Always believe women. Speaking of which, I have heard that Heather Cox Richardson's name is being bandied about as his replacement. She would be amazing.
He has to do it. The Maine Dem party has called for him to withdraw. However, he holds the big card — the ballot. I think this is totally to be expected from someone with his known history & the allegations. “Mr. Platner, who has denied the allegation, said on a private call with his campaign staff on Monday evening that he believed he still had leverage to influence which candidate would replace him on the ticket, according to three people familiar with the conversation.” (NYT today)
Thank You Steven.. I agree with you 100% . I too was uneasy but ready to overlook the tattoo and the allegations in order to get that obnoxious witch out of the senate . I feel queasy when I see her. I hope and pray he steps aside and that the dems don't start fighting about who will be picked to run against her. I read the Bernie wing is demanding someone as progressive as Platner be picked . I just want someone that can beat her. This is not the time for fighting. this is the time for cooler heads to prevail and pick someone Maine can vote for. I have to say I do think they should pick someone who is not getting ready to collect social security .
He would withdraw his candidacy today if he had any integrity. The best thing for the future of our country would include a candidate with the best interests of the people at heart, and no baggage.
I was never accepting of Platner's abuse of women nor his Nazi tattoo. I was appalled that Elizabeth Warren took the side of a male abuser over the women he abused simply to oppose Susan Collins. It calls into question anyone who thought Platner's excuses were legitimate. He was not prepared to be a Senator. He was not a good candidate because of his PTSD and Nazi affiliations. Surely Maine has another Angus King or anyone who has experience and a record of voting issues that the Democrats could have put forth for this office. The Democrats have once again stumbled and are again crawling to defeat.
I haven’t been following this particular news item closely enough to add anything beyond what you said here, but I agree with the principles you stated. We can’t ignore bad character just to win politically against worse character.
Thanks Steven: yes we can't condone the actions of the rapist in chief and then put one with alleged similarities into office. Mr. Platner should step aside and deal with these alleged issues. Be they true or false , We must elect solid men and women with higher standards than the republican party. I really liked Mr. Platner's progressive issues and it is sad he should leave. I'm sure there are others in the democratic party with the same progressive issues.
While perfection in a political candidate is a pipe dream, some failures are too much to bear. Yes, Mr Platner is a progressive candidate with considerable political skill, but the latest accusation is unacceptable. He must step aside now and let the Maine Democratic Party nominate a new candidate, hopefully one who is young and progressive with good political skills.
Progressives shouldn't assume we're better at vetting than anyone else. Too often we're captivated by compelling biographies, charisma, or urgency and skip the hard questions. I've worked with executive search firms that were supposed to do rigorous background checks, and even they sometimes missed important warning signs.
Movements that ask the public for trust have an obligation to earn it. Better vetting protects potential victims, protects innocent candidates from avoidable suspicion, and protects the credibility of the causes we care about. Accountability begins long before Election Day
Agree here, Steven. We’ve become so “numb” to a lack of character, we are all too forgiving for “past missteps”. We tend to think these are lessons learned from prior errors in judgment. And, although overcoming one’s “faults/demons” (call it what you will) is certainly a cause for support, it is more of a reflection on a lack of an informed conscience, that led to such choices in the first place. Choices which matter to me, and hence, a MAJOR red-flag. Not to be “rewarded” in such a manner as this. Surely we can do better…
What’s with the deference. It’s not his decision to make. The Democrats should demand he exit NOW.
I was disgusted with the Democratic establishment the first time including Warren and Markey in my home state who couldn’t read the room. Do they do any vetting?
If they had dropped Platner from the the first text dustup what a message that would have sent to women across the country. Instead, they summoned him to Washington to explain himself; no deference to the women involved— per Epstein victims as usual .
The Democrats are shooting themselves in the foot and that’s an assessment by me and many longtime independents who have nonetheless almost always voted for the Democratic candidate.
The historic moment calls for people who will put our very broken Country ahead of their ambitions-serious, thoughtful candidates standing on a party platform that acknowledges all the broken parts of our government and election process and suggest ways to fix—
Term limits
Lobbyists limits
A shorter election window
As it is, there’s limitless opportunity to be bought and live the good life.At some level,most are focused on keeping that lifestyle intact.
Dems have demanded he exit. Only the candidate can have their name removed from the ballot. He’s busy doing what I would expect of someone with his history.
“Mr. Platner, who has denied the allegation, said on a private call with his campaign staff on Monday evening that he believed he still had leverage to influence which candidate would replace him on the ticket, according to three people familiar with the conversation.” (NYT today)
It means so much to me, Steven, and others to be aware of your opinion.
I wrote about this a while ago.
Because the overall picture of Platners treatment is extensive I’m only sharing excerpts from what I published in response.
Not his actual behavior
…
I struggle on this topic: The mistreatment of women by men - and mistreatment of women by men who
THEN
ask us to vote for them for a position where they will be making decisions over OUR lives.
For too long we have been expected to turn the other cheek, look away, forget, or SHRUG our shoulders and accept it.
Doing that shrugging promotes permission for others to continue the practice.
I just want a better Democrat.
I daily visit Twitter (X) and post about the victims of the Epstein files, and about Trump's insults toward female reporters, and others.
I have already seen the accusations of hypocrisy and partisanship because of how Mr. Platner has been accepted as a candidate when we insist on accountability from others:
We insisted Rep. Eric Swalwell resign, as one example.
No, I don't want Senator Collins.
But I DO want a better Democrat.
Why This Isn't Just a Personal Reaction
This reaction is not simply emotional, it is supported by what research tells us about power and behavior.
Power tends to reduce self-restraint and the expectation of facing consequences;
it narrows how much a person considers the impact of their own actions on others.
The more power and status a person holds, the more this effect compounds - which is precisely why it matters so much when the power in question is a United States Senate seat.
And the research bears out something many of us already felt instinctively:
-excusing or minimizing this kind of behavior removes the external checks - partners, peers, voters - that would otherwise create pressure for change.
Silence is not neutral.
Silence functions as permission.
…
What Happens When We Look Away
♦️It tells other men with power that women's discomfort is a public-relations problem to be managed, rather than behavior to be stopped!
♦️It tells the party - that loyalty outranks the safety and dignity of half its voting base.
♦️It weakens our own credibility on every other front,
IF we accept in our own candidates what we condemn in our opponents,
-our outrage about Jeffrey Epstein's victims,
-about Donald Trump's treatment of women, about anyone, loses its force, invites derision and chants of hypocrisy devaluing our very moral stance of demanding accountability.
it is not only men who learn the lesson.
-Women watching are taught what they are expected to tolerate, too.
If this kind of alleged behavior is accepted, and even rewarded with political power,
it teaches women - quietly, without ever saying so directly - that this is the norm they must endure in their own lives.
AND IT TEACHES OUR SONS AND OUR DAUGHTERS
I don't want Senator Collins.
I DO want a Democratic Party that doesn't ask me to choose between winning and what we owe each other,
and it profits us nothing to give up our souls because of Susan Collins.
You put your finger on exactly the problem with selecting candidates with troubling histories. How will they govern? — “Power tends to reduce self-restraint and the expectation of facing consequences; it narrows how much a person considers the impact of their own actions on others.” —
Don’t care what political ideology that any of these men align with.. Whether you agree or disagree with what their political platform is placed in front of us to continue the march towards making this country a better democratic-republic or even torching it and burning it all down. That’s not the point is it? The point is that nonconsensual behavior should not ever be tolerated and those who seek power who have displayed this behavior rears its head ugly head and there is a definite line between right and wrong… Morals, Values and Integrity versus the entire opposite… When a person says “No to an assault especially a nonconsensual sexual assault whether it be a woman or a man it means No.” Those who feel that they are more powerful over one individual begets feeling more powerful over many individuals..
There have been more than dozens of women—including former staffers, journalists, and private citizens who have accused powerful people in government of sexual abuse and misconduct. Notable figures at the federal and state levels facing such allegations include.
Donald Trump: Accused of sexual assault and misconduct by numerous women over several decades. He was found liable for sexual abuse and defamation in a 2023 civil suit filed by E. Jean Carroll.
Andrew Cuomo: Multiple former aides and state employees accused the former New York Governor of sexual harassment and unwanted touching, which ultimately led to his resignation.
Matt Gaetz: The former Florida Congressman faced investigations regarding allegations of sex trafficking and illicit misconduct, prompting him to withdraw from consideration for Attorney General.
Pete Hegseth: A staff member accused the former Cabinet-level nominee of sexual assault in 2017, which he denied.
Eric Swalwell: Several women, including a former staffer, accused the former California Congressman of sexual assault and rape, leading him to resign from Congress.
Roy Moore: Multiple women accused the former Alabama Senate candidate of sexual abuse and inappropriate behavior with teenagers.
Al Franken: The former Minnesota Senator resigned from Congress after multiple women accused him of sexual misconduct and unwanted groping.
Clarence Thomas: Anita Hill testified that Thomas repeatedly pressured her to go out with him. When she declined, he allegedly made unwanted, graphic, and lewd comments regarding pornographic films, sexual acts, and his own sexual anatomy. Thomas categorically denied all claims. He famously characterized the heavily scrutinized, televised hearings before an all-male Senate panel as a "high-tech lynching for uppity blacks" who dared to think for themselves.Yet confirmed.
Brett Kavanaugh: Christine Blasey Ford testified under oath that an intoxicated Kavanaugh locked her in a bedroom at a house party, pinned her to a bed, groped her, and attempted to force off her clothes. She alleged that when she tried to scream, he covered her mouth with his hand, making her fear for her life. Kavanaugh claimed the accusations were a calculated, partisan effort to destroy his reputation and block his nomination. Even after two other women came forward during the process, Deborah Ramirez and Julie Swetnick.
It’s not Political it’s Humanity.. It’s not that the political atmosphere will not be flipped in the Senate, it’s what is the meaning of decency, humanity, virtues, morals, values that we all should demand currently from all in that Senate, House, Supreme Court, and White House..
It’s too bad. I worried about his tattoo and his sexting, while only being married three years. But this is a red line.
Always believe women. Speaking of which, I have heard that Heather Cox Richardson's name is being bandied about as his replacement. She would be amazing.
I've heard this too. HCR would be totally wasted in Congress. It would probably freak the Democratic leadership out, however -- that's a plus!
Forgot that HCR lives in Maine. That would be great!
This is the straw….Platner really must go. Maine Dems, do your job!!!
He has to do it. The Maine Dem party has called for him to withdraw. However, he holds the big card — the ballot. I think this is totally to be expected from someone with his known history & the allegations. “Mr. Platner, who has denied the allegation, said on a private call with his campaign staff on Monday evening that he believed he still had leverage to influence which candidate would replace him on the ticket, according to three people familiar with the conversation.” (NYT today)
Thank You Steven.. I agree with you 100% . I too was uneasy but ready to overlook the tattoo and the allegations in order to get that obnoxious witch out of the senate . I feel queasy when I see her. I hope and pray he steps aside and that the dems don't start fighting about who will be picked to run against her. I read the Bernie wing is demanding someone as progressive as Platner be picked . I just want someone that can beat her. This is not the time for fighting. this is the time for cooler heads to prevail and pick someone Maine can vote for. I have to say I do think they should pick someone who is not getting ready to collect social security .
Ideal would be “someone that can beat her” and NOT pull a Fetterman.
Exactly or a dreadful Kyrsten Sinema ..thank you Susan ..
He would withdraw his candidacy today if he had any integrity. The best thing for the future of our country would include a candidate with the best interests of the people at heart, and no baggage.
Good luck with the “no baggage” thing. Everyone’s got some
There are several levels of baggage, his is very heavy, most people have minor issues.
His baggage is reprehensible.
“Baggage” is one thing. We’re talking LUGGAGE here! No “carry-on”, he is.
This lack of proper vetting by Dems scares me!
I was never accepting of Platner's abuse of women nor his Nazi tattoo. I was appalled that Elizabeth Warren took the side of a male abuser over the women he abused simply to oppose Susan Collins. It calls into question anyone who thought Platner's excuses were legitimate. He was not prepared to be a Senator. He was not a good candidate because of his PTSD and Nazi affiliations. Surely Maine has another Angus King or anyone who has experience and a record of voting issues that the Democrats could have put forth for this office. The Democrats have once again stumbled and are again crawling to defeat.
I haven’t been following this particular news item closely enough to add anything beyond what you said here, but I agree with the principles you stated. We can’t ignore bad character just to win politically against worse character.
Thanks Steven: yes we can't condone the actions of the rapist in chief and then put one with alleged similarities into office. Mr. Platner should step aside and deal with these alleged issues. Be they true or false , We must elect solid men and women with higher standards than the republican party. I really liked Mr. Platner's progressive issues and it is sad he should leave. I'm sure there are others in the democratic party with the same progressive issues.
While perfection in a political candidate is a pipe dream, some failures are too much to bear. Yes, Mr Platner is a progressive candidate with considerable political skill, but the latest accusation is unacceptable. He must step aside now and let the Maine Democratic Party nominate a new candidate, hopefully one who is young and progressive with good political skills.
As I recall, both US political parties are full of human beings. The moral high ground is not free.
You don’t have to climb to far to get to higher ground than this candidate.
Progressives shouldn't assume we're better at vetting than anyone else. Too often we're captivated by compelling biographies, charisma, or urgency and skip the hard questions. I've worked with executive search firms that were supposed to do rigorous background checks, and even they sometimes missed important warning signs.
Movements that ask the public for trust have an obligation to earn it. Better vetting protects potential victims, protects innocent candidates from avoidable suspicion, and protects the credibility of the causes we care about. Accountability begins long before Election Day
Agree here, Steven. We’ve become so “numb” to a lack of character, we are all too forgiving for “past missteps”. We tend to think these are lessons learned from prior errors in judgment. And, although overcoming one’s “faults/demons” (call it what you will) is certainly a cause for support, it is more of a reflection on a lack of an informed conscience, that led to such choices in the first place. Choices which matter to me, and hence, a MAJOR red-flag. Not to be “rewarded” in such a manner as this. Surely we can do better…
I am Hopeful.
I
What’s with the deference. It’s not his decision to make. The Democrats should demand he exit NOW.
I was disgusted with the Democratic establishment the first time including Warren and Markey in my home state who couldn’t read the room. Do they do any vetting?
If they had dropped Platner from the the first text dustup what a message that would have sent to women across the country. Instead, they summoned him to Washington to explain himself; no deference to the women involved— per Epstein victims as usual .
The Democrats are shooting themselves in the foot and that’s an assessment by me and many longtime independents who have nonetheless almost always voted for the Democratic candidate.
The historic moment calls for people who will put our very broken Country ahead of their ambitions-serious, thoughtful candidates standing on a party platform that acknowledges all the broken parts of our government and election process and suggest ways to fix—
Term limits
Lobbyists limits
A shorter election window
As it is, there’s limitless opportunity to be bought and live the good life.At some level,most are focused on keeping that lifestyle intact.
Dems have demanded he exit. Only the candidate can have their name removed from the ballot. He’s busy doing what I would expect of someone with his history.
“Mr. Platner, who has denied the allegation, said on a private call with his campaign staff on Monday evening that he believed he still had leverage to influence which candidate would replace him on the ticket, according to three people familiar with the conversation.” (NYT today)
It means so much to me, Steven, and others to be aware of your opinion.
I wrote about this a while ago.
Because the overall picture of Platners treatment is extensive I’m only sharing excerpts from what I published in response.
Not his actual behavior
…
I struggle on this topic: The mistreatment of women by men - and mistreatment of women by men who
THEN
ask us to vote for them for a position where they will be making decisions over OUR lives.
For too long we have been expected to turn the other cheek, look away, forget, or SHRUG our shoulders and accept it.
Doing that shrugging promotes permission for others to continue the practice.
I just want a better Democrat.
I daily visit Twitter (X) and post about the victims of the Epstein files, and about Trump's insults toward female reporters, and others.
I have already seen the accusations of hypocrisy and partisanship because of how Mr. Platner has been accepted as a candidate when we insist on accountability from others:
We insisted Rep. Eric Swalwell resign, as one example.
No, I don't want Senator Collins.
But I DO want a better Democrat.
Why This Isn't Just a Personal Reaction
This reaction is not simply emotional, it is supported by what research tells us about power and behavior.
Power tends to reduce self-restraint and the expectation of facing consequences;
it narrows how much a person considers the impact of their own actions on others.
The more power and status a person holds, the more this effect compounds - which is precisely why it matters so much when the power in question is a United States Senate seat.
And the research bears out something many of us already felt instinctively:
-excusing or minimizing this kind of behavior removes the external checks - partners, peers, voters - that would otherwise create pressure for change.
Silence is not neutral.
Silence functions as permission.
…
What Happens When We Look Away
♦️It tells other men with power that women's discomfort is a public-relations problem to be managed, rather than behavior to be stopped!
♦️It tells the party - that loyalty outranks the safety and dignity of half its voting base.
♦️It weakens our own credibility on every other front,
IF we accept in our own candidates what we condemn in our opponents,
-our outrage about Jeffrey Epstein's victims,
-about Donald Trump's treatment of women, about anyone, loses its force, invites derision and chants of hypocrisy devaluing our very moral stance of demanding accountability.
it is not only men who learn the lesson.
-Women watching are taught what they are expected to tolerate, too.
If this kind of alleged behavior is accepted, and even rewarded with political power,
it teaches women - quietly, without ever saying so directly - that this is the norm they must endure in their own lives.
AND IT TEACHES OUR SONS AND OUR DAUGHTERS
I don't want Senator Collins.
I DO want a Democratic Party that doesn't ask me to choose between winning and what we owe each other,
and it profits us nothing to give up our souls because of Susan Collins.
💙🇺🇸💙
Thank you Ann.
For responding, I agree
Yes, he did play the military card.
I hate war
My father was severely wounded in WWII as a 22 year old US soldier and later confessed to the guilt of taking many lives.
He eventually described the horror of landing on French beaches on DDay.
He jumped into fox holes on two occasions and a German was already in them.
He couldn’t shave because he couldn’t look in a mirror - he saw their eyes.
He did suffer.
PTSD
He never committed adultery or mistreated women, abused alcohol or tried drugs.
We can do better than Platner
We must
Thank you again
You put your finger on exactly the problem with selecting candidates with troubling histories. How will they govern? — “Power tends to reduce self-restraint and the expectation of facing consequences; it narrows how much a person considers the impact of their own actions on others.” —
He played the military service messed me up “it’s in the past” card. Only it stretched for at least 15 yrs & he and his campaign were still doing objectionable things. https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/platner-sat-lengthy-interview-antisemitic-075439570.html
Don’t care what political ideology that any of these men align with.. Whether you agree or disagree with what their political platform is placed in front of us to continue the march towards making this country a better democratic-republic or even torching it and burning it all down. That’s not the point is it? The point is that nonconsensual behavior should not ever be tolerated and those who seek power who have displayed this behavior rears its head ugly head and there is a definite line between right and wrong… Morals, Values and Integrity versus the entire opposite… When a person says “No to an assault especially a nonconsensual sexual assault whether it be a woman or a man it means No.” Those who feel that they are more powerful over one individual begets feeling more powerful over many individuals..
There have been more than dozens of women—including former staffers, journalists, and private citizens who have accused powerful people in government of sexual abuse and misconduct. Notable figures at the federal and state levels facing such allegations include.
Donald Trump: Accused of sexual assault and misconduct by numerous women over several decades. He was found liable for sexual abuse and defamation in a 2023 civil suit filed by E. Jean Carroll.
Andrew Cuomo: Multiple former aides and state employees accused the former New York Governor of sexual harassment and unwanted touching, which ultimately led to his resignation.
Matt Gaetz: The former Florida Congressman faced investigations regarding allegations of sex trafficking and illicit misconduct, prompting him to withdraw from consideration for Attorney General.
Pete Hegseth: A staff member accused the former Cabinet-level nominee of sexual assault in 2017, which he denied.
Eric Swalwell: Several women, including a former staffer, accused the former California Congressman of sexual assault and rape, leading him to resign from Congress.
Roy Moore: Multiple women accused the former Alabama Senate candidate of sexual abuse and inappropriate behavior with teenagers.
Al Franken: The former Minnesota Senator resigned from Congress after multiple women accused him of sexual misconduct and unwanted groping.
Clarence Thomas: Anita Hill testified that Thomas repeatedly pressured her to go out with him. When she declined, he allegedly made unwanted, graphic, and lewd comments regarding pornographic films, sexual acts, and his own sexual anatomy. Thomas categorically denied all claims. He famously characterized the heavily scrutinized, televised hearings before an all-male Senate panel as a "high-tech lynching for uppity blacks" who dared to think for themselves.Yet confirmed.
Brett Kavanaugh: Christine Blasey Ford testified under oath that an intoxicated Kavanaugh locked her in a bedroom at a house party, pinned her to a bed, groped her, and attempted to force off her clothes. She alleged that when she tried to scream, he covered her mouth with his hand, making her fear for her life. Kavanaugh claimed the accusations were a calculated, partisan effort to destroy his reputation and block his nomination. Even after two other women came forward during the process, Deborah Ramirez and Julie Swetnick.
It’s not Political it’s Humanity.. It’s not that the political atmosphere will not be flipped in the Senate, it’s what is the meaning of decency, humanity, virtues, morals, values that we all should demand currently from all in that Senate, House, Supreme Court, and White House..
Platner needs to drop out..