In Maine we are being barraged with the most horrific and vile attack ads to which I've ever been subjected. The RNC is so desperate to retain Susan Collins' Senate seat that it's pouring obscene amounts of money — money that could be used to buy food for hungry children in Maine or to keep our rural hospitals from shuttering — into a campaign to crucify Graham Platner's character. Is there no bar too low for these people? By comparison, these make the Willie Horton campaign ad against Michael Dukakis in 1988 look like child's play.
We're all well aware that Platner is flawed. News flash: so is Collins. So are we all — although maybe not as flawed as these two. Platner's missteps have been aired ad nauseum. Collins' are rumored to be a widely known "secret" in Washington, but have yet to be substantiated. I'll leave this to journalists with more resources at their disposal than have I.
Graham Platner casts himself as a gritty, working-class Marine veteran and oyster farmer, forever raging against elites while decked out in jeans and a baseball cap. His fiery populist speeches about economic hardship are designed to make voters think he’s one of them—just a regular guy sticking it to the man.
The everyman image, however, crumbled under scrutiny. Platner collects monthly VA disability benefits, received a generous $200,000 loan from dear old dad for his house, and relies on his mother’s restaurant as the main customer for his oyster operation. Turns out the self-made rugged individualist still needs a safety net woven by family and government checks.
More troubling is his track record of anger management and impulse control. Multiple ex-girlfriends describe a “dark period” of untreated PTSD, depression, and heavy drinking during which Platner was demeaning, erratic, and physically intimidating. Allegations include arm-twisting, shoving, hard grabbing, and holding a partner against her will. Platner denies actual violence but concedes the relationships were toxic—apparently the kind of toxicity that leaves bruises and bad memories.
These patterns didn’t start yesterday. He was booted from the elite Hotchkiss School after a single semester. He joined the Marines, attempted college on the GI Bill, but never graduated. Along the way came alcohol problems, a DUI, and plenty of volatility.
Then there are the charming Reddit posts under “P-Hustle,” full of angry rants, slurs, and edgy provocations. Add in the chest tattoo of the Nazi Totenkopf symbol—covered up only after it became inconveniently public—and you have a résumé that raises eyebrows.
His angry-everyman campaign act may thrill the base, but it hardly screams “steady hand for national security and complex legislation.” His past flirtation with declaring himself a Socialist and joining the Socialist Rifle Association doesn’t exactly soothe concerns either.
The U.S. Senate is not group therapy or a redemption stage for unfinished personal work. It demands leaders who have already achieved emotional maturity and self-control, not candidates still auditioning for their comeback story. Maine and the country deserve representatives whose authenticity isn’t constantly called into question by skeletons hanging in his porta-potty.
Despite all this, Platner cruised to a big win in a basically uncontested Democratic primary. How convenient.
The same party that loves to lecture everyone else about their disgust for Nazis, toxic masculinity, misogyny, and “punching down” suddenly discovers endless compassion and context when this problematic candidate is pivotal to plans of regaining their lost political control. A guy with a Nazi SS tattoo, multiple stories of intimidating ex-girlfriends, an elite prep school notch on his belt, and family money propping him up? No problem—military trauma explains it all away. It’s almost impressive how quickly principles are tossed out when political power is at stake.
Apparently, red flags, contradictions, and compromised principles only matter when they’re flying on the other side.
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Graham Platner casts himself as a gritty, working-class Marine veteran and oyster farmer, forever raging against elites while decked out in jeans and a baseball cap. His fiery populist speeches about economic hardship are designed to make voters think he’s one of them—just a regular guy sticking it to the man.
The everyman image, however, crumbled under scrutiny. Platner collects monthly VA disability benefits, received a generous $200,000 loan from dear old dad for his house, and relies on his mother’s restaurant as the main customer for his oyster operation. Turns out the self-made rugged individualist still needs a safety net woven by family and government checks.
More troubling is his track record of anger management and impulse control. Multiple ex-girlfriends describe a “dark period” of untreated PTSD, depression, and heavy drinking during which Platner was demeaning, erratic, and physically intimidating. Allegations include arm-twisting, shoving, hard grabbing, and holding a partner against her will. Platner denies actual violence but concedes the relationships were toxic—apparently the kind of toxicity that leaves bruises and bad memories.
These patterns didn’t start yesterday. He was booted from the elite Hotchkiss School after a single semester. He joined the Marines, attempted college on the GI Bill, but never graduated. Along the way came alcohol problems, a DUI, and plenty of volatility.
Then there are the charming Reddit posts under “P-Hustle,” full of angry rants, slurs, and edgy provocations. Add in the chest tattoo of the Nazi Totenkopf symbol—covered up only after it became inconveniently public—and you have a résumé that raises eyebrows.
His angry-everyman campaign act may thrill the base, but it hardly screams “steady hand for national security and complex legislation.” His past flirtation with declaring himself a Socialist and joining the Socialist Rifle Association doesn’t exactly soothe concerns either.
The U.S. Senate is not group therapy or a redemption stage for unfinished personal work. It demands leaders who have already achieved emotional maturity and self-control, not candidates still auditioning for their comeback story. Maine and the country deserve representatives whose authenticity isn’t constantly called into question by skeletons hanging in his porta-potty.
Despite all this, Platner cruised to a big win in a basically uncontested Democratic primary. How convenient.
The same party that loves to lecture everyone else about their disgust for Nazis, toxic masculinity, misogyny, and “punching down” suddenly discovers endless compassion and context when this problematic candidate is pivotal to plans of regaining their lost political control. A guy with a Nazi SS tattoo, multiple stories of intimidating ex-girlfriends, an elite prep school notch on his belt, and family money propping him up? No problem—military trauma explains it all away. It’s almost impressive how quickly principles are tossed out when political power is at stake.
Apparently, red flags, contradictions, and compromised principles only matter when they’re flying on the other side.
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Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.