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| Goodbye to any hopes of winning back young white men who wanted a populist in the Democratic Party. The party elites chased Graham Platner out over allegations. By the way, the president launched another war with Iran. Expect gas and food prices to rise again. |
Yearly Wrap Up.
Allegations were too much. I guess the Democrats will chase out a candidate with personal flaws and fly into rage over he said/she said noise.
Okay.
I now have Maine senate race as Likely Republican.
He wanted to focus on issues that affect people in Maine. But here we are talking about some issue facing him and his personal life. Last month it was the allegations of cheating through a social media app. Then it was about a few ex-girlfriends who said he was either a lousy guy or a great partner.
Now sexual abuse.
The allegations comes from a woman who claimed that a mere five years ago, Platner broke into her home and sexually assaulted her. She went to CNN, the network owned by Larry and David Ellison.
What is not being discussed is the jobs report.
The cost of living.
The price of gasoline.
These corporations are raking in massive profits despite Americans tightening their wallets.
The price of groceries are still high.
The cost of housing is unbearable.
The cost of insurance premiums are high.
The cost of shipping goods is high.
The option to go to the doctor, the car mechanic or take a vacation is expensive.
You know the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran again.
More people are struggling under this president. Yet, we are more concerned about a he said/she said story.
This has the Democratic Party got him to step aside.
I take sexual abuse allegations very seriously.
However, for every allegation, there is a Tara Reade and Donald J. Trump.
My thing is, why the victim go the junk food media instead of the police?
Me thinks it was an op from the Israelis.
A woman who previously dated Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner said he drunkenly forced her to have sex after she told him to stop, according to a Politico report released Monday, leading prominent supporters to pull their endorsements and throwing a must-win race for the party into turmoil.
White women tears have locked up Black men. They often get away with sending innocent people to the iron college if they have a bogus allegation.
That curmudgeon Collins will likely face a milquetoast who is backed by the establishment. The pro Israel Dems and KHive are celebrating the decision of Platner leaving the race.
The Maine Democratic primary voters will be either angry or relieved.
The young white male voter, well guess they're in President Donald J. Trump's corner thanks to the Democratic Party's decision to play on moralism.
It makes me less likely to support Democrats come Midterm and 2028.
The enthusiasm is drying up and the Democratic Party will be shell shocked when they realize the progressive base they claim should find their own party will eventually do it at a crucial time.
Platner said Wednesday that he plans to withdraw from the U.S. Senate race in Maine after facing an allegation of sexual assault, shuttering an insurgent campaign that had withstood months of controversy only to implode and imperil Democrats’ attempt to regain power in Washington.
Platner’s exit was expected to further divisions between the party’s moderate and progressive factions, as Democrats struggle to unify ahead of this year’s midterm elections.
Maine is considered a key state for control of the narrowly divided Senate, and Democrats were desperate for a candidate capable of defeating Republican Sen. Susan Collins while President Donald Trump is broadly unpopular.
In an 11-minute video posted to social media, Platner said the process to replace him needs to be “open, transparent and democratic” and to reflect the will and values of people who supported him. He also lashed out at Democratic leaders in Washington, D.C.
“People in D.C. need to stay in D.C.,” Platner said. “Decisions should not be made by people in places of political power.”
At times scratching his beard and looking off camera as he spoke, Platner seemed to become emotional as he announced his plans, seated on what appeared to be a wooden deck as the noise of nearby traffic whizzed by. He also stressed that his decision was not an admission of guilt.
Although Platner had never before held elected office, progressive leaders promoted him over Gov. Janet Mills, who was favored by the Democratic establishment. Mills dropped out of the race in late April as Platner, a military veteran and oyster farmer, consolidated support from primary voters who were eager for a more combative candidate and were willing to overlook his checkered past, which included a tattoo recognized as a Nazi symbol and online postings dismissive of sexual assault.
Shortly before Platner clinched the Democratic nomination in the June 9 primary, there were reports that he had exchanged sexually explicit messages with other women while married and that he had become physical with a previous girlfriend during an argument.
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| Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski support an adjudicated sexual predator. |
But Platner’s support didn’t crater until Monday, when Politico reported that a woman said he drunkenly forced her to have sex after she told him to stop.
Jenny Racicot, who lives in Maine, told Politico she had been in an on-and-off relationship with Platner but cut off contact with him after that night in 2021 and told him the encounter wasn’t consensual. In a CNN interview, she said she had been raped “by definition.”
After the story was published, Platner in a video released on social media denied the allegation as “categorically false” but said he would be “taking the time to reflect on the best path forward” for his campaign. High-level backers pulled their support, including Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who said the next day that he spoke with Platner and that “in light of these very serious allegations, I have recommended that he step aside.”
State law includes a provision for Democrats to replace Platner before the general election. The state Democratic Party held an emergency meeting Wednesday, where more than 100 state committee members signed off on holding a nominating convention, in the event of Platner’s withdrawal.
Platner announced he would do just that less than an hour later.
According to the statute, party officials may select a new nominee if a candidate who won the primary withdraws by 5 p.m. on July 13. The replacement candidate must be named by July 27.
Democrats must net four Senate seats to gain control of the 100-member chamber, and party leaders viewed Maine as a critical piece of the puzzle, along with Alaska, Ohio and North Carolina.
My name might be on the ballot right now, but that ballot line belongs to the people of Maine. pic.twitter.com/RKVyLU76tm
— Graham Platner for Senate (@grahamformaine) July 9, 2026
Nazi tattoo, Reddit posts and more had already been challenges for Platner
Platner has faced difficult questions almost from the moment he started his campaign last year. News outlets uncovered years-old comments on Reddit that appeared to endorse political violence, dismiss rape in the military, criticize rural Americans and use anti-gay slurs.
There was another controversy over the skull-and-crossbones tattoo, which is widely recognized as a Nazi symbol, on his chest. He said he was unaware of the history and chose the tattoo while drunk and on leave with fellow Marines in Croatia. He covered the tattoo after becoming a candidate, and he said in an Oct. 21 interview with the Pod Save America political podcast that he was “not a secret Nazi.”
“Skulls and crossbones are a pretty standard military thing,” Platner added.
However, a former girlfriend told The New York Times that Platner joked about the tattoo being a Nazi symbol and called it “my Totenkopf.”
The revelations about the tattoo and the online comments stirred concern among Democrats that Platner had been poorly vetted as a political candidate and demonstrated questionable judgment. Some party leaders despaired over Platner’s chances to win even before allegations about previous relationships began to surface.
Platner drew progressive buzz and support
Before Politico’s story was published, Platner canceled some town halls planned around the state. Such events were a calling card for his campaign, which prided itself on a willingness to go anywhere to rally voters. Volunteers hosted happy hours and trivia nights that helped generate enthusiasm for a generational shift from Collins, 73, to Platner, 41.
At a time when Democrats have grown dissatisfied with the party establishment, Platner seemed like an appealing alternative. His deep voice could command a room, and voters were drawn to his gruff populism and focus on economic inequality.
They were also willing to look past controversies as Platner portrayed himself as a regular person who had made mistakes and was striving to better himself and his community. Sometimes he talked about his struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder, and he focused on the power of redemption.
Before the sexual assault allegation became public, some voters said they also wouldn’t want to be judged on their worst moments, such as drunken behavior or crude comments.
Platner was backed by progressives including Rep. Ro Khanna of California, but that support quickly eroded after Racicot’s allegations.
“I’ve been very clear that sexual assault or violence against women is a red line,” Khanna said Monday. “These allegations are very serious and credible. Graham Platner should drop out from the race. I am withdrawing my endorsement.”
Sonja Birthisel, a Democrat and data analyst in Orono, Maine, voted for Platner in the primary. But she said he did the right thing by dropping out.
“My hope for the future of our democracy is that we can hold all of our elected officials to higher standards,” she said.
But the 38-year-old said she rejects the idea that the race is a proxy battle between moderate and progressive forces nationwide.
“Maine is a big small town,” she said. “I’d really love to see out-of-state influence and out-of-state money keep out of our beeswax as much as possible.”
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