Here's a good read on Platner

[Tesha]

"So let’s just keep our eye on the ball. If you are a liberal democrat, or better yet, a progressive democrat, you should be grateful that this guy and his long suffering wife are willing to stand out in the force 10 shitstorm being directed at them in order to make America a better place for working people."


https://www.facebook.com/rob.gardner.399

[ariadne0614]

1. A worthy perspective. Gardner's credentials are impressive.

Here’s a snippet regarding the NYT article:

If you got about a thousand men together in a stadium somewhere and asked them “Have any of you ever been an asshole in your life?” I am afraid, everybody who was honest would say “yes”.

[mainer]

2. This is why I don't believe people who claim "of course I knew it was a Totenkopf!"

It seems everyone claims to be a WWII historian.

I have to make a post about Graham Platner. First of all, that stupid tattoo. I have made three films about the holocaust, looked at more than 5,000 still photographs of the Holocaust in the German national archive in Koblinz, spent two weeks in the photo archive at Yad Vashem in Israel looking at thousands of photographs, did a 90 minute PBS special about the French resistance against the Nazis, and I have an entire book about German military uniforms and I did not recognize his tattoo as an SS Totenkopf insignia when I first saw it. The actual Totenkopf insignias are small and silver, and when I saw the large black version on Platner’s chest I did not recognize it. I wish I had a dollar for every tattoo I ever saw that was a bad choice.

[eShirl]

8. and yet people will continue to go on about it

[Emile]

11. Thankfully people are catching on to their despicable behavior, and supporting the progressive.

[rampartd]

40. size does not matter

but skull and crossbones puts me more in mind of piracy on the high seas, or that fraternity that rules the world. platner may have confused his tattoo with one of those.

[B.See]

49. Must confess, I didn't know.

But then again, I suspect there's a LOT of racist, hate based symbolism that MANY don't know about.

[dalton99a]

3. While Republicans nominated Ken Paxton for the Senate

and the rapist felon is ruling the world

[Javaman]

4. any other link than Facebook or is just a Facebook article? nt

[questionseverything]

23. See post #6

[Javaman]

44. Thanks! :) nt

[Nanjeanne]

5. Yup!

[chia]

6. OP link doesn't work for me. I found another link by searching with a line from your OP:

I have to make a post about Graham Platner. First of all, that stupid tattoo. I have made three films about the holocaust, looked at more than 5,000 still photographs of the Holocaust in the German national archive in Koblinz, spent two weeks in the photo archive at Yad Vashem in Israel looking at thousands of photographs, did a 90 minute PBS special about the French resistance against the Nazis, and I have an entire book about German military uniforms and I did not recognize his tattoo as an SS Totenkopf insignia when I first saw it. The actual Totenkopf insignias are small and silver, and when I saw the large black version on Platner’s chest I did not recognize it. I wish I had a dollar for every tattoo I ever saw that was a bad choice.

But really, and most important, what this guy is about is challenging the very foundations of American politics and economics, which favor the corporations and the rich and leave the working Americans behind. The same message as Bernie Sanders and AOC. This message is very threatening, not just to republicans, but to many main stream democrats as well. His genuine talent as a retail politician is truly remarkable and if American politics is going to change we need guys like this. People love him and Maine voters are going to make him their nominee, and he will probably beat Susan Collins.

As for the piece in the New York Times, whose shocking reveal is that ex-girlfriends are not always the best character references—especially if they are republican operatives—I just think it is shabby journalism. Not a word about his policies, which are the entire reason the guy is running and why Mainers are supporting him, no matter what bullshit is thrown at him. If you got about a thousand men together in a stadium somewhere and asked them “Have any of you ever been an asshole in your life?” I am afraid, everybody who was honest would say “yes”.
So let’s just keep our eye on the ball. If you are a liberal democrat, or better yet, a progressive democrat, you should be grateful that this guy and his long suffering wife are willing to stand out in the force 10 shitstorm being directed at them in order to make America a better place for working people.

And for all the “liberals” clutching their pearls in horror over this guy’s behavior or background, just ask yourself whether you want to have a democratic senator in Maine (and maybe a democratic senate) and a new force in American politics that is less worried about what Yale graduates think and more worried about what the majority of Americans thinks. We are lucky to have this guy in the race.

The post was in this FB group but as a non-FB user I can't find a link to share it:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/813782883637272/

[niyad]

9. I see that "liberals" is in quotes. Interesting.

[Cha]

39. I was just about to comment on

The division there.

We need to win the Miderms. Dems from all over the country need to win. Not just Planter.

He wants to get things done, as we all do; we must win the Midterms.

That means all stripes of Dems. Check it out.

[eShirl]

10. As someone who avoids facebook, I thank you.

[Bumbles]

7. Perhaps the time has come for the Dems to have their MAGA moment.

Trump represented change for his followers. It seems Platner may offer the same for Dems and the establishment.

[nuxvomica]

13. Big difference between excusing bad behavior and celebrating it

MAGA celebrates and encourages bad behavior. Platner is contrite about his faults while MAGA are proud of theirs.

[niyad]

17. Could you please link to the part where he expressed contrition

for his comments about women? I obviously missed it.

[nuxvomica]

18. According to NYT reporting he did

In the months since then, despite a barrage of headlines about inflammatory remarks Mr. Platner made about women online years ago — remarks for which he has apologized — the candidate went on to have a stunning rise to become the presumptive Democratic nominee in one of the nation’s marquee Senate races.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/30/us/politics/graham-platner-maine-senate-texts.html

[niyad]

19. One would think they would actually quote him on something so

serious.

[nuxvomica]

20. Some quotes

https://abcnews.com/Politics/maine-democratic-senate-candidate-regrets-deleted-internet-posts/story?id=126636744

[niyad]

21. "Stupid stuff" ?? Okay then.

[MorbidButterflyTat]

26. What are his progressive plans for women's issues?

[Emile]

46. Universal health care and economic

issues, which can indirectly benefit women, particularly in areas like reproductive health and economic issues.

[Emile]

47. He wants to increase the size of the Supreme

Court, and restore Roe vs Wade.

[mainer]

12. I just voted for Graham Platner

So did everyone in my family. Now we wait. Hoping to see the results around 8:30 PM.

[Emile]

14. Thank you!

[TBF]

16. Best of luck taking back your state -

we are hoping to do the same here in Texas.

[mr715]

22. Thanks! Let's nail Susan Collins to the wall.

[ThreeNoSeep]

51. Me too!

Proud of my vote. Saddened by the Debbie Downers.

[LAS14]

15. hear, hear!

"the piece in the New York Times, whose shocking reveal is that ex-girlfriends are not always the best character references"

Yeah!! Would every person in the country who has an ex who found them "disturbing" please raise their hand?????

[mainer]

24. Kick

The quote about not recognizing the Totenkopf needs to be spread far and wide.

[W_HAMILTON]

25. If only they had shown the same compassion towards Hillary...

But, no, she had actually been fighting for us pretty much her entire life, therefore she was derided as """establishment""" and not deserving of some people's vote IN THE GENERAL AGAINST DONALD TRUMP that now plead for votes for a much more flawed candidate in a primary against other Democrats who would do just as good a job, if not better, then Platner.

[questionseverything]

27. This is not about Hillary and I am pretty sure all of du voted for Hillary

So join us today please and try and get us a democratic majority

That is all

[W_HAMILTON]

29. It is because a lesson trying to be taught now is one that should hand been learned a decade ago.

And again, PRIMARIES are being held today. This is exactly the time to make your case for and against candidates.

Once the candidate is selected, THAT is when everyone should let bygones be bygones.

I will bite my tongue when it comes to criticizing Platner if he is our nominee, but I damn sure will be reminding certain folks that they better be showing the same sort of compassion to every Democrat running in the general as Platner's biggest supporters expected that we show him in the primary.

[mr715]

31. Let it go. 2016 isn't 2026

[W_HAMILTON]

33. That was said in 2024 and look where we are now.

EVERYONE on the left should support ALL Democrats that are running against Republicans.

[mr715]

34. Huh?

Get over it? Get over it.

I hope Secretary Clinton has. I hope Vice President Harris has.

Time to move forward.

You do whatever works for you, but this is my opinion.

And I was a diehard, diehard Clinton supporter. 2008 and 2016.

[W_HAMILTON]

35. No one on the left should have """gotten over""" allowing a fascist to be elected TWICE when we could have stopped it.

Those who don't learn from history are doomed to be repeat it.

So, again I say: EVERYONE on the left should support ALL Democrats that are running against Republicans.

You agree, yes?

[mr715]

36. Yes.

Last edited Wed Jun 10, 2026, 09:13 PM - Edit history (1)

But the past is settled, and brooding over it will do you no good.

[Cha]

41. Yeah, I know that. but W HAMILTON

is right. He doesn't need to "let it go"..

Too many threw "purity tests" at Hillary in the GE.. This is why the fuck we got in this HellHole in the First Place.

Same with VP Kamala Harris. We got the PEDO A-gain.

I really hope I don't see any fucking "purity tests" on other Dems for the Midterms, who actually don't deserve them.

[Violet_Crumble]

42. That's not true..

No-one at DU threw 'purity tests' at Hillary in the GE. Same goes for Kamala Harris.

Oh, you seem to be saying that Graham Platner deserved the 'purity test'? I saw going on here. Strange how people view things differently. What I saw was a mixture of pathetic pearl clutching and a coordinated smear campaign. It was pretty disgusting, tbh.

[mr715]

45. W Hamilton is not right.

They were applying the same purity tests that they claim brought down Sec. Clinton.

It is all well and good during a primary, which is why you cannot fault Sen. Sanders.

The primary didn't defeat Sec.Clinton.

[Cha]

48. I said NOTING about the Primary.

I specifically stated the GE

W HAMIILTON was paying attention!. And I respect his opinion.

I'm not getting into any GD "primaries..

Hillary would have been a Great President, but too many were blinded by Hate to see that. RF Jill Stein made sure of it, and her buddy Sarandon in the swing states. They have blood on their hands. .

[mr715]

50. The OP is discussing Platner

In in this conversation, we are discussing Sec. Clinton.

That is not a viable way forward.

[eShirl]

38. " I will bite my tongue when it comes to criticizing Platner if he is our nominee"

well guess what

[Violet_Crumble]

43. Now the routine has shifted. It's all about Hillary Clinton now...

Which is really boring and makes no sense. Instead of biting tongues, that person should be supporting Platner. If they can't they shouldn't be at DU.

[mr715]

32. I was so furious at the candidacy of Sen. Sanders in 2016...

I harbored a lot of blame and resentment. After a lot of wringing my hands and gnashing my teeth I realized that it isn't about what was "owed" Sec. Clinton and perhaps part of the problem was the perception of being "owed".

Bernie Sanders didn't cost Sec. Clinton the election - Donald Trump did. With the help of James Comey.

[mr715]

30. Secretary Clinton won Maine.

Pretty sure she did.

I don't know why you'd bring up Mrs. Clinton here unless you were relitigating the 2016 primary... or perhaps the 2008 primary?

I can't tell.

Is this perhaps about Sen. Sanders?

[Nanjeanne]

52. Pretty sure it always is.

[MorbidButterflyTat]

28. Who is rob.gardner.399?

The musician, the producer or the Mormon artist? Maybe the drummer for Guns N' Roses?

[Nanjeanne]

53. Documentary film director who has made films for PBS, History Channel etc.

Gardner had won three Emmy Awards and had been nominated for one Academy Award.

You can Google more Im sure.

[helpisontheway]

37. I have not watched cable news since the night the orange one won again

I don’t know anything about Platner except for a few comments on social media. I don’t know what other options we had. All I can say is that I hope the democrats in Maine did not screw us up like the ones in PA did with Fetterman. Or the voters in NYC did with Adams. Regardless, it is over now. Democrats in Maine have spoken. One more chance to get Collin’s out. It will probably have to be a huge blue wave to get her out.