Tuesday Open Thread: But Seriously, You Don't Have to Vote for Graham Platner
Based on every single poll, it would appear that Graham Platner will emerge victorious tonight in Maine.
Despite having more red flags than Tiananmen Square, Platner has remained on top of the Democratic field for Senate because he is a mediocre White man who comes off as an everyday Joe. Mainers have conveniently overlooked his Nazi tattoo, his perverted social media posts, his cheating on his spouse, and, most recently, his abuse of women because he gives off vibes of being a working-class hero. For them, what's more important is that he's a veteran. That he's a humble oyster farmer. That he's anti-AIPAC (sadly, this has become a critical marker for the Far Left's increasingly public antisemitism). For them, it doesn't matter that he's the most problematic Democrat this entire election cycle; all that matters is that he is pro Medicare-for-all and anti-billionaire, the only two policy positions that leftists ever seem to care about. Bernie Sanders, Ro Khanna, the podbros, all of them are all-in on Graham Platner, his glaring character issues be damned.
Yet, believe it or not, nobody is forcing any Maine Democrats to vote for Graham Platner.
Because Maine is one of the two states that has statewide ranked-choice voting. What that means is that each and every Democrat receives a primary ballot where they rank the candidates from favorite to least favorite. Maine Democrats actually have two candidates still on the ballot in Governor Janet Mills and David Costello, and they even have a third write-in candidate in Andrea LaFlamme. In other words, any Mainer fed up with Platner's grotesque candidacy can leave him off the ballot entirely. If enough voters follow suit, then there's the possibility that Platner could lose out entirely, as Janet Mills likely would appear on enough of Platner's ballots as a second choice that she could eventually reach the threshold needed to secure victory. It's a long shot to be sure, but having statewide ranked-choice voting means it isn't as impossible as it would be if it were a simple single-vote primary that the majority of states have in place.
Stranger things have happened. Should Platner win, we will deal with that in due time. But for one night only, Maine Democrats have the unique opportunity to shock the world and do the right thing. Democrats there don't have to settle for a problematic, mediocre White man to take on Susan Collins. They have a popular sitting governor who never officially withdrew from the race. In Janet Mills, they have a candidate who has zero baggage compared to what has already dropped and, more concerningly, what lies ahead for Graham Platner. Because we all know this is just the tip of the iceberg for him. When you're getting your character questioned by John Fetterman of all people, you know you're in deep shit. As serious as these primary revelations have been, there can be no doubt that the ratfucking Republicans have much, much more in store for the fall. Only a seriously compromised candidate would lose to Susan Collins in this type of political environment. Graham Platner is exactly that candidate.
So, Mainers, it's all up to you. You can limp along with Graham Platner, or you can go with the proven candidate in Janet Mills. If you have severe reservations about Graham Platner's character and values, you can leave him off your ballot entirely. If you don't trust him, you can leave him off your ballot entirely. If you have concerns about him being a GOP plant, you can leave him off your ballot entirely. If you think he's got even more baggage that has yet to see the light of day, you can leave him off your ballot entirely. The choice is yours and yours alone. Susan Collins has been a Trump lackey for far too long. You don't need to nominate someone just because he's become the darling of the far left. In fact, as we've seen this cycle, it has been normie Dems that have won many more competitive races and who are set up for success in the general election, rather than far leftists. Janet Mills had stood up to Trump for the past 16 months as governor; she will continue to do so in the United States Senate. We don't need Fetterman 2.0 in the Senate; we need a lifelong Democrat committed to public service. If you agree, then you need to rank Janet Mills first, David Costello second, and Andrea LaFlamme third on your ballot today.
And leave Graham Platner off your ballot entirely.