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.
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.
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.