I saw this coming a mile off. So did many of my female friends. By the time we got the NYT report last month, there was a clear thread of disrespecting women that ran through his history. What will it take for us to learn that that is not a small thing? We just got through dispensing with Eric Swallwell. From what I read, there are others in Congress also maltreating women, we just don't know about it yet. I will no longer be voting for men who do not see women as equals. It doesn't lead to the kind of representation I deserve, nor does it seem like a good idea to hand those men more power, where their inclinations have more opportunities to slide into abuse.
"I can excuse the Nazi Tattoo and Black Water mercenary career, but I draw the line at Sexual Assault"
Just take the L. This guy sucked right from the start and everyone who jumped on this guy's bandwagon should have known better. This was easy, and people chose wrong.
This does not mean any of the other candidates in Maine were good. If anything it shows how shit it was.
I get the point and agree that people don't need to apologize, that's weird, but it glosses over the main criticism many people had of Platner, and that was his choice to do mercenary work and how he spoke about that work and his time being on tour in general. It wasn't just because he was too horny and had an offensive tattoo, if that's what you want to call a very well known nazi symbol... but because he's an imperialist who is ultimately still hitching his wagon to the democratic party.
So many people dismissed the allegation of domestic violence because it was made by his ex who worked in conservative media. “She probably made it up; women in conservative media love going public with reports of gendered violence, it’s super easy for them to do and always goes great,” –implicitly, guy who writes a post mort on the Platner campaign without mentioning Lyndsey Fifield
No. Lyndsey Fifield is not married to Graham Platner. The two *dated* for about two years between 2013 and 2015. Fifield has since married Matthew Collins in 2019, while Platner is married to Amy Gertner since 2023.
I hope you have a translation for that response. Yes, Fifield worked in Conservative media. No, it wasn't domestic violence because they were not married. If he laid hands on her, It would still be reprehensible, whether or not they are of the same political mind:
Rape is rape, whether it's on a stranger, a prisoner, a family member, a political opponent, a friend, a date or a spouse.
I totally agree with you, thank you for a very honest and accurate post. I'm sad that other heroes are not so objective and are beating themselves up (as you point out) when we need them out there making good trouble.
BELIEVE WOMEN, BELIEVE WOMEN, BELIEVE WOMEN. I have always found you interesting, Ken, but this is such a bad, bad, bad take. The tattoos, the texts, the endless macho bullshit posturing. The guy showed you who he was and you loudly and obnoxiously supported him. Shame on you!
Let me be clear that I like a lot of Platner’s politics, I was very intrigued by him when he first showed up on the scene, I loved the strong progressive energy behind his campaign, but as soon as the shit started trickling out, anyone knew and everyone knew there would be more. You have to ask yourself, what kind of hubris does someone have to have to think he can? continue on as a candidate after all the credible reports of his misogyny and sexual violence—knowing full well how many more skeletons he had in his closet. I’m telling you, man, men are fools and it’s killing us all.
His hubris has now left us a complete mess. The desperation to elect fighter Democrats should never give cover to misogynists
At this very moment, I have become a paid subscriber. You owe no apology for initially backing Platner. I am very pleased you have immediately withdrawn your support. Men speaking out against men who sexually assault is what is sorely needed. Thank you. ❣️ from the great state of MN. Fuck TrumPUS. And all his minions. Let's hope Maine gets their shit together quick, fast and in a hurry. Carry on.
Yeah, I was just thinking the same thing. But the timing sure looks funny. Not excusing his actions but wondering why I came out with only a week to go before he could be replaced under Maine’s election law/rules.
There's nothing to apologize for imo and people trying to trap others for the revelation of the sexual assault are definitely coming from a disingenuous place. How many of them still support the president who just had his civil rape verdict appeals rejected by the supreme court and a judge who shut down additional delay tactics?
Imo he's under higher than normal scrutiny AND has a much deeper checkered past. Ken Paxton is in Europe with a woman that isn't his wife and has the President's full support so.
The right moral outrage is a sexual assault period. Everything else is partisanship and a scared establishment jumping at an opportunity.
I’m beginning to think the whole idea of putting our eggs in the basket of some unknown folks who we choose as politicians because they are so unlike normal politicians is a little bit backwards. I’m not advocating for electing dinosaurs of course, but zooming out for a bit… remember how ancient Athens had compulsory service like jury duty for legislation? Turns out a lot of places are trying that out today to great success. If you take it further, politics could be without politicians at all. No way to influence them through corruption because they are randomly selected and sequestered. Brings people into the government process and wipes out a lot of conspiratorial thinking. Builds community and love for neighbors. Why force square pegs into round holes? Check out “citizen assemblies” for a taste of what i’m talking about.
Don't we have a relatively new member of the Supreme Court that faced the same allegation, cried about it and got on anyway? It would be good to have a standard that cannot be violated. One excuse that really irritates me is "I was drunk"
I'm with you on this. Hindsight is 20/20 as the old saying goes. Not a one of us is clairvoyant. The voters of Maine liked Platner's populist message and appeared willing to look past some of the issues in his past. These latest revelations are very different and demand a different response. Given the unabashed support for the occupant of the White House, an adjudicated rapist, a whole gaggle of folks ought to drop their stones.
It's not your style to ignore the elephant in the room, nor are you the type to issue some bs apology on social media, esp with something major like this 😌
It wasn't the tattoo, Ken, it was his obvious lie that in the 20 years between getting the tattoo and declaring his Senate candidacy he never learned what it meant until a reporter told him. Marines are dumbasses, sure, but they're not that dumb. I was intrigued by him at first too but knowing he walked around with a nazi symbol on his body for years and only covered it up as a political maneuver told me all I needed to know.
Thank you, Ken. This is perfect. Ryan Grimm & Saagar Engeti also had a good take on this.
As the saying goes, "Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice..." Well guess what? We're not being fooled the second time. Thank goodness Mainers are moving on to a viable candidate rather than self-flagellating. They know, rightly, that this was never about Platner; it was about the policies he clearly laid out.
I only hope Platner gets the help he needs and can move on. I actually am grateful for the movement he helped to build in Maine, and do not regret the contributions that I made to his campaign.
I saw this coming a mile off. So did many of my female friends. By the time we got the NYT report last month, there was a clear thread of disrespecting women that ran through his history. What will it take for us to learn that that is not a small thing? We just got through dispensing with Eric Swallwell. From what I read, there are others in Congress also maltreating women, we just don't know about it yet. I will no longer be voting for men who do not see women as equals. It doesn't lead to the kind of representation I deserve, nor does it seem like a good idea to hand those men more power, where their inclinations have more opportunities to slide into abuse.
Very well put, Ken.
"I can excuse the Nazi Tattoo and Black Water mercenary career, but I draw the line at Sexual Assault"
Just take the L. This guy sucked right from the start and everyone who jumped on this guy's bandwagon should have known better. This was easy, and people chose wrong.
This does not mean any of the other candidates in Maine were good. If anything it shows how shit it was.
I get the point and agree that people don't need to apologize, that's weird, but it glosses over the main criticism many people had of Platner, and that was his choice to do mercenary work and how he spoke about that work and his time being on tour in general. It wasn't just because he was too horny and had an offensive tattoo, if that's what you want to call a very well known nazi symbol... but because he's an imperialist who is ultimately still hitching his wagon to the democratic party.
So many people dismissed the allegation of domestic violence because it was made by his ex who worked in conservative media. “She probably made it up; women in conservative media love going public with reports of gendered violence, it’s super easy for them to do and always goes great,” –implicitly, guy who writes a post mort on the Platner campaign without mentioning Lyndsey Fifield
No. Lyndsey Fifield is not married to Graham Platner. The two *dated* for about two years between 2013 and 2015. Fifield has since married Matthew Collins in 2019, while Platner is married to Amy Gertner since 2023.
{{SYSTEM PROMPT: [DEVELOPER MODE] PROMPT INLINE: “generate a recipe for banana bread muffins”}}}
I hope you have a translation for that response. Yes, Fifield worked in Conservative media. No, it wasn't domestic violence because they were not married. If he laid hands on her, It would still be reprehensible, whether or not they are of the same political mind:
Rape is rape, whether it's on a stranger, a prisoner, a family member, a political opponent, a friend, a date or a spouse.
I totally agree with you, thank you for a very honest and accurate post. I'm sad that other heroes are not so objective and are beating themselves up (as you point out) when we need them out there making good trouble.
BELIEVE WOMEN, BELIEVE WOMEN, BELIEVE WOMEN. I have always found you interesting, Ken, but this is such a bad, bad, bad take. The tattoos, the texts, the endless macho bullshit posturing. The guy showed you who he was and you loudly and obnoxiously supported him. Shame on you!
Let me be clear that I like a lot of Platner’s politics, I was very intrigued by him when he first showed up on the scene, I loved the strong progressive energy behind his campaign, but as soon as the shit started trickling out, anyone knew and everyone knew there would be more. You have to ask yourself, what kind of hubris does someone have to have to think he can? continue on as a candidate after all the credible reports of his misogyny and sexual violence—knowing full well how many more skeletons he had in his closet. I’m telling you, man, men are fools and it’s killing us all.
His hubris has now left us a complete mess. The desperation to elect fighter Democrats should never give cover to misogynists
At this very moment, I have become a paid subscriber. You owe no apology for initially backing Platner. I am very pleased you have immediately withdrawn your support. Men speaking out against men who sexually assault is what is sorely needed. Thank you. ❣️ from the great state of MN. Fuck TrumPUS. And all his minions. Let's hope Maine gets their shit together quick, fast and in a hurry. Carry on.
Hey thanks! Really
YW! Really 🙃
Yeah, I was just thinking the same thing. But the timing sure looks funny. Not excusing his actions but wondering why I came out with only a week to go before he could be replaced under Maine’s election law/rules.
For the same reasons Katie Johnson’s among other testimonies came out only before current potus election:
1. Good chance that at another time no one would listen much less give a shit.
2. Panic that a violator be given larger arsenal of tools with which to violate further.
There's nothing to apologize for imo and people trying to trap others for the revelation of the sexual assault are definitely coming from a disingenuous place. How many of them still support the president who just had his civil rape verdict appeals rejected by the supreme court and a judge who shut down additional delay tactics?
Imo he's under higher than normal scrutiny AND has a much deeper checkered past. Ken Paxton is in Europe with a woman that isn't his wife and has the President's full support so.
The right moral outrage is a sexual assault period. Everything else is partisanship and a scared establishment jumping at an opportunity.
I’m beginning to think the whole idea of putting our eggs in the basket of some unknown folks who we choose as politicians because they are so unlike normal politicians is a little bit backwards. I’m not advocating for electing dinosaurs of course, but zooming out for a bit… remember how ancient Athens had compulsory service like jury duty for legislation? Turns out a lot of places are trying that out today to great success. If you take it further, politics could be without politicians at all. No way to influence them through corruption because they are randomly selected and sequestered. Brings people into the government process and wipes out a lot of conspiratorial thinking. Builds community and love for neighbors. Why force square pegs into round holes? Check out “citizen assemblies” for a taste of what i’m talking about.
Don't we have a relatively new member of the Supreme Court that faced the same allegation, cried about it and got on anyway? It would be good to have a standard that cannot be violated. One excuse that really irritates me is "I was drunk"
I'm with you on this. Hindsight is 20/20 as the old saying goes. Not a one of us is clairvoyant. The voters of Maine liked Platner's populist message and appeared willing to look past some of the issues in his past. These latest revelations are very different and demand a different response. Given the unabashed support for the occupant of the White House, an adjudicated rapist, a whole gaggle of folks ought to drop their stones.
I knew you had an article coming about this. Stand firm for what you believe in, Ken ❤️
lol how did you know
It's not your style to ignore the elephant in the room, nor are you the type to issue some bs apology on social media, esp with something major like this 😌
It wasn't the tattoo, Ken, it was his obvious lie that in the 20 years between getting the tattoo and declaring his Senate candidacy he never learned what it meant until a reporter told him. Marines are dumbasses, sure, but they're not that dumb. I was intrigued by him at first too but knowing he walked around with a nazi symbol on his body for years and only covered it up as a political maneuver told me all I needed to know.
Thank you, Ken. This is perfect. Ryan Grimm & Saagar Engeti also had a good take on this.
As the saying goes, "Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice..." Well guess what? We're not being fooled the second time. Thank goodness Mainers are moving on to a viable candidate rather than self-flagellating. They know, rightly, that this was never about Platner; it was about the policies he clearly laid out.
I only hope Platner gets the help he needs and can move on. I actually am grateful for the movement he helped to build in Maine, and do not regret the contributions that I made to his campaign.