I was a member of the Maine Green Party. I became a Dem so I could caucus for Bernie.

[GPV]

I have never liked See-saw Susie, and would love to see her out.

That said, I'm not a Graham Platner fan. The Nazi tattoo was unsettling. His comment about women's responsibility in not getting raped floored me. When I heard Genevieve McDonald, who represented the town where I grew up, speak about him, it carried more than a little weight with me.

I deeply resent how the media and people outside of my state helped to crown this man, and then dismissed concerns about him. Yes, the nation needs Collins gone, but I feel like many people are completely dismissive of what some of we the actual voters want. Does it matter if Platner serves his own constituents well? Are you not the least concerned that he might not deliver for us? He might not even deliver for you, if he turns out to be another Fetterman.

We have ranked choice voting, but it's not the answer to splitting the vote. If I rank my preferred candidate first, Collins could still win. So I will have to hold my nose and vote for Platner so we can get the seat, and then hope that he will do the job well, both for the state of Maine and for the nation.

[eShirl]

1. "So I will have to hold my nose and vote for Platner" good

[GPV]

7. Well, there's no other option, is there?

[Polybius]

54. There's always another option n/t

[LisaM]

78. Yes there is.

There is another Democrat running, David Costello. I don't know much about him, though his positions and credentials seem fine. He must have gotten lost in the money raising shuffle.

[gab13by13]

2. I support Democrats

If Magats control the Senate in 2027 you can bet your sweet ass that Alito and Thomas will both retire and we will get a younger version of those 2.

I have read articles from renowned journalists who claim that Democrats are good at eating their own.

Isn't one of Platner's accusers the same person who defended Kavanaugh at his confirmation hearing? Did she suddenly have a change of heart about sexual assault?

I voted for Fetterman, gave money to him, IMO it was his stroke that changed him completely. He is not the same person.

[Intractable]

6. "it was his stroke that changed him completely. He is not the same person."

I agree with this statement. I have seen it happen with others. Bad strokes can change people, meaning among other things, that their values change.

[mopinko]

14. their lizards brains take over. same w dementia.

i’m fascinated w brains. i wish more ppl had an understanding of where in the brain thoughts/feelings come from.
the ugly comes from the oldest part of the brain. the animal part. it’s the base, and when things deteriorate, it takes over.
art, music, compassion, cooperation, those r things that evolved over time. those r the best of us. they dont call them ‘higher functions’ for nothing.

[SamuelAdams]

32. But he had the stroke before the Democratic primary.

Why did you all continue to support him over Conor Lamb after his stroke when you knew strokes change people?

[LisaL]

45. Good question that makes the whole situation to suck even more.

We had a good choice in that primary and still ended up with Fetterman.

[Polybius]

62. The stroke was right before the primary

Many voted already.

[Polybius]

60. The stroke was days before

Most already voted. Which is why I was never a fan of early voting.

[Celerity]

68. The stroke happened on Friday, May 13th, 4 days before the primary. Many votes had already been cast.

No one knew at that point how badly the stroke had changed him.

[Intractable]

73. I'll attempt an answer.

A stroke does not necessarily change someone.

We're liberals. We are sympathetic to people when injured.

His stroke was quite problematic. But, from what I could see, there was no route to abandoning him that would be true to what we value, which is often people over politics. That's one reason we lose elections.

Actually, I did not "support" Fetterman. I did not vote for him because I am in a different state.

[ToxMarz]

18. There is also a likely scenario if the Democrats take the Senate in 2027 at least one or possibly both

Alito and Thomas will retire in 2026 and be replaced by younger versions before then. One election is not going to fix the Supreme Court problem and and any possible gains will probably be temporary. Some sort of overhaul is desperately needed.

[Boo1]

83. Sorry, but the stroke is a scapegoat

for people who turned a blind eye to his serious question marks prior to that and voted for him anyway.

This is the same guy that chased a black jogger down the street and held him at gunpoint for no apparent reason.

[chelsea0011]

3. I feel for you

I’ve had to hold my nose and vote for Green Party in local elections.

[Intractable]

4. I see what you did there.

[GPV]

5. I left them for a reason. They started out well, but

went off the rails and were no longer tenable. The truth is, I was registered as a Green to keep the party alive, but since very few Greens and Socialists were ever on the ballot, I voted Dem 90% of the time. Once Bernie entered the picture, it was a no-brainer to switch.

[littlemissmartypants]

13. Sanders isn't a Dem now is he? Did I miss something big?

Seriously? I don't understand.

[LisaL]

19. It seems rather confusing to me as well, but

he goes through democratic primary process. Then runs as an indepedent in a general.
https://ballotpedia.org/Bernie_Sanders

[littlemissmartypants]

21. TY! ❤️

[Blue Full Moon]

48. AIPAC money and corporate strangle hold.

Him and AOC have brought in way more people. More importantly lots and lots of people who never voted before.

[demmiblue]

8. I don't envy you, that's for sure.

Joan Walsh wrote a piece for The Nation that you can probably relate to:

Graham Platner and the Rise of White-Male Identity Politics

…

The Maine oysterman has been through a lot since his 20-year-old Totenkopf was revealed in October (he had no idea it was a Nazi symbol, he said. He’d danced with his shirt off at a wedding, in front of his Jewish family!). Then came allegations that he had posted, on Reddit and other social media, various icky thoughts about women, Black people and gay people. He said both the tattoo and the sometimes outrageous Reddit posts were a product of his PTSD and alcoholism from his military service, which included not only the Marines but a stint at the mercenary group Blackwater. He asked for understanding and compassion. He received it.

But consider this, when you think about whether to trust him: If the New York Post is to be believed, as recently as Tuesday he told Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, who’ve endorsed him, that there were no more muddy boots to drop, and that the “worst” of the rumors they might be hearing weren’t true. Then he cancelled the rest of his Washington meetings and ran home to Sullivan, Maine, to do damage control on the coming New York Times story. Even if you don’t believe that story, or don’t want to believe the Republican victim, you’d have to count what he told Sanders and Warren as something akin to a…lie, wouldn’t you?

Platner did something similar in his interview with MSNOW’s Chris Hayes last night. When Hayes asked him whether there were other “texts, photos, floating around that will hurt the campaign,” and whether he worried about it, the candidate brushed it off: “I’m not worried about it. There may be things out there, but they’re before I was in politics and a public figure.” He repeatedly depicted the negative stories coming out against him as what happens when you’re “going up against an entrenched political machine.” Disapproval was only coming from “career politicians.” Platner went on: “My journey is one of transformation.”

And my journey is one of disillusionment, and maybe some regret that I ever believed him. Dude, you got into politics last August. So anything that happened, say, that spring must be forgiven?

Yes, I’m a little pissed off. I’ve been Platner-skeptical since the Totenkopf reveal, but my Maine friends and acquaintances as well as people I respect in the broader progressive community love him. But I think Platner’s rocket to political stardom reflects something ugly that’s developed, not only on the right, but the left: The only acceptable form of “identity politics” now is white male identity politics. On the left, women and people of color have been told since Kamala Harris lost in 2024, even going back to Hillary Clinton’s loss in 2016, that we are the problem, our “identitarianism” drove away moderates and white men in 2016, and in 2024, even some Black and Latino men.

https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/graham-platner-maine-senate-2/

Ultimately, it is about replacing Collins… the greater of two evils, in this case. :sigh:

[LisaL]

9. I have some serious doubts whether he is going to beat Collins.

Especially considering we likely have not heard all there is to hear about his behavior.

[NoRethugFriends]

10. As with Susan collins, your concern is noted

[LisaL]

11. Maybe I prefer not to bury my head in the sand?

"“The Maine U.S. Senate race is shaping up to be the most contentious in the country. There are worrying signs for both major, active candidates. For Collins, a bad economy and historically unpopular president are making the road to reelection extremely bumpy. Although Platner slightly leads in the poll, he’s less well known than Collins, which makes voters more persuadable as new information comes out about him,” said John Cluverius, director of survey research for the Center for Public Opinion at UMass Lowell and an associate professor of political science. Cluverius noted that the poll was conducted days before news outlets reported allegations of sexually explicit text messages involving Platner."

https://www.uml.edu/news/press-releases/2026/06042026-maine-senate-poll.aspx

[yardwork]

47. ....

[demmiblue]

12. It would be foolish to believe that there isn't more out there.

His meteoric rise, given his background, is really something.

Other than this stuff and suddenly appearing as a candidate - a venture which offers income to his family - Graham Platner has no record in politics and no history of progressivism

— Hunter Walker (@hunterw.bsky.social) 2026-06-06T18:49:10.170Z

[SamuelAdams]

34. He gives off Trump vibes.

Willing to do and say anything for personal advancement. Has a cult of personality developing around him who will defend everything he does and says.

[yardwork]

41. All he has to do is say he hates Israel.

And suddenly some Democrats forgive and overlook everything else. Mind boggling.

[questionseverything]

66. That's not true

I can only speak for myself but while I don’t hate Israel I do hate the things they have done the last couple years to Gaza and now they are trying to start ww3 and I really hate that too


I don’t understand how you accept no responsibility for the mayhem and death Israel has caused

[yardwork]

74. What's not true about my post?

You said it isn't true and then you said nothing about my post.

I'll rephrase in case I wasn't clear. In my opinion being against Israel's existence, in other words, being anti-Zionist, is a litmus test for some Democrats. Those opinions are reflected in some posts on DU.

It's my observation that the question of Israel is the only thing some Democrats care about. If a candidate is opposed to Israel (anti-Zionist) then nothing else matters: the candidate is supported. If the candidate ever took money from AIPAC or ever spoke in favor of support for Israel - no matter how long ago - then nothing else matters: they are not supported.

Note that in these two posts I've said nothing whatsoever about me or you.

[questionseverything]

77. I feel like I addressed your post and explained my personal position and you ignored my points

I don’t try to speak for others

Sherrod brown has received tons of AIPAC money but I still support him, just another personal example of how wrong you are

[biophile]

72. To some, all he has to do is say he loves Israel

And suddenly some Democrats forgive and overlook genocidal reckless expansion and war crimes. Mind boggling.

[yardwork]

76. Any voter who chooses based on a single issue is wrong, imo.

Maine is going to have their primary this summer and Democrats will choose a candidate to run against the Republican.

It's a crucial election. Our only hope is to take control of Congress. The Democratic senatorial candidates MUST win.

Choosing a candidate to run against Collins based on a single issue is very foolish, imo.

[biophile]

86. I agree with you! Well said

[lapucelle]

46. Platner appears to agree with a Trump voter's election denialism: "Yep. The powers that be refused to let him have it".

Maybe he is just humoring an asshat who actually voted for Trump three times, but, nevertheless, the candidate himself did post the video.

At 2:51.

[Cirsium]

79. No

They are talking about Sanders at that point, not Trump. That said, the guy Platner is talking with is a complete idiot. He is complaining about a nonprofit buying land on Beal's Island. That would be the Downeast Institute.

Maine’s fishing families and communities rely on the ability to sustain and enhance marine resources. In the mid-1980s, fishermen and community members from six towns in rural Washington county became concerned about a decrease in soft-shell clam harvests. They joined forces with research scientist Brian Beal to work together to learn how to spawn clams, raise larvae, and grow them into seed clams that can be planted in mudflats. This effort initiated Maine’s first public shellfish hatchery and founded the organization that was to become the Downeast Institute (DEI).

For over 30 years DEI has continued to conduct applied research on commercially important shellfish species along the entire coast of Maine.

DEI exists to support fishermen and the health and resilience of Maine’s coastal economy by generating new knowledge about the marine environment. We work directly with community and industry partners to discover and develop methods and techniques to adapt fisheries to the changing marine environment and create new opportunities for fishermen and entrepreneurs in Downeast Maine and beyond.

https://downeastinstitute.org/about-us/

We need push back against that level of idiocy, not sympathize with it.

I am not going to say any more.

[lapucelle]

80. Wouldn't that mean that Platner agrees with the Trump voter's election denialism concerning our Party?

He said:

"Yep. The powers that be refused to let him have it."

I wonder why Platner didn't push back against that level of idiocy rather than sympathize with it.

[Cirsium]

81. Understood

That's a fair question. I think candidates should be willing to push back when someone is factually wrong. My point was only that the discussion was about Sanders, not Trump's election claims. Those are different issues.

The Sanders argument isn't generally that vote totals were fabricated or voting machines were rigged. It's a debate about institutional power: media coverage, super delegates, party preferences, donor influence, scheduling, and internal party dynamics. People can disagree about the extent of those influences, but it is not equivalent to alleging a stolen general election.

Democrats who never supported Sanders acknowledge that the party establishment preferred other candidates. The disagreement is over whether that preference amounted to unfair treatment.

I was correcting a factual point because I think it matters. They were talking about Sanders at that moment, not Trump's 2020 election claims.

That said, I don't think the two issues are on the same level. Arguing that Sanders was not given a fair shake by the Democratic establishment is not equivalent to claiming the 2020 election was stolen.

My own criticism of the video is different. I think Platner missed an opportunity to push back against the fellow's complaints about the Downeast Institute rather than simply nod along. Listening to people is important, but that doesn't mean every grievance should go unchallenged.

[Nixie]

87. You are absolutely correct in your assessment of the "powers that be didn't let him have it." They were using Sanders

as their bias confirmation, and none of Sanders claims about rigging were substantiated, either. It was all a ruse to drum up anger and discontentment.

Hillary was a popular, experienced First Lady. Sanders isn't even a Democrat, so the whole "rigging" rabbit hole is completely laughable when you look at how much access Sanders had to our party's election apparatus.

So it sounds from this interview that Platner is also an Independent...? an ex-Republican turned Independent, but he is using the Democratic party as Bernie used it.

[Cha]

89. That so figures. It's not reality, so there's that.

[yardwork]

40. That is the problem so many here seem to ignore.

Out of all the Democrats in Maine THIS is the best the party can do to unseat Collins?

WTAF.

[questionseverything]

67. You have done enough posts against him yourself to sink him

The repubs appreciate it I am sure

[LisaL]

71. I didn't realize I have that much power.

[rpannier]

33. F.D. Signifier did a video that had some about the White Male Identity bit

It's not the whole video
But, in the beginning he talks about Platner, and he asks why there isn't more attention paid to Black people running who have the same politics as Platner, but not the baggage

Here's the link in case you wanna see it

[littlemissmartypants]

15. We really don't know who's supporting who anymore with...

Citizens United. There could be two dark money groups, one for and one against, trying to divide the whole damned Democratic Party for all we know.

You have to follow your heart or your head, and sometimes, that can be uncomfortable to do.

The best of luck to us all.

❤️

[calimary]

17. Sometimes it seems like that's all we've got. Fingers crossed!

Pretty damn frustrating, I must say.

[littlemissmartypants]

24. You got that right, sis! I am itching for a fight and I don't like losing so if I have any power anywhere...

I'm using it strategically.

It's time for a huge helping of Feminist Justice in the midterms.

❤️

[Hieronymus Phact]

16. Your vote is not a valentine worthy of only your true love.

It's a chess move. Play accordingly.

[paleotn]

20. What lovely bait the Republicans are dangling.

Don't take it hook line and sinker. And it wasn't outsiders who crowned him. It was Mainers. Looked at the polls lately?

[LisaL]

22. Have you looked at polls lately?

I posted a link on this very thread to the recent one.

[paleotn]

70. And Mills would do better?

Mainers don't like her very much.

[infullview]

23. I was anti Platner until I heard him speak in Bar Harbor

He credited his wife Amy a lot about his transformation and he seems very sincere. I liked what he had to say. I think he will be a good steward and fight for Maine values. I am not hung up at all on the issue of his white male identity. We’ve had a woman (Collins) badly representing us for years - now it’s time for a change. As far as DEI, Maine is the whitest state in the union so I guess he represents our majority for this moment in time.

[LisaL]

25. That transformation has to be a very recent phenomenon, considering

him sexting with multiple women after he was married (and he is only been married for 3 years).

[infullview]

88. I think we should use Trump as a metric for how virtuous a man should be

So let’s compare. A few flaws vs a complete fucking pedo asshole. Even JFK had bad moments and No one ever called him out. People are flawed. The important this is to acknowledge your mistakes and try to do better.

[Zelda_Orchid]

26. Now you understand how regular Democrats can vote for people like Manchin,.

[Polybius]

57. Great username!

I'm a huge Zelda fan myself, I have almost 20 games spanning several systems.

[rokar]

27. Tattoo

Marines who served with Platner have said it is not a Nazi tattoo. I am also unsettled about his comments on rape, but let's not add rethuglican talking points to the lies they are telling about Platner and other Democrats running across the country.

[yardwork]

39. Platner's tattoo was a Nazi tattoo. That is an indisputable fact.

It's been shown here over and over. It doesn't matter what his former Marine buddies say or what anybody says. It's not open to interpretation.

It is a fact that the tattoo was a copy of a Nazi insignia.

When I read posts claiming otherwise I assume the poster is poorly informed.

[LisaL]

52. No, they didn't say it was not a Nazi tattoo.

They said they didn't know it was a Nazi tattoo.

[mcar]

28. Thank you for this. nt

[BeneteauBum]

29. I am ambivalent also

His history has me questioning his run for senate, however, Collin’s needs to go. I thought Fetterman would be a good fit but he hid his true convictions to get elected. Hope Platner isn’t doing the same.

Peace ☮️

[ABC123Easy]

30. Well said, GPV, well said.

Excellent post.

[Grim Chieftain]

31. If the Nazi tattoo offended Platner, he could have it removed

Why has he not done that? Another issue that I have brought up in other posts is the need for us to be very vigilant about who we choose to be our candidates. We need to hold them to a high standard and be very cautious. Having a "D" behind one's name is not enough. This fetid Republican regime would like nothing better than to destroy us from within - run as a Democrat, govern as a Republican.

There is too much at stake. Our country and our democracy is at stake.

[eShirl]

53. he had it covered up with another tattoo

you are repeating misinformation

[LisaL]

56. He had it covered in 2025 after it became a campaign issue.

Apparently nothing he did before the campaign should count against him.

[Grim Chieftain]

58. No I am not repeating misinformation

Covering it up is not having it removed.

[eShirl]

61. jfc

[betsuni]

35. K&R

[crud]

36. ranked choice voting

You can vote for the Dem you want, and it won't affect Collins total. It doesn't matter who wins the first round as long as they don't get over 50%. Your vote for the non-Platner candidate will not help Collins, even if you vote for every other Dem before Platner. Your vote won't help Collins. Feel free to vote your hearts desire, as long as it's not Collins. Make Platner your last choice and hold your nose. RCV means choosing the lessor of two evils is not the only strategy. Your vote for a less popular candidate won't waste your vote. This is how I understand RCV. Tell me if I'm wrong.

[LisaL]

43. Yes, voting for whoever in a democratic primary isn't going to affect Collins at all.

She is not running in a democratic primary.

[crud]

44. Oh shit

You proved me wrong. Thanks.

[RoeVWade]

37. As far as I can tell "Platner" was not a careful plan, but an inspired choice. And that carries the risk of

what we have here. Of course, we know they threw all kinds of stuff about Obama which wasn't near true so that will happen anyway.

I was researching how he came to rise to prominence, and that's the best I can ascertain. I was more or less trying to figure out how we arrived at this situation, as it is.

[yardwork]

38. This is the point a lot of DUers are missing.

Nobody here is suggesting that it would be better for Collins to be reelected. Everybody here wants Collins gone.

Out of all the Democrats in Maine, how is Platner the best choice to unseat Collins?

It makes no sense. Platner should never have gotten this far.

[LisaL]

42. My point exactly.

It makes no sense to me either.

[leftstreet]

49. For 30 yrs every Dem contender failed

So yes, why is Platner gaining ground when almost 30 yrs of Dem candidates couldn't?

[LisaL]

50. I don't think he is gaining ground, at least as far as winning against Collins is concerned.

His poll numbers and his odds (on betting websites) aren't improving.
"Graham Platner’s path to the Senate in Maine has narrowed sharply after fresh allegations surfaced, with his chances now at their lowest point since he entered the race in August 2025, according to prediction market data."
https://www.newsweek.com/graham-platner-chances-winning-plunge-ex-girlfriends-report-12035097

[leftstreet]

59. Right

That makes sense. And without the allegations, he'd be walking away with this.

So I only wondered why he was enormously successful as a candidate (pre-accusations) where 30 yrs of candidates weren't.

[LisaL]

63. 30 years of candidates who got the nomination had to be successful as candidates.

Or they wouldn't have gotten the nomination. It's the general election where they failed.

[betsuni]

64. I just can't see most Republican voters not voting the same in November even if Platner-curious.

[yardwork]

51. I don't know. Do you?

I mean, it sounds like you're suggesting that the Democrats' only hope to win this seat is to run a wealthy white man who had a Nazi tattoo for decades, voted for Trump and Collins, shitposts offensive comments about women and minorities, and pretends to be a good ol' boy?

Really?

[leftstreet]

55. No

But what's been lost here - with the allegations sucking the oxygen out of the room - his initial campaigning. He packed growing rallies all over the state talking about rich vs poor, healthcare, taxing millionaires, the price of groceries, etc. He's postured as a VERY anti-establishment candidate.

Did the others before him? I don't know

[yardwork]

65. I don't know either but it's a shame the DNC didn't run better candidates.

That's what's missing.

[Scrivener7]

69. But Platner DID get this far. Whatever we think of it, he did.

[mr715]

85. ...but he's going to be the nominee...

How can you suggest he shouldn't have made it this far when he did?

Clearly people are buying what he is selling, so the claim that "he shouldn't have been able to" means there is something wrong in the model.

[mike_c]

75. I'm an FDR democrat...

...who has "held my nose" and voted for weak sauce dems every freaking election I can remember. It's better than the alternative. You'll get over it.

[SocialDemocrat61]

84. FDR supported segregation

turned a blind eye to the Holocaust, created the military industrial complex, illegaly imprisoned Japanese American in concentration camps and even sent the army to break up a labor union strick in California.

[BannonsLiver]

82. "I was a member of the Maine Green Party."

Well don’t beat yourself up over it too much. We all make terrible decisions at one time or another in life.