Democrat Graham Platner is attracting support for his Maine Senate campaign from voters willing to forgive his past transgressions and embrace his populist message.

KITTERY, Maine (AP) — There are lots of questions about Graham Platner, a first-time Democratic candidate running for U.S. Senate in Maine. Now they are also part of a trivia game.

“What was the nature of the controversy of Graham’s tattoo he received while in the Marines?” an emcee recently asked at a local community center.

The answer? “It was claimed to be a Neo-Nazi tattoo (totenkopf).”

This was not a new way of delivering opposition research, but an official campaign event for Platner’s supporters. And it showed how the 41-year-old oyster farmer and military veteran has capitalized on voters’ willingness to forgive past transgressions and embrace a populist message.

    • FlashMobOfOne@lemmy.worldOP
      32·
      1 day ago

      That’s not terribly accurate, but okay, don’t read the article.

      A more fair summation would be: “Blue-collar politician wins hearts by answering tough questions, being authentic with people, and explaining his past.”

      But there’s no bigger turnoff to the median Democratic partisan than authenticity.

      • Maeve@kbin.earth
        3·
        1 day ago

        I’m not a Republican or Democrat liberal.

        I read it. There’s no authenticity there.

      • Pissed@lemmy.ml
        31·
        24 hours ago

        He’s not blue collar he’s the son of millionaires, not that I care really but it’s not accurate.

  • FlashMobOfOne@lemmy.worldOP
    14·
    2 days ago

    Really hope he wins. I wish I could vote for him.

    One more independent vote in the Senate is one more vote towards actual change.

      • FlashMobOfOne@lemmy.worldOP
        11·
        1 day ago

        That’s an oversimplification, I think. There are a hundred material differences between the two. Further, if Platner were another Fetterman, he certainly wouldn’t be running as a progressive, because that sets him against both parties even if he is calling himself a Democrat.

        As for being a Nazi, I don’t think that’s accurate either. One can’t really know for sure outside Platner’s own mind, but it’s probably more fair to say he was a bit of an edgy douche when he was younger. After all, it’s easier to get elected as a Nazi in America than it is to get elected as a progressive.