This means he can be replaced with another Democrat
Graham Platner can be replaced as the Democratic nominee for Senate in Maine if he withdraws from the race by next Monday, and state law would then give the state Democratic Party until July 27 to name a replacement.
His replacement will have no chance. This whole campaign and all the controversy around it have been so poorly managed. The dems have shot themselves in the foot again. So now we get six more years of rapist-enabler Susan Collins. This is not an improvement.
That’s the thing that gets me. The choice was someone accused of being “consensually careless” (suspeciously crafted phrasing), and a known rapist enabler who supports a man who is known to have been besties with Epstein of all people.
People fall for this shit because, like always, targeting the emotions of people during an election is a surefire and guaranteed way to manipulate it. Never fails.
And even if it were true (maybe it is but it’s sus), the choice to me is clear (even if way way way less than ideal)
Good, early enough for them to get someone else on the ballot to oppose that cunt Collins.
Sure, another spineless establishment Dem. If the necessary voters even show up after Platner shit the bed for everyone.
Don’t give a shit. Even if Platner had stayed on the ballot, (and I lived in Maine) I would have voted for him. He has the one quality I’m most looking for. Not republican.
Congratulations. You are voting with the same mentality that got Trump elected twice.
No, if I had stayed home or pissed my vote away on a useless third party THEN I’d be one of the ones who got him elected. I voted.
You misunderstand. I meant you vote with all the thought and consideration as MAGA loyalist.
Right now, voting against MAGA is priority #1… once they’re fucking exterminated, we can concentrate our efforts on building a better party.
So rule still applies. Vote furthest left in EVERY election, but vote in EVERY election.
While I don’t disagree with the need, what you’re saying sounds an awful lot like “We need to drain the swamp and so what if he grabbed them by the pussy or some shit? You gotta do what you gotta do.”
And I’m just still not down with that.
The majority is on the line. If there was ever a time for the establishment to step aside for a young, energetic progressive who can rally support quickly, this is the time. No fundraising roadblocks. Go full tilt.
Basically your saying the higher ups will block any young hopefull that has ideas, and make sure another old white dude with money is the choice, right?
Bingo. Platner got Gary Hart’d. Spoiler alert: there will be no rape charges, and two women will get a lucrative book deal.
Bruv, misogyny is a bad look, man.
So is being overly credulous when a staunch critic of Israel gets relentlessly smeared this close to an election, especially when he’s a democratic socialist.
But sure, I’m sure the real issue here is misogyny… 🙄
Yeah, Israel knew so far in advance that he was going to run that they had this woman raped and talk to her friends and therapist in person and via text JUST IN CASE Platner got far enough in an election cycle to worry them years down the road.
Certainly more believable than a man with a drinking problem and violent tendencies forcing himself on a woman he had a casual relationship with /s
Folk also are too dumb to realize:
IF this was some evil campaign to make the Democrats lose… they would have just waited a week until platner couldn’t be replaced. Why run against anyone but the violent nazi mercenary who rapes people and who knows what else at this point?
Because the AIPAC-supported establishment Dems felt every bit as threatened by Platner as they would by Susan Collins, and would relish the opportunity to replace him while there’s still time…
I mean his suspension speech is basically saying, without saying it, that the call is coming from inside the house. He’s saying this is insider Democrats doing this, and then almost instantly, there is this announcement from Maine DNC on how its going to work, and lo-and-behold, they’re doing an insider only process with you guessed it, super delegates.
Look its been a hard 24-48 hour roller coaster. I’ve been supportive of Graham, vocally so. I heard this new accusation, it seems highly credible, and I looked at it, and I said, Graham is going to have to step down.
There were plenty here, including @WoodScientist@lemmy.world who pushed back that there actually was no evidence in this accusation. And now, suddenly there is this announcement from Maine DNC on how its going to work, and lo-and-behold, they’re doing an insider only process with you guessed it, super delegates.
And Platner is categorically denying all of this, which is a criminal accusation. You don’t do that if you don’t plan on going to court and winning. Now I’ve got fucking whiplash from all this.
What I never saw once during the discussion over the last 48 hours is, what exactly is someone supposed to do if they’re falsely accused of rape when running for office? Because the current standard seems to be that it’s a guaranteed way to tank any campaign. And all you have to do to tank any candidate you don’t like is find some old ex of theirs, and offer them money or threaten them into making a false accusation.
And what people really missed was that political ratfucking is ALWAYS designed to sound reasonable. Everyone already knew that Platner was/is a bit of a creep. So a rape allegation would seem in character. You craft an allegation that fits the person. If someone has complicated business dealings, you accuse them of fraud. If someone has a long military career they’re running on, you accuse them of cowardice or dereliction of duty. If someone has some misogyny in their past, you accuse them of rape. In no case will a false accusation ever make people go, “now that’s not likely, that doesn’t sound like something he would do.” If AOC runs for Senate, she won’t be targeted with rape allegations, it will be something more believable.
Yes. I think you had the right of it, and I had the wrong of it. At least in part, in that, regardless, I knew that Platner would be stepping down.
Something I noted is that Platner said he “would” be filing the paper work. But he has not filed it yet. He does that bit of leverage, but I don’t know where this goes. Its bonkers. Like, if you did what he’s accused of and is denying it, like, he’s fucked. Beyond fucked. Like decades in prison fucked. And he knows that. And thats not the video he posted.
Where do you think it goes from here? What should Platner do?
I honestly don’t know what he should do. And frankly, I’m not willing to say he’s innocent. My thoughts through this whole thing have just been that we shouldn’t jump to conclusions without properly investigating things.
First and foremost: At the best of times, accusations of sexual assault and rape are “he said she said”. The defense is almost always “Well, she is a slut who told me she wanted it rough”. Because on the off chance the victim actually managed to get a rape kit done in time AND the chain of evidence was maintained… all that really says is that sexual activity occurred and that there may or may not be signs of physical trauma.
And when you factor in rapists being predators who tend to target victims where it is even easier to discredit them (high risk behaviors like drug use or… wearing a skirt)? And cops tending to be bastards who actively don’t want to investigate things?
This is why victims don’t come forward. The best they can hope for is a slap on the wrist for the rapist and their entire life to have been thrown under a microscope and attacked. So mostly they just try to recover and live a life in a society that has actively failed them.
But as for
My thoughts through this whole thing have just been that we shouldn’t jump to conclusions without properly investigating things.
That is exactly what everyone did when Lyndsey Fifield came forth. Basically everyone dismissed it because she is a republican. She was a slut. She deserved it. She is a lying bitch who just wants his sperm. Fucking whore was asking for it.
And that is why Jenny Racicot was brave enough to came forth and talked about platner violently raping her.
So… maybe educate yourself a bit more before you have any more “thoughts” that would make people think you are someone who is calling rape victims liars?
And yes, men are raped too but their reasons for not coming forward tend to be different. Although the societal abuse and shame aspects remain.
