# Are there any reasons to reject Graham Platner in Maine (campaign suspended July 8, 2026) **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [March 4, 2026, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reasons-to-reject-graham-platner-in-maine-campaign-suspended-july-8-2026/1028179 "2026-03-04T03:50:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 13
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2026, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reasons-to-reject-graham-platner-in-maine-campaign-suspended-july-8-2026/1028179/243 "2026-05-01T18:53:11Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > And, if you look at Janet Mills positions, she isnt really the ideal candidate either. Does she have a Nazi tattoo? I find a lack of Nazi iconography permanently etched into one’s body to be ideal in a candidate. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2026, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reasons-to-reject-graham-platner-in-maine-campaign-suspended-july-8-2026/1028179/244 "2026-05-01T18:56:46Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > Does she have a Nazi tattoo? Nor does Platner. He removed it, covered it up. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2026, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reasons-to-reject-graham-platner-in-maine-campaign-suspended-july-8-2026/1028179/245 "2026-05-01T19:09:04Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Nor does Platner. He removed it, covered it up Fine, did she have a Nazi tattoo for multiple decades? Did she leave the Marines after being told it was an unacceptable Nazi tattoo because she didn’t want to remove it? ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2026, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reasons-to-reject-graham-platner-in-maine-campaign-suspended-july-8-2026/1028179/246 "2026-05-01T20:07:27Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Platner has a solid chance to wind up as Fetterman 2.0, siding with right-wing Republicans and helping torpedo progressive Democratic initiatives.. Any swing state Democratic senator has a chance of winding up as Fetterman 2.0. Over at the Fetterman thread I argued that Fetterman doesn’t cause problems for the Democratic leadership (unlike Sinema - debate me there!). If Platner opposes the filibuster and supports SCOTUS reform his election will be a loss for fascism. Maine has ranked choice voting. I urge friends of democracy to vote carefully in the primary and Democratic in November. News flash: you don’t get to elect progressives in every jurisdiction if you want a durable Democratic majority. (But yeah Nazi tattoos are not moderate and at best they screw up Democratic messaging.) Honestly I care much less about how much of a dick a politician is, than in the consequences of their behavior in office. Platner’s backpeddling suggests to me that he isn’t enamored with the fake maverick model, though I _do_ expect pivots to the center. Maine is a swing state after all. > [@Chronos](#): > > Except it’s even worse than that, because this also endangers Democrats in every other race, because the Republicans are now going to paint Democrats as the Nazis. I don’t think that attack will stick. It does sting. This is probably the most consequential _midterm_ over the past 100 years. The Democratic Senate map is not a good one, except if we have a blue wave election. Which I’m hoping for. > [@DrDeth](#): > > If Sanders, Warren, and Khanna can ignore that now covered tattoo, then I can also. There are some pretty smart political experts there, they know more than we do. You don’t need to be a political genius. Constituency matters more than personal character. Politicians are representatives, glad-handlers: their ideology is shaped by practicalities and salesmanship. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2026, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reasons-to-reject-graham-platner-in-maine-campaign-suspended-july-8-2026/1028179/247 "2026-05-01T21:24:05Z")
Platners mistakes were not 20 years ago, they are still ongoing to this day. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2026, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reasons-to-reject-graham-platner-in-maine-campaign-suspended-july-8-2026/1028179/248 "2026-05-01T21:43:58Z")
Platner removed his tattoo last year. What are the mistakes he made this year? (This is a real question, btw. I only started thinking about this after Mills dropped out.) I’ll start. Reposting kenobi’s link: > In late January, however, Platner sat for a [lengthy online interview](https://www.youtube.com/live/JLTfYFRF9yc?si=ovjiZi63jR6linbS) with Nate Cornacchia, a retired Green Beret who has also promoted antisemitic conspiracy theories. Near the end of their hour-long conversation, Platner, a fellow military veteran, called himself “a longtime fan” of Cornacchia’s YouTube channel, “Valhalla VFT,” and said it was “an absolute pleasure being” on the show. > Cornacchia, whose show claims nearly 500,000 YouTube subscribers, has in recent months helped stoke a burgeoning far-right conspiracy theory alleging that Israel was involved in the assassination of the conservative activist Charlie Kirk. > Two days before speaking with Platner, for instance, Cornacchia went on a podcast hosted by Jake Shields, a former mixed martial arts fighter who is now a [prominent Holocaust denier](https://www.splcenter.org/resources/hatewatch/podcast-platforms-host-jake-shields-bigotry/), and pointed to what he described as “huge links” connecting Israel to Kirk’s killing. “The biggest one, the way I look at it, is because he was basically so important from the Zionist side to the young right wing, sort of that counter Nick Fuentes audience” that “Israel needs desperately,” he said. > **[Platner sat for lengthy interview with antisemitic conspiracy theorist, said...](https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/platner-sat-lengthy-interview-antisemitic-075439570.html)** > > Weeks before Graham Platner promoted an antisemitic conspiracy theorist in a now-deleted social media post on Thursday, the controversial Maine Senate candidate appeared on a popular YouTube show whos... The Economist Magazine noted this week that control of the US Senate will boil down to races in Alaska, Maine, and Ohio. Friends of democracy should support Democrats in those races. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2026, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reasons-to-reject-graham-platner-in-maine-campaign-suspended-july-8-2026/1028179/249 "2026-05-01T21:46:13Z")
I meant that, plus his hateful reddit posts went all the way to 2021, plus didn’t he disavow his tattoo cover up? I am not from Maine but I can’t imagine ever supporting a nazi. People are scared he will be another Fetterman, but that is literally best case scenario. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2026, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reasons-to-reject-graham-platner-in-maine-campaign-suspended-july-8-2026/1028179/250 "2026-05-01T22:02:54Z")
Platner has support from Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders. Fetterman is not the best case scenario. I haven’t read anything about disavowing his new tattoo. He has denied being a secret Nazi. Cite? I’m in soldier mode. I want to defeat fascism. You go with the army you have. I’ll throw in a link to a PBS puff piece: > **[Maine's Graham Platner thinks voters will overlook his past to support a new...](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/maines-graham-platner-thinks-voters-will-overlook-his-past-to-support-a-new-type-of-candidate)** > > Graham Platner's campaign for U.S. Senate took some early hits because of his online history and a tattoo he now regrets, but he's staying in the race for the long haul. Reddit posts: [https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5858725-chris-van-hollen-defends-maine-candidate-platner/](https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5858725-chris-van-hollen-defends-maine-candidate-platner/) > A review of [his Reddit posts](https://thehill.com/homenews/5558581-maine-senate-candidate-disavows-reddit-posts-as-me-f-ing-around-the-internet/) conducted by [CNN’s KFILE](https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/16/politics/kfile-graham-platner-maine-senate-candidate-deleted-reddit-posts) showed that he used a slur that is offensive to people with special needs, referred to himself as a “communist,” called all police officers “bastards” and said rural White Americans “actually are” racist and stupid. Uh-oh: I defended usage of a term that is offensive to people with special needs a couple of years ago on this message board. Guess I won’t be running for the Senate. I just checked though and I don’t have any Nazi tattoos on my body. Put that in the plus column. ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2026, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reasons-to-reject-graham-platner-in-maine-campaign-suspended-july-8-2026/1028179/251 "2026-05-01T22:12:53Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > If Sanders, Warren, and Khanna can ignore that now covered tattoo, then I can also. There are some pretty smart political experts there, they know more than we do. Really. I’ll trust these guys. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2026, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reasons-to-reject-graham-platner-in-maine-campaign-suspended-july-8-2026/1028179/252 "2026-05-01T22:18:07Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > I’m in soldier mode. I want to defeat fascism. You go with the army you have. I’m in the mode of booting white nationalist supporters out of the ranks. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2026, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reasons-to-reject-graham-platner-in-maine-campaign-suspended-july-8-2026/1028179/253 "2026-05-01T22:23:15Z")
Platner is not a white nationalist supporter. [Last month quote about usage of a disparaging term](https://www.wmtw.com/article/graham-platner-controversy-r-word-maine-senate-candidate/71030038): > “I am sorry. I’m sorry that I said it. I am endeavoring to improve every single day. I am not a perfect person, and I continue to try to be better,” Platner said. “I will say that my politics is one of inclusivity and one of showing up for everybody, and I will continue every day to represent that in our policies and in our campaign.” Not a lot of white nationalists advocate inclusivity. Maybe this is a new trend. I’m a big tent Democrat and I support Damascene conversions, even ones made by opportunists. (_Especially_ ones make by opportunists. Capture the opportunists and you win.) ---
**Author:** ![DeadTreasSecretaries](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deadtreassecretaries/32/4817_2.png) [@DeadTreasSecretaries](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadTreasSecretaries)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2026, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reasons-to-reject-graham-platner-in-maine-campaign-suspended-july-8-2026/1028179/254 "2026-05-01T23:05:33Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > Platner has support from Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders. Fetterman is not the best case scenario. I haven’t read anything about disavowing his new tattoo. He has denied being a secret Nazi. Cite? For obvious reasons only he knows if he’s a secret nazi and if he is he isn’t going to tell us. Bernie and Warren might think his pro union views are great and they don’t know any more than we do his true thoughts on jews. I’d defer to their judgment on some nitty gritty progressive policy but not if he hates jews. We all have the same info on that. I think he’s probably genuine in all the socially progressive things he’s said about lgbt, other race relations etc. I think he probably also has very antisemitic views. He might actually not actively hate any jews in his life, but believe something like the roschilds run the world. Plenty of people in real life are both racist and ideologically incoherent. All that said its still mandatory to vote for him in the general. Dems just cant afford to lose the chance to replace Clarence thomas over this. ---
**Author:** ![Calder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e99b99/32.png) [@Calder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Calder)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2026, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reasons-to-reject-graham-platner-in-maine-campaign-suspended-july-8-2026/1028179/255 "2026-05-01T23:09:02Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > > [@Calder](#): > > > > What the hell is going on with the local Democratic party in Maine? > > Do you think they control who is the candidate? Anyone can declare themselves a member of any party and run. > > > [@kenobi\_65](#): > > > > Generally speaking, the party doesn’t “find” people to run; party leadership might encourage particular candidates, but it’s largely up to which people choose, on their own, whether to run or not. > > > > And, generally, there also isn’t much that they can do to prevent an unpalatable candidate from running. > > Right. Wrong. Please read my post again. No where did I say the Democratic party should have kept Platner out of the race. As both of you have noted they don’t have the ability to do that. My entire post was castrating the democratic party of Maine for not recruiting a better candidates to run. Both the local level and the national level Democratic party absolutely recruits people to run for office. Here is a link to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee job posting where it directly states that it their job to actively recruit high quality candidates to run for office. **[Campaigns Operations Coordinator](https://recruiting.paylocity.com/Recruiting/Jobs/Details/4132258)** If you don’t want to trust my link you can google interviews of Amy McGrath, Jaime Harrison, and others where they directly state they were recruited to run. (Though all of the links I found are paywalled so i just stuck with the job posting.) I should note here that it is just a recruitment, it is not a draft or an offer you can’t refuse. All they do is ask people to run and give them advice, logistical support, donar lists, and money. The majority of the time almost all of it during the general election. It is pretty rare to do this in the primary does happen like in the case below. (Usually in a district that the committee thinks the Republican incumbent is vulnerable and they are worried that they can only win if the democratic canidate isn’t extreme.) > **[The DCCC's Finger on the Scales](https://washingtonmonthly.com/2018/04/26/the-dcccs-finger-on-the-scales/)** > > The DCCC sometimes needs to pick winners in primaries, but they should be honest about it. Just because you have the backing of the party doesn’t mean you are going to win either. There are numerous examples of the DCCC favoring their candidate only for the voters to shoot them down. ---
**Author:** ![DeadTreasSecretaries](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deadtreassecretaries/32/4817_2.png) [@DeadTreasSecretaries](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadTreasSecretaries)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2026, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reasons-to-reject-graham-platner-in-maine-campaign-suspended-july-8-2026/1028179/256 "2026-05-01T23:13:59Z")
It’s fairly obvious that most maine democrats got out of the way for mills. You don’t need a mobbed up Tamnany Hall party boss for this dynamic to happen. People who one day want to become a senator aren’t going to run in an election where all they think is going to happen is they come third in the primary. They’ll wait until they think the field is more open. And people need money to run. If candidates don’t have the grassroots support and don’t think democrat-aligned donors will pay for their campaigns they also wont run. ---
**Author:** ![Calder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e99b99/32.png) [@Calder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Calder)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2026, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reasons-to-reject-graham-platner-in-maine-campaign-suspended-july-8-2026/1028179/257 "2026-05-01T23:32:14Z")
I can certainly see the point that people should be allowed to make mistakes in their twenties. If his only issues were a 20 year old nazi tattoo that got covered up and some internet post more than 10 years old I don’t think I would care too much… wait let me correct that it would bother me but I could ignore it. My problem is he seems to have the political instincts of a pile of dog poop. To only get it covered up after someone make an issue out of it during the campaign displays utter stupidity. This is kindergarten level political 101 type stuff that any moron should have known before trying to run in the Democratic primary. If your a racist join the Republican party we don’t want you. ---
**Author:** ![Hawkeyeop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/958977/32.png) [@Hawkeyeop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hawkeyeop)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2026, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reasons-to-reject-graham-platner-in-maine-campaign-suspended-july-8-2026/1028179/258 "2026-05-01T23:36:13Z")
What do Fetterman and Platner even have in common? Did I miss a Fetterman Nazi scandal? Fetterman doesn’t even like Platner and has made some really disparaging remarks on him since Mills dropped out. We have a real problem of grouping all non-pure Democrats as all the same. I think is fair to withhold a vote for Platner due the tattoo and other issues, but is silly to think he would act like Fetterman. You can in fact have some racist tendency and be very liberal on economic issues. ---
**Author:** ![Calder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e99b99/32.png) [@Calder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Calder)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2026, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reasons-to-reject-graham-platner-in-maine-campaign-suspended-july-8-2026/1028179/259 "2026-05-01T23:36:54Z")
> [@DeadTreasSecretaries](#): > > It’s fairly obvious that most maine democrats got out of the way for mills. > > You don’t need a mobbed up Tamnany Hall party boss for this dynamic to happen. Agreed. I just think that standing out of the way for a 78 year old governor is a massive unforced error. I don’t think it took a political genius to know that Democrats in particular are very weary of trying to elect very old people to office. ---
**Author:** ![DeadTreasSecretaries](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deadtreassecretaries/32/4817_2.png) [@DeadTreasSecretaries](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadTreasSecretaries)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2026, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reasons-to-reject-graham-platner-in-maine-campaign-suspended-july-8-2026/1028179/260 "2026-05-01T23:47:50Z")
Yeah. And given that its not like Pelosi or someone is singlehandedly the dictator of the party, it means for this to happen a lot of different state and national party insiders thought Mills would just work out fine. Someone other than a nazi oyster farmer should have realized that she was way too old. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2026, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reasons-to-reject-graham-platner-in-maine-campaign-suspended-july-8-2026/1028179/261 "2026-05-01T23:52:32Z")
> [@Calder](#): > > My entire post was castrating the democratic party of Maine for not recruiting a better candidates to run. I _hope_ you mean “castigating” here! 😱 ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2026, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reasons-to-reject-graham-platner-in-maine-campaign-suspended-july-8-2026/1028179/262 "2026-05-02T00:09:56Z")
> [@Calder](#): > > My entire post was castrating the democratic party of Maine for not recruiting a better candidates to run. The Governor ran, what better candidate do you need? Janet Mills? > [@DeadTreasSecretaries](#): > > It’s fairly obvious that most maine democrats got out of the way for mills. Right. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reasons-to-reject-graham-platner-in-maine-campaign-suspended-july-8-2026/1028179.md?page=12) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reasons-to-reject-graham-platner-in-maine-campaign-suspended-july-8-2026/1028179.md?page=14)