcome in Talarico-Paxton race in Texas.
Call me old-fashioned (and you can pass me one these days what w Trump's lack thereof), but the old saw that "character is destiny" still rings true.
When the chips are way down, I'll lean on character in public office (or out of it) bcuz it's tied into courage which is the 1st virtue bcuz all others depend on it.
Really? Because when “they go low, we go high” has worked so well? Reminds me of a cartoon I saw after the first Trump victory with a line of ethnically-drawn people being marched out of the country, but an apparent elite liberal standing there saying “Well, at least I voted my conscience.”
There's some space in the political sphere between low and high. I don't believe in “white plaster cast saints,” much less politicians. It's where one draws the line on character, as it's a damn good bellwether.
It also involves the office involved. Trump as a senator is far less dangerous.
And that’s where you draw the line? Consensual sex, maybe not even worth calling adultery? And are you all a bunch of Christians who think that adultery is a mortal sin? If his wife can stand it why can’t you?
It's the total Platner package, much more than the sexting I was referring to. Character is a good bellwether of how a politician will treat and handle his staff, power, special interest money, tough votes, the opportunity for insider trading, and many other potentially corrupting influences.
Of course they did, because they (minus Tim) have all been waiting to pounce on this guy. I’m sorry but consensual texts are not disqualifying. I’m sure many, many married men do this, including many elected officials. I’m not saying it’s okay. I’m just saying it’s not disqualifying for public elected office.
I agree, Susan. I was hoping that the ONE silver lining with Trump is that we could move past the puritanical concern over a candidate's personal life (affairs, sex scandals, divorce, etc.). What one does in office should be our main concern and I am more concerned with actual corruption and other bad behavior and less concerned with elected officials personal failings.
I think it depends on how he and his wife and the campain tackle this issue. Flirting with text is not quite cheating, but the event is not from decades ago. It is recent. One measure of the gravity is that if this kind of thing happened while he is a sitting Senator, it might spiral badly and lead to his forced resignation. So, it does matter.
Democrats had a real candidate in Janet Mills. The governor that is popular and fought ICE as tough as any Democratic governor.
Now Platner is endangering the easiest pickup seat. Where does Chuck Schumer go to get his apology? Oh yeah he won’t get it even though he did everything right.
Platner could still win because it’s Maine and his opponent is a respected nice older congresswoman. But each day Platner is losing independent centrist voters to her and having to turn more younger male Trump voters his way.
Younger voters are tired of geriatric candidates and politicians more concerned about being “safe” and they don’t give a damn about naughty social media posts. Mills would have lost to Platner.
Yes you are right Mills would’ve lost to Platner. But if Platner never ran the Democrats would have significantly higher odds of winning this seat.
If this was the Massachusetts primary I could care less it’s a guaranteed victory in the general. But Platners odds on the betting markets which do matter have dropped. It’s gonna be a 50/50 election in best case instead of a 75/25 election. In this current climate a quality candidate like Roy Cooper is 80% to win in North Carolina which is crazy.
The senate is so narrow now that losing this seat could hand the Republicans the majority. So feel better about putting the Nazi tattoo guy in the ballot. Just don’t tell me that he’s a better chance to win than a normal governor who’s popular like Janet Mills.
This is the Platner's business, not ours. If Mrs Platner loves her husband and he loves her that's it. Now let's beat Collins and take back the Senate. Disappointed to see The Bulwark clutching its pearls and tsk-tsking.
"This is the Platner's business, not ours. If Mrs. Platner loves her husband and he loves her that's it. " I would agree with your analysis if the Platners were a married couple down the street not running for an important US Senate seat.. But as a US Senate candidate--married or single--.Graham Platner's sexting is an issue of really poor judgement voters should take into account. If I were a Maine voter, Platner would still get my vote over Collins with her history of enabling Trump.
Right, so keeping dotard in control of the executive branch AND the Senate is the way to save democracy.... as far as I know he didn't even cheat, just some ill advised texts, I'm over it already and anyone who cares about Democracy should be too...
This feels right to me. Collins needs to go. I think that Andrew is right in pointing out the dangers of following the GOP into the abyss. I do feel that we Dems hold our candidates to a higher standard. As a general concept, I think that's important. As we clearly see every day they if we elect morally bankrupt people to the highest offices, we get rampant immorality.
On the othher hand, who among us us squeaky clean? So the ral question is where do we draw the line? I don't know the answer to this.
I haven’t followed this story closely, but it seems to me that this happened when he was not a candidate. So it has no bearing on how he behaves as a candidate or as a senator.
If the two of them had an open marriage (they might) this would still indicate fantastically bad judgement.
If he was going behind her back, it's a moral failing. It's a failure to honor your word. It's a failure of self-discipline. It's a failure to place other's above one's own sexual gratification.
He may be a great senate candidate, but this gives me every reason to believe he'll be another crappy senator. Being "better than Susan Collins" is a very low bar, no one needs to pat Platner on the back for clearing it.
This is what we said at the time about Bill Clinton. I think we were wrong. Either character matters or it doesn’t. I don’t like Platner as a candidate, but I thought he was a talented politician. Maybe he is too sketchy to survive a heated campaign tho.
We'll see what Maine voters think about this. My guess is removing Collins and saving Democracy will win over this private family issue. Incidentally, Clinton's numbers did not decline despite the media frenzy over the Lewinsky situation. I hear your concern about "character" just pointing out that right or wrong, it doesn't always matter to voters.
I well remember as I felt the same—it was a private matter between him and Hilary. It tarnished the Clinton brand tho, and today I’m more aware of the power differential between Lewinsky and Clinton. In any event the voters will decide. We shouldn’t call them fascists if they stay with Collin’s.
Do we have any evidence that Platner was harassing the women he was texting, or exploiting a position of power over them? I haven’t heard any so far, and absent that, this is a vastly different character issue than Clinton’s
I was responding to another commenter, but as far as I know it’s just straightforward cheating. The issue is that it’s recent, I think, suggesting to some that he hasn’t reformed as much as he had claimed. Personally I don’t like or trust him, but it’s not one thing and more importantly not my decision.
I expect more will come out about him if and when he’s the nominee. I’m surprised by how many people have shrugged off his tattoo, his Reddit history, and his sexting. I really think it’s not too much to ask that office holders have shown good judgment as adults and generally good moral character throughout their lives.
If you've done as much research about Platner as it seems, then you probably know about his difficult re-entry back into society after the war. And so perhaps some grace might be in order? Just a thought.
Oh, give me a break! Platner IS going to be the Democratic nominee 8 days from now. His only significant primary proponent has dropped out. So, the time for people in the pro-Democracy movement to discuss the pro's and con's of Platner's candidacy are over.
Now, if he runs for higher office in the future, we can circle back to this.
P.S. The Dem's are running a squeaky clean choir boy in my home state of Texas. If Talarico wins the general and Platner loses, I'll eat crow and happily apologize to Andrew.
What you are describing is the point of the piece. If the only moment to "discuss the pros and cons" of a person's candidacy is before the party primary, and parties have lost the ability to winnow the field ahead of that moment, we're going to see lots more voters holding their nose and voting for a person without ever having really had a moment to weigh those pros and cons. I'm not telling anybody "don't vote Platner," I'm suggesting a structural weakness created by feckless parties and voters who increasingly love "outsiders."
Andrew, Platner started running town halls all over the state in the summer of 2025. Any plausible challenger to Platner should have been doing the same. Where were the potential challengers? Nowhere. The Maine Democratic Party did not “lose the ability to winnow the field.” There WAS no field until Schumer decided to convince Janet Mills to run a race that she clearly had no interest in.
Platner is an incredibly effective retail politician and has built a base all over the state that will be hard to shake. In any case, it’s now Platner vs. Collins, and the choice is clear.
Right, the real problem for Dems is finding good candidates for the primaries. Why in the world are we having such a hard time doing that? I’m in CA and for the governor race, we had Swalwell who apparently was a well known creep to everyone but the public and now we have Javier Becera - who has minus charisma and long time staff pleading guilty to stealing campaign funds and Susan Rice said she wouldn’t trust him running the CA govt vs Tom Steyer a billionaire who is self funded to the tune of 200 million, seems like a good lefty but who knows because he’s never held public office. I mean, how in the world are we not getting better candidates than this???
Justin, WE are flawed which is why our political system is a mess. We are what is standing between tyranny and freedom. It looks as though we did stumble, we are getting back on track. Lessons were actually learned.
I just had to vote for governor in California. The entire first page of the ballot was only the governor candidates, and there wasn’t a single person listed who I really wanted to vote for. We have the 5th largest economy IN THE WORLD. We need a good governor. Frankly, this is a more important job than being a us senator. Please write an article on how the one party dominated states in the US are suffering from mediocre representation. The only Republicans in California are crazy and the democratic leadership is suffering (in terms of not having to have a high level of skill at the job to progress) from a lack of true opposition.
The voters aren’t choosing outsides for the sake of being outsiders. They are choosing the only people running who offer something different than an establishment Democratic Party that refuses to move on from an entrenched gerontocracy and keeps putting up candidates who should be home with enjoying their twilight years with their grandkids, and are wildly out of touch with the problems of ordinary voters who are 40 years younger, while the only alternative they seem to offer in younger candidates are people who have the same views as their geriatric leadership and tend to come across as completely inauthentic, ineffective, and not willing to put in the real hard work to serve people. Take Platners rejection of unpopular establishment litmus tests and conventional policy wisdom and put it in an establishment approved body 50 years old or younger, have them speak to voters like a normal person instead of a consultant brained automatron, and make people actually believe they care about making your life better and will fight for you and people will vote for the establishment insider too. But the party has no interest in offering that to the voters, so they will keep looking to the only candidates who will, and vote for the dreaded outsider.
I agree the gerontocracy is bad . On the other hand , 18% of US population is > 65 , and 37% is 50+ (source US census ) and 27% is 30-50 .Longer lives and fewer babies . It's a different population now .
It doesn't matter. Having an older population is not an argument for 80 year old serving in elected political office and refusing to step aside to usher in the next generation and instead choose to become mentally decrepit flesh colored organic glorified gavel holder until they die and a millennial is forced to ritualistically pry the senate gavel out of the grip of their cold dead hands.
I respectfully disagree that this is *all* on Schumer. There is a Democratic Party organization in Maine. There are possible Democratic Candidates in Maine. I've lived in Maine and visit there often, and am considering returning in retirement. If you accused most people from Maine that they could be pushed around by Chuck Schumer, I suspect they would take some offense.
And, frankly, if they could be pushed around by Schumer to do what we all see to feel was a stupid choice, I guess I think we're better off with Platner, tattoo and texts and all.
Platner’s sexts never separated migrant kids from their families, launched a reign of terror and ethnic cleansing on America cities, or laundered an insurrection — but Collins’ votes did. I honestly don’t even see the purpose of this type of takedown.
Collins also voted to give a man credibly accused of rape a lifetime appointment on the Supreme Court. She wouldn't even insist on an FBI investigation of the allegations.
I think the purpose is that character does matter, as we have ample demonstration of from Donald Trump. Planter’s character seems way more questionable than Collins’. At least to me it does.
I knew Donald was not worthy of the benefit of the doubt 40 years ago. Sen. Collins is older than me. She is of demonstrably low character to enable a glaring threat to the Republic.
someone wrote in colorful chalk on the sidewalk in front or near Collins home, she highly over-reacted. I do not like her, and have not for quite some time, don't live in Maine, but if I had, would've voted against her at least three times
( whatever they wrote it was not even nasty, profane or even insulting )
I learned a long time ago that marriage is complicated and messy and no one should judge the reasons why someone chooses to stay or go in a marriage. Since Platner and his wife have both publicly addressed the matter, I am done with the hand-wringing. Why is everyone so willing to give Trump a pass on so many character flaws and transgressions but everyone else has to pass a test with ever-moving goal posts. Look I don’t love that he did these things but he has never tried to deny the stupid stuff he said on line and having heard him speak in person several times now, I am ready to vote. Susan’s votes and comments over the last few decades is an on-the record-display of her cowardice and “concern” that I can no longer stomach. To me the choice is crystal clear so stop making more out of this than you already have.
No I am saying that we seem to have a double standard -Trump gets a pass for all of his transgressions and character flaws and outright lies and when a Dem candidate like Platner fesses up to his own transgressions which in my mind do not rise to the level of Trumps, there is an outcry and a willingness to dump him. We did the same thing to Al Franken and others.
Platner looking for love immediately after his wedding is creepy, but it is only one red flag out of a list: Nazi tattoo, mercenary work, awful comments on rape victims.
It's not a Nazi tattoo. For the 10th time. He doesn't get security clearances if hes got a Nazi tattoo. Let alone pass TWO security clearances. SMH.
I'm sure not going to put working in the US Ambassadors security detail as somehow being a negative. Seems like that sort of service is usually seen as pretty honorable?
And I'm fine with him taking responsibility for making totally normal but douchebaggy comments during a low spell.
Sexting after his wedding? Thats ugly for sure. Only question is if it's more ugly than Susan Collins voting for creeps like RFK and Kavenaugh. Thats a tough one.
It seems this happened before they were married, they worked it out, went to counseling and according to his wife, they are fine now. I generally don't like dragging people's dirty laundry into the street unless a crime of some kind has been committed. Did he do wrong? Apparently. Is it my business? Doesn't appear to be.
We can always do better certainly, but your other choices are Collins who will do whatever trump wants and a very elderly establishment candidate, who has already thrown in the towel. I'll take the risk on the bad judgement. If it turns out he has bad judgement and is a bad senator, then toss him out.
Platner isn't Fetterman. Fetterman had a stroke that has fried his brain. You can just listen to Platner, who has been asked about the Fetterman comparison multiple times, and know he is not Fetterman.
My point is, what can voters do when their elected representative ceases to represent them in a consistent or responsible way, regardless of the reason. Fetterman's stroke was no choice or decision of his but he still should resign. I have urged him to do that for the sake of his health and his family, AND also his constituents. This is not what we voted for.
Carolyn - tho the stakes are far more serious (for you Pennsylvanians & our whole country), it's kinda like a false advertising situation... you didn't get what you were expecting, not performing "as advertised." In politics & govt we don't really seem to have a great solution for this. Sure suggests the importance of voters shopping more carefully in future!
I feel for you on that one, but people over play that, he had a stroke, and as someone who worked with stroke patients, personality shifts are pretty common. That appears to be what happened to him.
I get your point for sure. I care about character; and someone doing this sort of thing - esp. in the early days of their marriage - certainly raises questions about that. But what exactly is "this sort of thing"? We don't have details.
Much more importantly - to your point - these are not normal times as JVL likes to say. Whatever he wrote, and to what degree it demonstrates his untrustworthiness and lack of good judgment, appears at this point to be MUCH less of a threat to our country than Susan Collins.
Platner has never impressed me, and if we ever get back to normal times we'll hopefully have better candidates. Considering what politics has become, I'm surprised anyone decent is ever willing to get involved.
I find his former service, his ability to speak to toxic masculinity and admit to his utter human-ness, as exceptionally impressive. I do not understand JVL’s issues with Platner, other than it’s his temperament to be lower case c conservative about most things, which is a thing I love and respect about JVL. Platner is going win, it’s just by how big of a margin.
Since it's been over a month, you've probably forgotten about this; but I was cleaning out my emails and realized I never replied! I honestly haven't read all that many "media reports or Reddit threads" - altho there was enough talk about him that I get the gist.
I saw him on a few pods - including, I think, here w/ Tim? I have very good intuition, and just didn't get a good feeling from him. If I lived in Maine I certainly would base my vote on the FACTS that were available about him regardless of my reaction to his "energy," so please don't think I vote based on vibes! He didn't do anything for me, but I can't name any specific detail; sorry.
In contrast, I was totally turned off by Beto when Tim had him on a long time ago b/c just about every third word out of his mouth was "fuck." I'm really bad about cussing, but he was completely over the top about it, and came across to me as thinking he was being cool when instead he was obnoxious. With Mark Cuban, when Tim had him on, I thought he was as full of himself as anyone I've ever seen - a total turn off for me. He struck me as someone who would be totally dismissive of others' concerns if he didn't share them.
Fortunately for the folks who like Platner, he won! I just hope he has enough support to beat Collins, and wish whoever was the candidate was doing better than he currently is. As JVL has said so many times, there are no rules or standards for MAGAs, but Dems have to be perfect - and I'm concerned his "issues" will lessen our chances for winning that seat - altho they pale in comparison to just about everyone in MAGA world.
VJ - Andrew reports Platner's wife "found EXPLICIT texts with a NUMBER of other women on his phone" (emphasis added). When we eventually see some of these texts (odds: hi) we'll know where on continuum they fall between "mildy" flirtatious (tho explicit?) to arranging extra-marital trysts. Different voters will have different assessments of how explicit & how many it takes to affect their vote. Expect big bux to be available to any of his text recipients to encourage them to go public, along with psy-op AI versions coming to a website near you soon! The drip drip drip will take its toll. Good luck, Maine
I could be misinformed, I heard she told the staffer about it last year and it occured shortly before their marriage. But I could have misheard or got bad reporting on that. Either way it is a bad look certainly.
Platner got married in November 2023 and the messaged or spring of 2025 or after he married his wife, but also when he was probably considering running for office.
having that creepy online kik app with a shirtless profile pic was pretty lame (the NYT left that one out of their story). I'd vote for the guy but he still kinda sucks.
I think a lot of us feel as you do, which is why Andrew is warning us not to let it become a trend, which is good advice. I certainly hope that one election does not turn out to be a trend setting party platform. I have to have faith that it won't.
I’m a Maine voter and will be voting for Platner. The sexting was incredibly stupid but imho that’s between him and his wife. Bulwark release your grip on the pearls!
Andrew, I stopped reading your article when I realized that you're basically regurgitating the conventional media. I caught up on my TV news this weekend, when I skimmed through Inside Politics (for the very last time ever) and Frederika Winfield (also last time) and others. This was a top story on almost every program I skimmed. This is the mainstream media's affect on our politics. Side note: CNN has been unwatchable for a while, but this weekend confirmed for me that they're basically already in cahoots with the GOP. I'll never watch another second of CNN news programming.
This is a big, fat nothing burger, that was planted by Collins' campaign or the RNC and it simply doesn't matter.
I don't care.
Did he rape a woman? No?
Did he touch a child inappropriately? No?
Did he force his will on a woman because of his position of power? No?
Then I. Do. Not. Care.
And neither should you.
This isn't about Collins v Platner, this is about stopping Donald effing Trump and the Oligarchs. Nothing else matters. Vance, Miller, Hegseth, Blanche and every fucking member of The Heritage Foundation need to be removed from power and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
The only way we can stop the completion of the fascist takeover is to unseat any Republican we can, for any reason, at any cost. Unless one of the three things above are true, shut up.
Every time Democrats write or verbally opine about the character issues we distract from the actual fact that the GOP is actually a group of fascists and, if we let them cement themselves into power, we will not get them out without weapons and death.
The other team doesn't give two fucks about morality. They're cheating and lying and stealing at will while you prattle on about whether or not the Dems are "becoming just like them".
This isn't about morality, it's about cutting out a fucking cancer so that it never returns.
This blasted system will only let me give your comment one 'like' when it deservers many, many more.
Your comment stands quite well on its own, but if you want to go all Reader's Digest on it, might I suggest: "don't let the perfect get in the way of the good"
Bit of a mic drop there, Rebel Monk! I wasn’t sure how I felt about the Platner thing but after reading your post, you cleared my uncertainty right up. I’m completely on point!
The difference with Platner is that he addressed it. He's not Swalwell who fortunately bowed out. Most Dems do not tolerate the behavior we've seen from Republicans as far as sexual harassment. Ironically the establishment Dems tried to foist Andrew Cuomo on NYC but the voters said no.
One only has to listen to Platner to know where he stands on the issues and he's on the side of the angels. Collins must go. So get over the tatoo. Let's face it. A lot of our American heroes cheated on their spouses. Great presidents have cheated on their spouses. Great generals have cheated on their spouses. This sounds like a carry over from the Clinton era where the same Republicans who wanted to impeach Clinton for lying about cheating on his wife because it was a matter of "character" are now perfectly happy with a guy who has cheated on all three of his wives. If his wife wants to forgive him, who am I to say this is a disqualification?
I am not defending Platner. In fact, I have very mixed feelings about him. And I do take Egger's point about the temptation to downplay character. Still, I have to say that extramarital sexting in no way compares to repeated assaults and rape
Platner is not a convicted rapist. Talk about degrees of difference. How many women have filed harassment lawsuits against Platner? How many women has he paid off to hush them up? How many magazines have practiced 'catch and kill' to hide his indiscretions. Y'all can't hide your deep repub roots sometimes.
Thanks for calling out the J6 project work done by Lawfare. Lawfare had a podcast series on all the J6 prosecutions and created an archive of documents for selected cases. The lawfare J6 project is archived here: https://www.lawfaremedia.org/projects-series/the-jan.-6-project
I don't think it is a comprehensive and archive containing details of all the cases, but is a very good resource.
I continue to wonder how pundits like Andrew just don't get American voters. We are enraged by Republican corruption and fascism. So what if the candidate likes to text with other women. I don't care. Do you have any idea how many men and women have semi cheated on their spouses using tech? Like millions. Or even cheated and stay married? Again, millions. If we actually knew the personal histories of many of our leaders they are included. Sex lives absent abuse are not really important. Believing in democracy and democracy reform is. You just can't get over the tatoo.
Well, I'm a progressive feminist who agrees with Andrew. It takes all kinds of voters. Some of us have learned our lessons about voting for liars who can't get their stories straight and who think vows are meaningless.
You clearly haven't read the stories or he and his wife's response. He didn't lie. He has made zero effort to cover up anything. How about learning the facts before trashing the candidate.
Your moniker isn't clear then. Last time I checked Lake Ontarios includes Ontario, CA. Still doesn't excuse you commenting on a story about which you don't know the facts. Plattner sexted with some women. His wife knows. Former campaign staff leaked the info (probably to get the story out before Collins or for her). He didn't lie. Is it really our business? What if they have an open marriage? Is that our business? Does a candidate have to reveal the details of their sex lives to us? Is that really necessary?
Perhaps this character trait in so many Americans is exactly why we are where we are. It’s a big deal. Keeping integrity in marriage, honoring a spouse and one’s word- pretty foundational character traits.
Well I will share your marriage counseling advice to my many long term married friends who have experienced infidelity in their 30+ year marriages. Perhaps our problems stem from Dems and some old style Repubs who care more about appearances and the intimate lives of candidates (good luck finding perfect Millennials) than leadership and policy. Based on your criteria MLK, Jr. would fail the test. Leaders are flawed. It matters more about their honestly surrounding their flaws. I'm sorry but you aren't going to find many people under 60 who think sexting in a marriage makes someone a bad candidate. Any candidate under 50 is going to have online imperfection, even Talarico. I'm so sick of the purity testing. It's ridiculous.
Which of us? I am in my late 50s. Marriages are all unique, especially in the area of physical intimacy. I do not want to know the details of a candidates sex life unless it involves something illegal. I just don't care. I think it's super invasive, puritanical, and no different than the Christian right.
I honestly blame Chuck Schumer for not recruiting Jared Golden to run against Collins. Yes, Dem voters may still go for Platner, we saw that when Fetterman annihilated Conor Lamb in the primary four years ago. But not offering a viable choice shows how weak he is.
Mills was a serious misread of the mood of the party after Biden, yeah.
I'm nervous about Platner but also find the hand wringing tedious at this point. It's him vs Collins and as Andrew eventually pointed out, what are you gonna do, vote for Collins instead?
What troubled me the most is he referred his private part as “Mein Fuhrer”, much less than he is a horn dog. It makes the deniability of the tattoo much less plausible. Instead of hand wringing, I hope he comes clean on everything now and refocus the energy against Collins.
Well, Dems and their supporters seem to be jumping on the Collins bandwagon, by drawing a yellow highlighter over Platner’s essentially meaningless texts. So that’s the major “problem” with Platner, the failure to live up to another Dem “purity” test, and I am heartily sorry to see Bulwark jump on this bandwagon.
Yeah, I agree with this; if Platner's behavior was abusive or violent or harassment, that would give me pause. That does not seem to be the case.
I don't love this, but also, if you listen to both Graham and his wife talk about it, they seem to be dealing with it / have already dealt with it.
There's breathless coverage of the Maine senate race where folks keep looking (if not cheering for) the wheels to come off Platner. We'll see if that happens. If it does, it won't be over this.
There does seem to be a class dimension to the way Platner gets talked and reported about.
He's made mistakes that others can see. If you're "elite" it hides better.
Sophisticated monkeys don't like noisy unsophisticated monkeys. Both wipe shit with their hands.
Yeah, but the sophisticated monkeys have the really DeLuxe shit - it doesn’t stink.
I'm confused. Is someone from a good background who didn't choose white collar work and doesn't speak like a Harvard grad "pretending to be stupid" or are they perhaps speaking through their authentic self?
What should Platner speak like to make you feel he is authentic?
To your point, we're talking about the Maine race. What does Pete have to do with any of this?
Why does Platner being a good communicator with his voter base act as a negative?
Has he been crafting his life just for a Senate run?
I've got a college degree and work blue collar. Should I refrain from "pretending to be stupid"?
Platner is from the upper class. His mother is funding his business. If he were actually from the working class, he wouldn't be running for Senate as he'd have to support his family right now.
Platner's mother is not funding her son's business. We live in Hancock County Maine and I know graham's mother, Leslie Harlow. That's not unusual, because everyone knows Leslie. She has always been a very hard worker. Back in the 70's she ran a restaurant in Bar Harbor called the Town Farm, which was terrific. We loved eating there.! Now she runs a restaurant called Ironbound, in Hancock, Maine, ( named after one of the islands in Frenchman Bay) That restaurant is also very well regarded. Do you have any idea how hard running a restaurant is? There is a nice story about how Graham ended up owning his oyster business, but it has nothing to do with Leslie. Suffice it to say that the rumor you heard about Leslie funding it is not true.
I come from restaurant people and clamming people, which is why I'm shocked and dismayed other people think you can make good money at it.
People see a busy restaurant, maybe a bit pricey for them, etc. and think it's a gold mine. What they don't see is what comes out of the night's receipts. Rent/upkeep and other costs if they own the property, cost of food, cost of utilities, payroll, equipment maintenance/replacement, the list goes on.
True though my point is more how the media treats him, and the reporting on Platner.
The media pretends he is working class when he is not. That's because the media looks down on the working class and thinks they can sell us ANYTHING. Even Nazi tattoos.
I tend to cut Graham and his fellow Marines some slack about the tattoo. this was a group of Marines on leave in Split, Croatia. They got drunk and all decided they wanted to get scary tattoos. They chose one that resembled the Pirate flag, The jolly Roger., with the skull and crossbones. Google the Jolly Roger sometime and then Google the Totenhopf flag. They are very similar. I believe it's absolutely possible for these guys to have thought they were getting Jolly Roger tattoos with the skull and crossbones.
Wow, you are really trolling against the progressive choice to represent the working class. You already told a false story about his mother. What's wrong with you?
If he was elite he wouldn't have fought in the military.
It's not that absurd. My Senator Tim Sheehey was born as rich as they come & he served honorably as a SEAL. (About the only good thing I can say). Our current Senate candidate went to West Point. Pete Buttigeig. Pete Hegseth.
I know there are more, those guys all just come readily to mind. Its not that unusual.
I dunno. He flunked out of two elite prep schools. He really does have elite pedigree. He just blew it.
Yeah, while I more than question Platner's character at this point, why was Andrew Cuomo's past covered so much more generously?
but he's only play acting at being working class
True. Although that's basically every politician. How many GOP reps who are like lawyers or trust fund kids do we see in campaign ads wearing cowboy hats and wandering around a farm...
yeah sometimes I wish dem voters wouldn't fall for the same cosplay but alas.....
He served in the Marines in combat, worked as a bartender, and now an oyster farmer. Sounds like working class to me, although I have never been an oyster farmer.
his grandfather is a world famous architect, the only person who buys oysters from his "farm" is his mother who owns a fancy restaurant, he went to hotchkiss for awhile and his ivy league educated father is spending $$$$ to fly graham and his wife to norway for fertility treatments. it's fine he's better than collins but he's also a bit much.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/29/magazine/the-politics-of-the-downwardly-mobile-professional-class.html
Two duties as a Marine in combat. A famous architect and prep school education doesn’t protect you there. This is the same game they played against John Kerry, an updated swift boat. Meanwhile, real women are suffering because Susan Collins destroyed reproductive rights.
George W*. Bush stops folksily clearing brush on his ranch, just to consider this phenomenon.
*for “Walker”, as in Walker Cup; never mind the merely patrician Bush side of things. I just can’t wait to “have a beer” with these regular people, can you?
that drove me crazy ass well - ironically both Bush and Platner are rich new england fail sons
And the unsullied elites are only acting at being human.
what straw man are you arguing about in your head?? I just said that platner's background is itself pretty elite.
Elite is a mindset as much as anything. Having a headstart and reaching down to pull others up, reaching out to those with other backgrounds that you can speak to and share commonalities with is "bipartisanship."
TR still carries weight because he was able to do similar things while he bucked his "class." He called the bullshit in his own home.
Neither he nor Platner were/are perfect, but it's a model that speaks to others far more than those who "did it the right way" in their own heads.
Works for DJT. Some can play the role well.
somehow DJT can do it without the phony wardrobe Platner uses
Just phony hair and the makeup.
Humbug! The trump wardrobe is just as phony, in its own way.
Right? I don't love it, don't hate it, just glad that a) I'm not a politician and b) there is no text/photographic record of most of my sins.
Also, not a Maine voter, so my opinion is worthless anyway.
It's only a matter of time before something abusive, violent, or harassing comes out. Only a matter of time. Then we'll see if people like you are true to their word.
Because the GoP has nothing positive to offer Americans , of course they are going to raise culture war issues and personal attacks and falsehoods to defeat Democrats.
Understand that most of the staff of The Bulwark are disenfranchised Republicans who shrugged their shoulders while Republican candidates were doing far worse than Platner's naughty texting.
If you've got receipts on Republicans candidates I shrugged at at moments like this I'd love to see them!
I don't think that's the point here. The Bulwark is largely old neocons who are much closer to old centrist Democrats than anything current. That era is just gone and we don't have time for it. Platner is messy and winning because he's a real person who connects with real people. The old manicured and poll tested personalities are not going to win anymore. Trying means that we will lose.
magats think trump is 'a real person who connects with real people'. Yep. A real asshole connected to real assholes or wilfully ignorant.
I only know Platner from what I have read across a wide swath of varying viewpoints. Just sayin' BEWARE.
Trump is the new Hitler here. Anything you don't like is Trump. It's silly and irrelevent.
You’re actually excusing Platner? He’s cooked, is my prediction.
You are actually excusing the hacks who keep losing elections?
Platner isn't "cooked" IMO. You all are following the old game plan that's been gone for a while now.
You yourself might not have shrugged, but plenty did.( Mark Sanford anyone?) In any case, if the women were fullly adults, and the couple is dealing with it, is it our business?
he maybe said you're or your _ss is attractive, and maybe it was
we need to live in the ' modern' real world.
Hear, hear!
There are too many underemployed loose cannons on TB threads who have NO receipts!
Democrats need to be careful, as members of the party of Bill Clinton and Teddy Kennedy, about accusing Bulwarkians of shrugging their shoulders at Republican sinners. I am still horrified when I look back at how many of my fellow-Democrats in the 1990s cheered when James Carville slimed Paula Jones with the words, "Drag a $100 bill through a trailer camp and there's no telling what you will find," as feminists like Gloria Steinem declared that the Clinton scandals represented mere "sexual McCarthyism."
As for Teddy Kennedy (an infinity of Kennedys, actually), Democrats found ways to shrug off one scandal after another including the Mary Jo Kopechne incident in order to keep sending Kennedy back to the US Senate.
This is a bipartisan horror show, and there's no need to pretend otherwise.
Thankfully, lot has changed since Bill Clinton was in office. There were multiple allegations of sexual misconduct about him. While we aren't absolutely certain if any of them were true, I think the Democrats have learned from that experience.
When Anthony Weiner, who was a NYC House Member, was caught sexting multiple women, he was talked into resigning. Likewise, when it was revealed that Rep Swalwell was alleged to have engaged in multiple sexual relationships with women who worked for him, and possibly raped, he was forced to resign. The Me Too movement and the Epstein Files have shown that in the Democratic Party at least, these kinds of acts will no longer be tolerated. Except, now that the party is stuck Graham Platner, the Democrats need to decide whether to be in denial about his many character flaws so they can flip the Senate, or shun him. While I would love to do the latter, if I lived in Maine, I would have to take a good dose of Pepsi Bismol before and after I went to the polls to vote for him.
The Bulwark has done an admirable job of bringing in younger people who fit the mold you're talking about less and less. Egger graduated from college in the Trump era, just for example.
By bringing them in you mean giving them a writing slot and then telling them to write puff pieces about how centrist democracy brought us the greatest wealth transfer, I mean economy, tge world has ever known and how people of color will be so much happier when they are back in the fields again, sure.
No one is kidding themselves here that there is a left voice further left than Hakeem Jeffries at the Nullwark, and you only have to go read a couple of polls to realize that voice ignores the third of America who are firmly to the left of Sanders and have as much of a vote as the J6 crew.
Same. The stakes are way too f'in high for pearl clutching, folks. The senate is going to be replacing "justices" Thomas and Alito and we need a fighting shot to stop SCOTUS, Inc. from the hell it has unleashed.
If Republicans loose the senate, Alito and Thomas will be replaced before the new senate is seated.
Keith - for real. But how bout this summer daydream (tho the events will occur after November 3) or more like a hopium multiverse where McConnell & Cornyn decide to give in to personal animus, along w/Collins & Murkowski... but even then there's Fetterman flipping to vote w/Republicans to tie the vote for Vance to settle. Where's that 5th Republican senator to scuttle the replacements? Need another hopium fix... 🎼"Up to Lexington, 125..."
Cassidy? But McConnell who is the architect of the current SCOTUS would never pass up replacing a sear despite his animus with Trump.
Yeah McConnell didn't get where he is by letting his emotions run wild. He'll carry out Federalist Society agenda as ever, will probably figure that squares his legacy for whatever damages Trump brings
@J AZ: Boy, if you're counting on Lou Reed for your hopium fix ...
Of course, the irony is that "Lexington [and] 125" is a hell of a lot better than it was in the mid-'60s.
LOL! True but it's like the blues - somehow singing the depths helps me. One of my Reed faves is from his New York album, surely around the city's nadir, right? Busload of Faith. Doesn't even claim you can depend on yourself yet I never took it as nihilistic cuz whatever I might construe faith to be, it just IS. Maybe it's all that is. One of the songs that's helped me hang in thru various challenges in the decades since
Mitch and Cornyn would vote for any conservative for the Court. That's basically been Mitch's life's work. They'd never screw future Republicans to screw Trump. What Democrats don't understand is that 60% of the GOP is ready to go back to normal once Trump is gone. Yeah, the MAGAs are going to be a problem for a few cycles, but with the head cut off the snake, eventually the body will stop twitching and die. I know a ton of Trump voters who are embarrassed to have had to vote for him, and they can't wait until he is gone.
I'm a little curious why these people in your last sentence had to vote for trump, rather than simply leaving the presidential ballot choice blank. This tribal reflex that takes over otherwise intelligent people is the crux of America's voting problem.
This is sorta hopeful, long as I don’t think too much about people putting their self- reported deeply held constitutional & family values on hold for a fling with authoritarianism 🤷♂️
The stakes ARE high, and that's exactly why such a terrible candidate should never have been allowed to get this far. It shows that they're not taking the high stakes seriously.
Who is they ? It sounds like this can=me out when they were rattling Platner's tree to see what fell out BEFORE the general
All the more reason to dump Platner? Or is it too late? I’m not American.
Don’t accept one person’s assertion that Platner is a terrible candidate.
He's one hell of an awful person, though.
as compared to the pedophile, rapist, indicted, twice impeached, grifting, convicted felon squatting in the gold leaf, degraded white house?
But I remember how happy I was when Fetterman won , even after the stroke , for the same reasons.
I understand Andrew's concerns about the latest Platner revelations, but it's late in the day, and there's a real risk of Democrats simply ceding the election to the odious Collins here and now, as of early June.
The fact is, Republicans are poised to pull all kinds of scandal rabbits out of all kinds of Democratic hats between now and November, relying on both the press and the Democrats to do what they've been doing since they took down Al Franken--take to the fainting couch in a show of wounded virtue before chucking the latest sacrificial lamb into the pyre.
Franken was one of the strongest and brightest progressive voices in the US Senate. The Democrats, led by Gillibrand and Schumer, took him down, using as a pretext a decade-old spoof photo first revealed on Sean Hannity's show by a publicity-hungry right wing hack who was both a friend and employee of Sean's. This was followed up with a spate of anonymous accusations in the Times that Franken had once smiled inappropriately, patted a back uncomfortably close to a backside, winked at a woman when she didn't want to be winked at, or whatever. Gosh.
In the real world, we know that the two New York Senators Gillibrand and Schumer (both D-Wall Street) were delighted to take Franken down precisely because he was a strong, bright progressive voice, and Wall Street couldn't stand him.
The Party has a way of ignoring all kinds of scandals when they touch legislators who can be counted on not to upset the corporate applecart: it is less tolerant of mavericks, progressives, and those who in any way challenge the Party establishment.
I would remind The Bulwark that they've been in the forefront of those fretting about the takeover of the Democratic Party by a gerontocracy. The one virtue of septuagenarians and octogenarians is that (with the exception of Dear Leader Donald) they're unlikely to spend much time on social media, which minimizes the risk that embarrassing or compromising posts or texts will suddenly pop up.
It isn't that the elders aren't adulterers, or gropers, or lechers, or various other horrid things: it's that they are less likely to act out on social media.
If you're going to recruit younger candidates, you're going to have to deal with the issues that come with youth. Finding candidates under sixty who simultaneously please the Party leadership, soothe Wall Street, and pose no risk of embarrassing social media indiscretions, is going to be quite the task.
I just want to emphasize the point about Al Franken. This was investigated - too late, unfortunately. He was a friendly guy who was a little insensitive to the fact that some people are averse to being touched, not a groper.
I liste to his podcast , juts because I like to Hera him talk ... In terms of character , he never mentions Gillebrand , or any of it and says nothing bad about Schumer. A class act
Excellently stated, willoughby!
THANK YOU for pointing out that candidates who actually take strong positions against the status quo mobilize all kinds of fury both within their own party as well as the opposing party. Rho Khanna and Chris Murphy, when questioned, suggested that character can be measured by willingness to bravely defend your country and stand up to oligarchy.
Graham Platner is unifying voters because we already know that the current system is rigged and will not change unless we elect warriors who fight for working people (and BTW he once said that in the new economy, we are divided into those who earn money from their work and those who earn money from their money). What is at stake today is the U.S. Senate.
Platner has a coherent, intelligent political vision and I want him to fight for that vision on the Senate floor. I do not doubt his character when it comes to representing the concerns of those who work for a living and facing down the oligarchy.
I disagree. It isn't about "purity" tests. I can understand being younger, being in combat, becoming disillusioned and succumbing to stupid words and behavior. This is different - this is on-going and it isn't about meaningless texts. It's about keeping commitments versus putting oneself above having to. The very same people complaining about "purity tests" are outraged that Fetterman would even consider becoming a Republican. Why? Because he should honor the commitment he made to those who elected him. IT MATTERS.
We are helmed now by an existential threat to democracy and a GOP that facilitates that. Including Susan Collins. We have a clearly deranged President who posted over 50 demented social media comments in 7 hours. And we lost a damned fine Senator, Al Franken because of Dem elite pearl clutching because he failed another purity test. Let’s focus!
Seriously? You don't see a whole lot of daylight between what happened to Al Franken and Platner? WOW!
There's also a whole lot of daylight between sexting and actually having sex, and between consensual sexting and non-consensual.
It certainly shows bad judgment. I'll agree with you there. But . . .
In current polling, Platner leads Collins by 9 points. If that holds, the only thing standing in the way of a Democratic victory in Maine is poor Dem turnout.
The Republicans can't reasonably derail that, because any finger they point just means three fingers pointing back at themselves.
So essentially what's being batted around in the comments is the question of just how many Democrats should stay home on Election Day because they find Platner to be lacking in moral fibre.
In my book, a bad Graham Platner is better than a good Susan Collins any day of the week.
Platner needs Indies. More importantly, Platner needs voters who have voted for Susan Collins in the past, some multiple times, to crossover. Those voters are the ones who can be influenced by the constant Chinese water torture of his sheer awfulness. I agree he already has the Sarah Gideon voters, for what they were worth.
I also have to think of the ever-repeating accomodationism of Collins. I know I would be sick of it to the point where an unabashedly flawed but genuine candidate could appeal.
And yes, I know that's what people thought they were getting in Trump. But this is different . . . maybe?
This is why I want to form the No Sex Pests Party. We wouldn't be having this conversation about candidates in the No Sex Pests Party.
[Probably have a better chance of getting a woman elected, too, since last I checked, relatively fewer of them doddle kids and grope colleagues.]
Joni Ernst
youth have been texting, some sexting a lot longer than others, and recall he is a tad bit younger
It would sure turn me off. It’s disgusting. But I don’t live there.
should all single female persons in the U S House be virgins? I think not.
and I hope not.
men are attracted to women, even one year married, that never goes away, never. too much denial about sex
Stop calling it "pearl clutching," this is the same dude who basically blamed women drinking too much for getting raped in those old Reddit posts.
I understand the threat the GOP poses, and would hold my nose and vote for him if I lived in Maine but this constant dismissal of legitimate concerns is beyond the palse
I agree. The focus on Platner is totally out of proportion. It’s like it has become reality tv for the pundit class.
The regular voters don’t care.
I wanted Franken to be Pres some day . I HATE Kirsten Gillibrand and wont donate to anything with her name on it .
Franken was a serial sexual harasser, but hey, he was also a "damn fine Senator", so none of that really matters, huh?
Fetterman is politics. The Platners are personal. That matters, because they are managing their personal life, which is really not our business.
How can you judge if a candidate will keep the commitments he/she makes during his/her campaign without looking at their track record? The Platners' marriage is between them - stay together and accept it, break up over it - I really don't care. But I do care whether he would keep his commitments to the voters and all I can judge him by is his poor track record in his personal life...
So should Maine voters yield the race because their candidate failed a test that a huge number of those same voters could not pass?
Where are we to go with these lofty ideals?
Maine voters should decide for themselves. Maybe you vote for him anyway because it's way too late to field a different candidate, and you don't want to give Collins another win. There's nothing wrong with that, but for people to talk about "purity tests" as if character does not matter in our candidates - well isn't that what happened to the Republican party and their voters? Character does and should matter is all I'm saying.
Oh my. Platner has zero government experience. It is our job and responsibility, which we should take seriously, to judge whether people can be counted on to live the values they profess. Platner has not lived the values he professes.
So what are Maine voters to do?
I’ve had my fill of Collins’ furrowed brow and feigned “concern,” and I don’t even live in her state.
I doubt many Maine voters ever got a Nazi tattoo or posted that an American soldier should die. But hey, why hang ion lofty ideals.
Are you saying Platner is the last good candidate in Maine?
I agree. A married man sexting other women shows incredibly poor judgment and immaturity, not to mention a fat ego. I want the Dems to beat Collins, but am sorry this was their choice in a successor. Having said that, Collins has shown incredibly poor judgment in backing Trump and letting the voters of Maine down almost every single time. I say vote for Platner, and if he turns out to be a cad, "86" him in the next election. To save Democracy, we really do need to defeat Collins, even if some voters in Maine have to hold their noses to do so.
I can’t know how he will respond. I know that redemption is not just a dictionary word, but real. I believe he will not disappoint. If I am wrong more people than I will suffer, but I will admit I was wrong. This is all I can do. George Washington was an ordinary soldier in the King’s army. But he was the general the colonists needed in the fight for independence.
Nobody MAGA is running in a Democratic primary.
I am just tired of Democrats and progressives going in an endless quest for candidates who can measure up to a standard that the GOP regularly flouts, and for which they are rewarded.
Platner was writing leftist ideas back in 2003. Meanwhile, the NYT and WSJ are using diversions from the Epstein files.
Let's get down to brass tacks, the good citizens of Maine are stuck with a binary choice come November: Platner, whose past behavior strongly suggests that he is not a person of good character, and Collins, whose past behavior has conclusively established that she will continue to support Trump in his campaign to destroy democracy in the United States of America and to support his corruption in stealing vast sums of money from the American people.
Does anyone on this forum really want the citizens of Maine to send Collins back to the Senate?
If the choice is between Susan Collins, and somebody with NAZI tattoos, who attempts to explain them away as being a youthful indiscretion, then please: Susan Collins is many things, but someone who makes light of the Third Reich she is not.
No, Collins merely enables the Fourth Reich. And I hear she supports Paxton, which kind of neutralizes her "concern" about Platner's moral character. Collins is just a nasty, amoral opportunist, whose base character, as Shakespeare would say, is all sicklie'd o'er with with her gushing and mewling about her "concerns." To hell with her.
If I may vent about purity tests from a different perspective:
I live in a Nebraska congressional district that hasn't sent a Democrat to congress since the early 1960's. Yet the district is competitive enough that in a wave election, the Democrats have a fighting chance. (The independent Senate candidate Dan Osborn received more votes in 2024 in the district than incumbent Senator Deb Fischer, who ultimately won reelection.) There was a competitive primary last month between two Democrats with the more progressive candidate who advocated for Medicare-for-all losing to the candidate who favored healthcare reform in the context of Obamacare. The winning candidate has foreign policy experience, having been on the JCPOA negotiating team. The left seems to think he has some Gaza stink on him, and now, having not participated in the primary, are using the petition process to place a candidate on the general election ballot. This appears likely to ensure the reelection of the Republican incumbent. Because, why not: Centrist Democrats are as bad as Trumpists, I guess.
The problem there is the far left, no the centrist Democrats. Too many of the far left refuse to accept that they need to participate in the primary process and WIN THERE for their candidate to have a chance in the general election. Politics is a team sport, and they refuse to accept that. They need to grow up!
I like in district 2 as well, and voted for the candidates I liked best in the primary, fully understanding that I need to vote for whoever has the (D) behind their name in the general election, with the exception of Dan Osborn (who will have an (I) behind his name.
The Blue Dogs were slaughtered, and the demise of moderate Republicans was only half because of the Tea Party and Trump's litmus tests. Moving to the center ain't what it used to be.
If we should have learned anything from the last decade plus in politics, it is about the effects/importance of character... or the lack thereof.
But maybe the problem is that the way we do politics (especially these days) seems to attract people lacking in character... and people are even more willing to excuse it, so long as it is our tribe and not their tribe.
This extends beyond this particular case and there are real problems and weaknesses in the Democratic party WRT candidate selection and messaging. Turning into MAGA-lite or to people lacking in character probably isn't a good answer.
You don't need "purity" tests WRT ideological issues, but maybe character should be a concern?
Lately we have been electing people who know how to run for government, not run government. Let’s give someone else who doesn’t want this trick. Abraham Lincoln is a great example. With today’s metric of electability he would never have been chosen to lead the new party, and we would all be poorer for that twist of fate.
I largely agree. The problem is that the skillset and character required to get elected don’t match up with the skillset/character needed for effective governance. I learned that lesson early from student government in school.
That is why I am hugely in favor of doing away with legislative elections in favor of sortition selected citizen assemblies.
I also do not think that judgeships or law enforcement positions (like sheriffs) should be elected positions.
Lincoln didn't sext women or espouse Nazi ideals. It's as if the people supporting Platner refuse to name our objectives, and that worries me. If there are things you can't say and still support a candidate, that's a huge red flag to me personally.
Kate, do you live in Maine? Because a previous message above implied that you thought there was still a possibility that Platner could be defeated in the primary. He no longer has any Democratic opposition.
So if you live in Maine, are you voting for Platner or Collins? That’s the choice.
I'm Sure all the Republicans in Texas are having the vapors about that naughty man Ken Paxon running for the senate. And any day now they will be changing their allegiance to James Tallarico. /s
There are other candidates running in the Maine Democratic primary. They're unlikely to surge at this late date, but they are there.
Actually there are 2 other candidates, but they won't get any attention while the "working class" man is in the room.
It’s not Platner’s fault that the other candidates are completely noncompetitive.
Do you live in Maine and are you going to vote for Platner or Collins?
He also had mental issues. Was clinically depressed. Had a high reedy voice, and failed in business. That’s why I spoke of him. Kate, I do not want Collins to win another term. Planter is all we’ve got. I have to think positive about him because Felon Trump is destroying us.
There are other people running, but the media won't give them attention. They want what they want. I tend not to want what they want, but like I said, I expect to stay in the minority on this issue. Unless people know Platner personally, all they know of him, they get through the media, which people seem to have forgotten. We don't know what else is coming down the pike from him.
logsplitter and all that walking - Lincoln ( but secretly I think he married a strange woman, Lincoln )
He did. Mary Todd Lincoln was born to a wealthy Kentucky family. She was educated, spoke French, and loved Lincoln. She was devoted to him, and he to her. She watched two of her four sons die, one while she was in the White House. The third died after, leaving only one son. That, the war, issues with her Confederate family, the Cabinet who thought she should be investigated as a spy, and possibly real mental issues have left us with an imperfect picture of who she really was.
Yes, I did know that. not about her language skill(s) I'm saying she fell apart, and perhaps her emotional health was not always stable.
Not very fair of me. I know. Also recall they really chastised her for some decorating, or china settings, expenses anyway. Any woman would have
some emotional issues after losing children. they were a bit of an odd match. But you know, maybe she chose him. I truly like almost half of what Sally Field does as an actress ( not smokey and the bandit, or the was it norma rae, union ) felt it was a weak performance, As she played opposite Daniel Day Lewis
I felt she failed. but I did not or do not base my opinion on that, I've read
of her sadness before the children died. Now, I'm emotional sometimes the strangest things hurt my heart. Still think she was , affected by something, maybe she inherited something.
I was trying to say that Mary Todd Lincoln was seen as strange. I don’t think any historian actually studied her. I did see a book review that corrects a lot of the misconceptions. I intend to read it. She did choose Lincoln. She could have married Senator Steven’s who bested Lincoln in his run for the seat. History has not been fair to her.
Lincoln was also an upscale railroad lawyer when he ran for president -- the equivalent of a tech company counsel today. Which isn't necessarily bad, but it sure could be used in ads.
I knew he had a position, and legal experience of some length, thanks
It definitely sorts to the bottom of the list.
"Well, Dems and their supporters seem to be jumping on the Collins bandwagon ..."
I wouldn't worry about the Democrats. After all, they didn't waver when Bill Clinton did far worse. Platner didn't even lie under oath. I would worry about Independents and persuadable Republicans (if there are any).
Well, we will see if those persuadable Republicans and independents really care about character when we see the outcome in Talarico-Paxton race in Texas.
Call me old-fashioned (and you can pass me one these days what w Trump's lack thereof), but the old saw that "character is destiny" still rings true.
When the chips are way down, I'll lean on character in public office (or out of it) bcuz it's tied into courage which is the 1st virtue bcuz all others depend on it.
Really? Because when “they go low, we go high” has worked so well? Reminds me of a cartoon I saw after the first Trump victory with a line of ethnically-drawn people being marched out of the country, but an apparent elite liberal standing there saying “Well, at least I voted my conscience.”
There's some space in the political sphere between low and high. I don't believe in “white plaster cast saints,” much less politicians. It's where one draws the line on character, as it's a damn good bellwether.
It also involves the office involved. Trump as a senator is far less dangerous.
And that’s where you draw the line? Consensual sex, maybe not even worth calling adultery? And are you all a bunch of Christians who think that adultery is a mortal sin? If his wife can stand it why can’t you?
It's the total Platner package, much more than the sexting I was referring to. Character is a good bellwether of how a politician will treat and handle his staff, power, special interest money, tough votes, the opportunity for insider trading, and many other potentially corrupting influences.
I would agree but I dont see Susan Collins as a woman of high integrity
Sort of a “Sophie's Choice,” isn't it? Fortunately I don't live in Maine.
Of course they did, because they (minus Tim) have all been waiting to pounce on this guy. I’m sorry but consensual texts are not disqualifying. I’m sure many, many married men do this, including many elected officials. I’m not saying it’s okay. I’m just saying it’s not disqualifying for public elected office.
I agree. This is a problem the Platners have dealt with in their marriage. It is none of our business.
I agree, Susan. I was hoping that the ONE silver lining with Trump is that we could move past the puritanical concern over a candidate's personal life (affairs, sex scandals, divorce, etc.). What one does in office should be our main concern and I am more concerned with actual corruption and other bad behavior and less concerned with elected officials personal failings.
I think it depends on how he and his wife and the campain tackle this issue. Flirting with text is not quite cheating, but the event is not from decades ago. It is recent. One measure of the gravity is that if this kind of thing happened while he is a sitting Senator, it might spiral badly and lead to his forced resignation. So, it does matter.
Sure, it matters, but as Mike says, should you support Collins instead? Because that is the issue.
Democrats had a real candidate in Janet Mills. The governor that is popular and fought ICE as tough as any Democratic governor.
Now Platner is endangering the easiest pickup seat. Where does Chuck Schumer go to get his apology? Oh yeah he won’t get it even though he did everything right.
Platner could still win because it’s Maine and his opponent is a respected nice older congresswoman. But each day Platner is losing independent centrist voters to her and having to turn more younger male Trump voters his way.
Younger voters are tired of geriatric candidates and politicians more concerned about being “safe” and they don’t give a damn about naughty social media posts. Mills would have lost to Platner.
This Boomer is tired of the same old, geriatric candidates.
Yes you are right Mills would’ve lost to Platner. But if Platner never ran the Democrats would have significantly higher odds of winning this seat.
If this was the Massachusetts primary I could care less it’s a guaranteed victory in the general. But Platners odds on the betting markets which do matter have dropped. It’s gonna be a 50/50 election in best case instead of a 75/25 election. In this current climate a quality candidate like Roy Cooper is 80% to win in North Carolina which is crazy.
The senate is so narrow now that losing this seat could hand the Republicans the majority. So feel better about putting the Nazi tattoo guy in the ballot. Just don’t tell me that he’s a better chance to win than a normal governor who’s popular like Janet Mills.
This is the Platner's business, not ours. If Mrs Platner loves her husband and he loves her that's it. Now let's beat Collins and take back the Senate. Disappointed to see The Bulwark clutching its pearls and tsk-tsking.
"This is the Platner's business, not ours. If Mrs. Platner loves her husband and he loves her that's it. " I would agree with your analysis if the Platners were a married couple down the street not running for an important US Senate seat.. But as a US Senate candidate--married or single--.Graham Platner's sexting is an issue of really poor judgement voters should take into account. If I were a Maine voter, Platner would still get my vote over Collins with her history of enabling Trump.
Respectfully, we will agree to disagree. These are not ordinary times and Democracy is at stake.
Right, so keeping dotard in control of the executive branch AND the Senate is the way to save democracy.... as far as I know he didn't even cheat, just some ill advised texts, I'm over it already and anyone who cares about Democracy should be too...
This feels right to me. Collins needs to go. I think that Andrew is right in pointing out the dangers of following the GOP into the abyss. I do feel that we Dems hold our candidates to a higher standard. As a general concept, I think that's important. As we clearly see every day they if we elect morally bankrupt people to the highest offices, we get rampant immorality.
On the othher hand, who among us us squeaky clean? So the ral question is where do we draw the line? I don't know the answer to this.
I haven’t followed this story closely, but it seems to me that this happened when he was not a candidate. So it has no bearing on how he behaves as a candidate or as a senator.
100% agree.
If the two of them had an open marriage (they might) this would still indicate fantastically bad judgement.
If he was going behind her back, it's a moral failing. It's a failure to honor your word. It's a failure of self-discipline. It's a failure to place other's above one's own sexual gratification.
He may be a great senate candidate, but this gives me every reason to believe he'll be another crappy senator. Being "better than Susan Collins" is a very low bar, no one needs to pat Platner on the back for clearing it.
Of course. No reasonable person doesn't cheat on their wife and then run for US Senate a year or two afterward,
I agree completely. None of our business.
This is what we said at the time about Bill Clinton. I think we were wrong. Either character matters or it doesn’t. I don’t like Platner as a candidate, but I thought he was a talented politician. Maybe he is too sketchy to survive a heated campaign tho.
We'll see what Maine voters think about this. My guess is removing Collins and saving Democracy will win over this private family issue. Incidentally, Clinton's numbers did not decline despite the media frenzy over the Lewinsky situation. I hear your concern about "character" just pointing out that right or wrong, it doesn't always matter to voters.
I well remember as I felt the same—it was a private matter between him and Hilary. It tarnished the Clinton brand tho, and today I’m more aware of the power differential between Lewinsky and Clinton. In any event the voters will decide. We shouldn’t call them fascists if they stay with Collin’s.
Beautifully said!
Do we have any evidence that Platner was harassing the women he was texting, or exploiting a position of power over them? I haven’t heard any so far, and absent that, this is a vastly different character issue than Clinton’s
Cheating is understood to be sleeping with another. Not texting.
I disagree. Cheating includes its precursors, like sexting.
I was responding to another commenter, but as far as I know it’s just straightforward cheating. The issue is that it’s recent, I think, suggesting to some that he hasn’t reformed as much as he had claimed. Personally I don’t like or trust him, but it’s not one thing and more importantly not my decision.
"...as far as I know" is the important line here.
I expect more will come out about him if and when he’s the nominee. I’m surprised by how many people have shrugged off his tattoo, his Reddit history, and his sexting. I really think it’s not too much to ask that office holders have shown good judgment as adults and generally good moral character throughout their lives.
If you've done as much research about Platner as it seems, then you probably know about his difficult re-entry back into society after the war. And so perhaps some grace might be in order? Just a thought.
One answer is proportionality and not equating emails to infidelity and cheating, as most people understand those terms.
I wouldn’t vote for him. But I don’t live there.
Oh, give me a break! Platner IS going to be the Democratic nominee 8 days from now. His only significant primary proponent has dropped out. So, the time for people in the pro-Democracy movement to discuss the pro's and con's of Platner's candidacy are over.
Now, if he runs for higher office in the future, we can circle back to this.
P.S. The Dem's are running a squeaky clean choir boy in my home state of Texas. If Talarico wins the general and Platner loses, I'll eat crow and happily apologize to Andrew.
What you are describing is the point of the piece. If the only moment to "discuss the pros and cons" of a person's candidacy is before the party primary, and parties have lost the ability to winnow the field ahead of that moment, we're going to see lots more voters holding their nose and voting for a person without ever having really had a moment to weigh those pros and cons. I'm not telling anybody "don't vote Platner," I'm suggesting a structural weakness created by feckless parties and voters who increasingly love "outsiders."
Andrew, Platner started running town halls all over the state in the summer of 2025. Any plausible challenger to Platner should have been doing the same. Where were the potential challengers? Nowhere. The Maine Democratic Party did not “lose the ability to winnow the field.” There WAS no field until Schumer decided to convince Janet Mills to run a race that she clearly had no interest in.
Platner is an incredibly effective retail politician and has built a base all over the state that will be hard to shake. In any case, it’s now Platner vs. Collins, and the choice is clear.
Right, the real problem for Dems is finding good candidates for the primaries. Why in the world are we having such a hard time doing that? I’m in CA and for the governor race, we had Swalwell who apparently was a well known creep to everyone but the public and now we have Javier Becera - who has minus charisma and long time staff pleading guilty to stealing campaign funds and Susan Rice said she wouldn’t trust him running the CA govt vs Tom Steyer a billionaire who is self funded to the tune of 200 million, seems like a good lefty but who knows because he’s never held public office. I mean, how in the world are we not getting better candidates than this???
Because normal people will no longer run . The time you let someone copy your paper in 8th grade will come out .
No party discipline. We were better off with Tammany Hall.
That's true. Our political system is flawed in so many ways. But flawed as it is, it's all we have standing between tyranny and freedom.
Justin, WE are flawed which is why our political system is a mess. We are what is standing between tyranny and freedom. It looks as though we did stumble, we are getting back on track. Lessons were actually learned.
Judge not, he's not running for a deacon-ship.
Your comment somewhat demonstrates how low current politicos have lowered our bar of expectations,
well, that's your right to say whatever you please.
My heroes are not astronauts, football players, reverends, authors
or politicians. Maybe some don't know that not all judges are honorable.
Many in high positions are really creepy ass humans. I don't get this
worshiping or holding anyone in such high value. Everyone is a little special, and no one is that special. In conclusion heroes are not even real.
Family really matters, or old and new friends, all children matter.
Other than that, a little skepticism is in order for all.
Agreed.
I just had to vote for governor in California. The entire first page of the ballot was only the governor candidates, and there wasn’t a single person listed who I really wanted to vote for. We have the 5th largest economy IN THE WORLD. We need a good governor. Frankly, this is a more important job than being a us senator. Please write an article on how the one party dominated states in the US are suffering from mediocre representation. The only Republicans in California are crazy and the democratic leadership is suffering (in terms of not having to have a high level of skill at the job to progress) from a lack of true opposition.
The voters aren’t choosing outsides for the sake of being outsiders. They are choosing the only people running who offer something different than an establishment Democratic Party that refuses to move on from an entrenched gerontocracy and keeps putting up candidates who should be home with enjoying their twilight years with their grandkids, and are wildly out of touch with the problems of ordinary voters who are 40 years younger, while the only alternative they seem to offer in younger candidates are people who have the same views as their geriatric leadership and tend to come across as completely inauthentic, ineffective, and not willing to put in the real hard work to serve people. Take Platners rejection of unpopular establishment litmus tests and conventional policy wisdom and put it in an establishment approved body 50 years old or younger, have them speak to voters like a normal person instead of a consultant brained automatron, and make people actually believe they care about making your life better and will fight for you and people will vote for the establishment insider too. But the party has no interest in offering that to the voters, so they will keep looking to the only candidates who will, and vote for the dreaded outsider.
I agree the gerontocracy is bad . On the other hand , 18% of US population is > 65 , and 37% is 50+ (source US census ) and 27% is 30-50 .Longer lives and fewer babies . It's a different population now .
It doesn't matter. Having an older population is not an argument for 80 year old serving in elected political office and refusing to step aside to usher in the next generation and instead choose to become mentally decrepit flesh colored organic glorified gavel holder until they die and a millennial is forced to ritualistically pry the senate gavel out of the grip of their cold dead hands.
Jezzus .
This is on Schumer. He effectively bludgeoned potential candidates out by going all in on Mills, and was left holding the bag when she washed out.
I respectfully disagree that this is *all* on Schumer. There is a Democratic Party organization in Maine. There are possible Democratic Candidates in Maine. I've lived in Maine and visit there often, and am considering returning in retirement. If you accused most people from Maine that they could be pushed around by Chuck Schumer, I suspect they would take some offense.
And, frankly, if they could be pushed around by Schumer to do what we all see to feel was a stupid choice, I guess I think we're better off with Platner, tattoo and texts and all.
Then how come someone like Chellie Pingree or Mike Michaud or anyone else didn’t jump in?
I don't know. I'm just saying if they thought they could have won, they should have run.
Seriously, anything to get rid of Collins
Platner’s sexts never separated migrant kids from their families, launched a reign of terror and ethnic cleansing on America cities, or laundered an insurrection — but Collins’ votes did. I honestly don’t even see the purpose of this type of takedown.
Collins also voted to give a man credibly accused of rape a lifetime appointment on the Supreme Court. She wouldn't even insist on an FBI investigation of the allegations.
I think the purpose is that character does matter, as we have ample demonstration of from Donald Trump. Planter’s character seems way more questionable than Collins’. At least to me it does.
Is Susan Collins’ character not demonstrated in the votes she has taken, continues to take, and the real-world impacts of those votes?
She keeps giving Trump the “benefit of the doubt”, which is what people would be giving Platner.
I knew Donald was not worthy of the benefit of the doubt 40 years ago. Sen. Collins is older than me. She is of demonstrably low character to enable a glaring threat to the Republic.
Susan Collins has voted to give a fascist rapist everything he wants. Her character is atrocious.
If you volunteered to go fight after 911, then you have a leg (or prosthesis) to stand on in your assessment of Platner’s “character.”
someone wrote in colorful chalk on the sidewalk in front or near Collins home, she highly over-reacted. I do not like her, and have not for quite some time, don't live in Maine, but if I had, would've voted against her at least three times
( whatever they wrote it was not even nasty, profane or even insulting )
I learned a long time ago that marriage is complicated and messy and no one should judge the reasons why someone chooses to stay or go in a marriage. Since Platner and his wife have both publicly addressed the matter, I am done with the hand-wringing. Why is everyone so willing to give Trump a pass on so many character flaws and transgressions but everyone else has to pass a test with ever-moving goal posts. Look I don’t love that he did these things but he has never tried to deny the stupid stuff he said on line and having heard him speak in person several times now, I am ready to vote. Susan’s votes and comments over the last few decades is an on-the record-display of her cowardice and “concern” that I can no longer stomach. To me the choice is crystal clear so stop making more out of this than you already have.
No I am saying that we seem to have a double standard -Trump gets a pass for all of his transgressions and character flaws and outright lies and when a Dem candidate like Platner fesses up to his own transgressions which in my mind do not rise to the level of Trumps, there is an outcry and a willingness to dump him. We did the same thing to Al Franken and others.
You're comparing this to Trump. Positively. As in "This worked for Trump, why not us?"
You are comparing Trumps rape with Platers really inappropriate sexts to adult women who were not his wife.
Platner looking for love immediately after his wedding is creepy, but it is only one red flag out of a list: Nazi tattoo, mercenary work, awful comments on rape victims.
It's not a Nazi tattoo. For the 10th time. He doesn't get security clearances if hes got a Nazi tattoo. Let alone pass TWO security clearances. SMH.
I'm sure not going to put working in the US Ambassadors security detail as somehow being a negative. Seems like that sort of service is usually seen as pretty honorable?
And I'm fine with him taking responsibility for making totally normal but douchebaggy comments during a low spell.
Sexting after his wedding? Thats ugly for sure. Only question is if it's more ugly than Susan Collins voting for creeps like RFK and Kavenaugh. Thats a tough one.
You won't catch me claiming Susan Collins has any morals! But the Democratic primary won't include Collins, it's for Democrats.
It seems this happened before they were married, they worked it out, went to counseling and according to his wife, they are fine now. I generally don't like dragging people's dirty laundry into the street unless a crime of some kind has been committed. Did he do wrong? Apparently. Is it my business? Doesn't appear to be.
Platner has poor judgment. He has demonstrated it time and again.
For crying out loud, Maine can do better than this!
We can always do better certainly, but your other choices are Collins who will do whatever trump wants and a very elderly establishment candidate, who has already thrown in the towel. I'll take the risk on the bad judgement. If it turns out he has bad judgement and is a bad senator, then toss him out.
Well, we Pennsylvanians are stuck with John Fetterman, who can do a lot more poor or anti-representation in the next three years.
Platner isn't Fetterman. Fetterman had a stroke that has fried his brain. You can just listen to Platner, who has been asked about the Fetterman comparison multiple times, and know he is not Fetterman.
My point is, what can voters do when their elected representative ceases to represent them in a consistent or responsible way, regardless of the reason. Fetterman's stroke was no choice or decision of his but he still should resign. I have urged him to do that for the sake of his health and his family, AND also his constituents. This is not what we voted for.
Oh he absolutely should have resigned, no doubt.
Carolyn - tho the stakes are far more serious (for you Pennsylvanians & our whole country), it's kinda like a false advertising situation... you didn't get what you were expecting, not performing "as advertised." In politics & govt we don't really seem to have a great solution for this. Sure suggests the importance of voters shopping more carefully in future!
Thomas Kean Jr.'s unexplained 3 month absence is another case in point. And he's on the ballot (NJ) today.
I feel for you on that one, but people over play that, he had a stroke, and as someone who worked with stroke patients, personality shifts are pretty common. That appears to be what happened to him.
See my response to Mary.
Fetterman is basically the least bad Republican Senator. Oz would have been a lot worse.
And Collins has good judgment? 🤯 Maine can do better than both of them, but that's not their reality this election.
At this point, the nature of the process means that they can't.
I wish I good believe that people are better than they appear to be. Give me some reasons.
Every report I've read said he did it after they were married - which is the point.
Who care?! Stop rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic!
I get your point for sure. I care about character; and someone doing this sort of thing - esp. in the early days of their marriage - certainly raises questions about that. But what exactly is "this sort of thing"? We don't have details.
Much more importantly - to your point - these are not normal times as JVL likes to say. Whatever he wrote, and to what degree it demonstrates his untrustworthiness and lack of good judgment, appears at this point to be MUCH less of a threat to our country than Susan Collins.
Platner has never impressed me, and if we ever get back to normal times we'll hopefully have better candidates. Considering what politics has become, I'm surprised anyone decent is ever willing to get involved.
I find his former service, his ability to speak to toxic masculinity and admit to his utter human-ness, as exceptionally impressive. I do not understand JVL’s issues with Platner, other than it’s his temperament to be lower case c conservative about most things, which is a thing I love and respect about JVL. Platner is going win, it’s just by how big of a margin.
I’m curious, what about him do you find unimpressive aside from all the media reports about his tattoos and Reddit threads?
Since it's been over a month, you've probably forgotten about this; but I was cleaning out my emails and realized I never replied! I honestly haven't read all that many "media reports or Reddit threads" - altho there was enough talk about him that I get the gist.
I saw him on a few pods - including, I think, here w/ Tim? I have very good intuition, and just didn't get a good feeling from him. If I lived in Maine I certainly would base my vote on the FACTS that were available about him regardless of my reaction to his "energy," so please don't think I vote based on vibes! He didn't do anything for me, but I can't name any specific detail; sorry.
In contrast, I was totally turned off by Beto when Tim had him on a long time ago b/c just about every third word out of his mouth was "fuck." I'm really bad about cussing, but he was completely over the top about it, and came across to me as thinking he was being cool when instead he was obnoxious. With Mark Cuban, when Tim had him on, I thought he was as full of himself as anyone I've ever seen - a total turn off for me. He struck me as someone who would be totally dismissive of others' concerns if he didn't share them.
Fortunately for the folks who like Platner, he won! I just hope he has enough support to beat Collins, and wish whoever was the candidate was doing better than he currently is. As JVL has said so many times, there are no rules or standards for MAGAs, but Dems have to be perfect - and I'm concerned his "issues" will lessen our chances for winning that seat - altho they pale in comparison to just about everyone in MAGA world.
In light of the latest, I wonder now if I was picking up on a certain creepiness???
Absolutely! It’s such a shame and truly awful. I had hopes for his future as a member of the senate but no more. He needs to gtfo.
Apparently so.
Ugh me too.. meee too.
SO, he flirted
VJ - Andrew reports Platner's wife "found EXPLICIT texts with a NUMBER of other women on his phone" (emphasis added). When we eventually see some of these texts (odds: hi) we'll know where on continuum they fall between "mildy" flirtatious (tho explicit?) to arranging extra-marital trysts. Different voters will have different assessments of how explicit & how many it takes to affect their vote. Expect big bux to be available to any of his text recipients to encourage them to go public, along with psy-op AI versions coming to a website near you soon! The drip drip drip will take its toll. Good luck, Maine
I'm not in Maine. he is what in his early forties. I am older than that.
I would not flirt by text but younger people do, explicit, that depends
what is explicit. what is dirty, is all sex dirty. I think not.
I was taught as a kid that sex is degrading & dirty, so you save it for your one true love 🤔
so, you're asexual, like I don''t even want to know
sex if natural, sex is fun,sex is healthy, oh my gosh
I could be misinformed, I heard she told the staffer about it last year and it occured shortly before their marriage. But I could have misheard or got bad reporting on that. Either way it is a bad look certainly.
Platner got married in November 2023 and the messaged or spring of 2025 or after he married his wife, but also when he was probably considering running for office.
Yeah I doubled checked that, apparently she said this happened in the early days of their marriage. I stand corrected on the timing.
having that creepy online kik app with a shirtless profile pic was pretty lame (the NYT left that one out of their story). I'd vote for the guy but he still kinda sucks.
I think a lot of us feel as you do, which is why Andrew is warning us not to let it become a trend, which is good advice. I certainly hope that one election does not turn out to be a trend setting party platform. I have to have faith that it won't.
I’m a Maine voter and will be voting for Platner. The sexting was incredibly stupid but imho that’s between him and his wife. Bulwark release your grip on the pearls!
Andrew, I stopped reading your article when I realized that you're basically regurgitating the conventional media. I caught up on my TV news this weekend, when I skimmed through Inside Politics (for the very last time ever) and Frederika Winfield (also last time) and others. This was a top story on almost every program I skimmed. This is the mainstream media's affect on our politics. Side note: CNN has been unwatchable for a while, but this weekend confirmed for me that they're basically already in cahoots with the GOP. I'll never watch another second of CNN news programming.
This is a big, fat nothing burger, that was planted by Collins' campaign or the RNC and it simply doesn't matter.
I don't care.
Did he rape a woman? No?
Did he touch a child inappropriately? No?
Did he force his will on a woman because of his position of power? No?
Then I. Do. Not. Care.
And neither should you.
This isn't about Collins v Platner, this is about stopping Donald effing Trump and the Oligarchs. Nothing else matters. Vance, Miller, Hegseth, Blanche and every fucking member of The Heritage Foundation need to be removed from power and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
The only way we can stop the completion of the fascist takeover is to unseat any Republican we can, for any reason, at any cost. Unless one of the three things above are true, shut up.
Every time Democrats write or verbally opine about the character issues we distract from the actual fact that the GOP is actually a group of fascists and, if we let them cement themselves into power, we will not get them out without weapons and death.
The other team doesn't give two fucks about morality. They're cheating and lying and stealing at will while you prattle on about whether or not the Dems are "becoming just like them".
This isn't about morality, it's about cutting out a fucking cancer so that it never returns.
Stay on point, people.
Y'all got me fired up this morning! LOL
This blasted system will only let me give your comment one 'like' when it deservers many, many more.
Your comment stands quite well on its own, but if you want to go all Reader's Digest on it, might I suggest: "don't let the perfect get in the way of the good"
Bit of a mic drop there, Rebel Monk! I wasn’t sure how I felt about the Platner thing but after reading your post, you cleared my uncertainty right up. I’m completely on point!
Excellent Rebel Monk.
As we used to say " Bill screwed the intern , Bush screwed the country
The difference with Platner is that he addressed it. He's not Swalwell who fortunately bowed out. Most Dems do not tolerate the behavior we've seen from Republicans as far as sexual harassment. Ironically the establishment Dems tried to foist Andrew Cuomo on NYC but the voters said no.
One only has to listen to Platner to know where he stands on the issues and he's on the side of the angels. Collins must go. So get over the tatoo. Let's face it. A lot of our American heroes cheated on their spouses. Great presidents have cheated on their spouses. Great generals have cheated on their spouses. This sounds like a carry over from the Clinton era where the same Republicans who wanted to impeach Clinton for lying about cheating on his wife because it was a matter of "character" are now perfectly happy with a guy who has cheated on all three of his wives. If his wife wants to forgive him, who am I to say this is a disqualification?
big time agree! ps, married people flirt, they really do in real life ( then they decide if they should not have ) adults.
I am not defending Platner. In fact, I have very mixed feelings about him. And I do take Egger's point about the temptation to downplay character. Still, I have to say that extramarital sexting in no way compares to repeated assaults and rape
💯
Platner is not a convicted rapist. Talk about degrees of difference. How many women have filed harassment lawsuits against Platner? How many women has he paid off to hush them up? How many magazines have practiced 'catch and kill' to hide his indiscretions. Y'all can't hide your deep repub roots sometimes.
FYI Lawfare is also creating a database of the Jan. 6 docs. I think that's a separate move from Tom Joscelyn's. Good to have multiple people doing it.
Thanks for calling out the J6 project work done by Lawfare. Lawfare had a podcast series on all the J6 prosecutions and created an archive of documents for selected cases. The lawfare J6 project is archived here: https://www.lawfaremedia.org/projects-series/the-jan.-6-project
I don't think it is a comprehensive and archive containing details of all the cases, but is a very good resource.
NPR has put together a searchable database containing significant detail of all the J6 prosecutions and criminal cases here: https://apps.npr.org/jan-6-archive/database.html
I'll be honest: Platner's texts are bothersome, but I have trouble finding them disqualifying if his wife and family don't.
My concern is that he'll turn into Fetterman II if elected. But if that's the case, he'll be no worse than Susan "I'm concerned" Collins.
'Tis the times we live in.
Mine too. There's an "unknown" about him I find worrisome.
I continue to wonder how pundits like Andrew just don't get American voters. We are enraged by Republican corruption and fascism. So what if the candidate likes to text with other women. I don't care. Do you have any idea how many men and women have semi cheated on their spouses using tech? Like millions. Or even cheated and stay married? Again, millions. If we actually knew the personal histories of many of our leaders they are included. Sex lives absent abuse are not really important. Believing in democracy and democracy reform is. You just can't get over the tatoo.
100%. This kind of ex-Republican nonsense is why my infatuation with the Bulwark is waning.
Well, I'm a progressive feminist who agrees with Andrew. It takes all kinds of voters. Some of us have learned our lessons about voting for liars who can't get their stories straight and who think vows are meaningless.
You clearly haven't read the stories or he and his wife's response. He didn't lie. He has made zero effort to cover up anything. How about learning the facts before trashing the candidate.
And if you are actually from Ontario why are you commenting on American candidates as if you are an American voter?
Lake Ontario is in New York State.
Your moniker isn't clear then. Last time I checked Lake Ontarios includes Ontario, CA. Still doesn't excuse you commenting on a story about which you don't know the facts. Plattner sexted with some women. His wife knows. Former campaign staff leaked the info (probably to get the story out before Collins or for her). He didn't lie. Is it really our business? What if they have an open marriage? Is that our business? Does a candidate have to reveal the details of their sex lives to us? Is that really necessary?
Perhaps this character trait in so many Americans is exactly why we are where we are. It’s a big deal. Keeping integrity in marriage, honoring a spouse and one’s word- pretty foundational character traits.
Well I will share your marriage counseling advice to my many long term married friends who have experienced infidelity in their 30+ year marriages. Perhaps our problems stem from Dems and some old style Repubs who care more about appearances and the intimate lives of candidates (good luck finding perfect Millennials) than leadership and policy. Based on your criteria MLK, Jr. would fail the test. Leaders are flawed. It matters more about their honestly surrounding their flaws. I'm sorry but you aren't going to find many people under 60 who think sexting in a marriage makes someone a bad candidate. Any candidate under 50 is going to have online imperfection, even Talarico. I'm so sick of the purity testing. It's ridiculous.
How old are you?
Which of us? I am in my late 50s. Marriages are all unique, especially in the area of physical intimacy. I do not want to know the details of a candidates sex life unless it involves something illegal. I just don't care. I think it's super invasive, puritanical, and no different than the Christian right.
I honestly blame Chuck Schumer for not recruiting Jared Golden to run against Collins. Yes, Dem voters may still go for Platner, we saw that when Fetterman annihilated Conor Lamb in the primary four years ago. But not offering a viable choice shows how weak he is.
Mills was a serious misread of the mood of the party after Biden, yeah.
I'm nervous about Platner but also find the hand wringing tedious at this point. It's him vs Collins and as Andrew eventually pointed out, what are you gonna do, vote for Collins instead?
I had a friend in college who said she voted for Nixon because she wanted to send a message to McCarthy! How did that work out?
What troubled me the most is he referred his private part as “Mein Fuhrer”, much less than he is a horn dog. It makes the deniability of the tattoo much less plausible. Instead of hand wringing, I hope he comes clean on everything now and refocus the energy against Collins.
Well you may be happy to learn then that the "Mein Fuhrer" part is totally invented--sort of a reverse JD Vance couch thing.
Thanks Andrew for clearing it up. Still very annoyed by how ineffectual Schumer is.
I'm thrilled to discover I'm apparently NOT irretrievably online cuz I hadn't heard this one until now. Must've missed the Will Sommer piece about it
It was on MSN news so who knows what online sewers that came from.
That was laughably ridiculous, they need to lie better.
Almost as ridiculous as calling it a pine cone!
Good point about the Feuhrer nickname.
Andrew cleared that one so hopefully it is now off the table.
Tai - or, wait... by talking about it have we amplified it again? Gaaauughhhh!!!
Yep, we're apparently stuck with him.
how weak who is?
Schumer