Re: Platner and the intellectual Twister and Yoga to rehabilitate him...

[WarGamer]

I've just got one question.

Theoretically... it's Idaho and some GOP'er is running for office and he has Platners IDENTICAL history... Nazi tat, misogynist comments, sexting etc...

Would YOU be defending him?

Yes or no.





Note: I hope he wins. But I will never lie or cover up for anything about him. In a perfect world, he'd win the election and resign the day he is sworn in.

[questionseverything]

1. I remember you declaring Ukraine wouldn't last 6 months against Russia

[niyad]

3. What does that have to do with the OP?

[WarGamer]

5. so?

[questionseverything]

16. You're usually wrong

[WarGamer]

20. I'd say the vast majority of Ph.D's and think tank experts agreed with me.

Logic is one thing, emotions are another...

No, I don't have Ukraine flag logos on all my social media and don't say Slave Ukraina daily

[questionseverything]

23. lol, do you see these think tank experts? Are they in the room with you now?

[WarGamer]

24. Oooppsss. I got receipts.

General Mark Milley (Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff): In closed-door briefings to lawmakers in early February 2022, Milley testified that Kyiv could fall within 72 hours of a full-scale Russian invasion (Brooks & Tchantouridzé, 2023; War, 2024).

The Broader Intelligence Community: U.S. intelligence agencies operated under the assumption that Russia's quantitative advantages would quickly overwhelm Ukrainian conventional defenses, forcing the U.S. to plan for supporting a government-in-exile and an underground Ukrainian insurgency rather than a sustained conventional defense.

The German Military & Intelligence: In the opening days of the war, senior German military officials expressed similar public assessments, confidently stating on national television that Ukraine's defeat was mathematically certain and imminent (War, 2024).

French Intelligence: The French military intelligence directorate (DRM) similarly assessed a rapid Russian victory based on conventional force ratios, though its director was later replaced because the agency failed to accurately predict that Vladimir Putin would actually execute the order to cross the border (Shpiro, 2023).

The Royal United Services Institute (RUSI): In their extensive post-mortem of the initial invasion phase, analysts noted that Russia's operational plan itself aimed for a swift 10-day blitz to seize Kyiv and intended to complete the full annexation of the country by August 2022—exactly six months after the February launch (Zabrodskyi, 2022). Analysts globally found these expectations realistic based on the sheer 12:1 force ratio advantage Russia initially achieved north of Kyiv (Zabrodskyi, 2022).

The Marine Corps University Press / Military Historians: Academic reviews of the opening months highlight that according to standard military doctrines (like the 3:1 force ratio rule required for successful defense), Ukraine's active-duty numbers should have been easily overwhelmed by a coordinated multi-axis assault (Merkx, 2023).


Brooks, S., & Tchantouridzé, L. (2023). The war in Ukraine: the failure of deterrence. Security Science Journal, 4(2), 18–35. https://doi.org/10.37458/ssj.4.2.2

Dylan, H. (2025). Unveiling Russian intelligence failures in the Ukraine conflict: a strategic culture perspective. Intelligence and National Security, advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/02684527.2025.2544460
Cited by: 7

Gilliam, J. B., & Van Wie, R. C. (2022). Interim security insights and implications from the first two months of the Russia-Ukraine war. Brookings Institution. https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/FP_20220512_ukraine_war_gilliam_van_wie.pdf
Cited by: 9

Merkx, G. W. (2023). Russia's war in Ukraine: Two decisive factors. Journal of Advanced Military Studies, 14(2), 13–33. https://doi.org/10.21140/mcuj.20231402001

Shpiro, S. (2023). Intelligence and the Ukraine war: Early lessons and research roadmap. National Security and the Future, 24(1). https://www.nsf-journal.hr/nsf-volumes/case-studies/id/1412

Tracy, C. L. (2026). Technological surprise and normalization through use: The tactical and discursive effects of new precision-strike weapons in the Russo-Ukrainian war. Texas National Security Review. https://tnsr.org/roundtable/new-precision-strike-weapons-in-the-russo-ukrainian-war/

War, C. (2024). Russia's war against Ukraine. Ifri Papers. Institut français des relations internationales. https://www.ifri.org/sites/default/files/2024-09/forsstrom_et_al._russia_seminar_24_web.pdf

Zabrodskyi, M. (2022). Preliminary lessons in conventional warfighting from Russia's invasion of Ukraine: February–July 2022. Royal United Services Institute (RUSI). https://static.rusi.org/359-SR-Ukraine-Preliminary-Lessons-Feb-July-2022-web-final.pdf

[questionseverything]

25. And every expert was wrong.... This is a perfect example of why we need regular people in charge

Some high ranking individuals get so full of themselves they can’t see the forest for the trees

[BannonsLiver]

46. lol you mean that NEOCON think tank you frequently cite?

[WarGamer]

94. #24 is for you too, lol...

[GreenWave]

75. Yeah for my crowd! We weren't naive simpletons forgetting the corruption rampant in Mother Russia...

lack of training, fighting in the mud, why aren't the Ukrainians embracing them as liberators, etc.

[BannonsLiver]

47. Omg I'm howling

[EdmondDantes_]

67. You believe in an awful lot of conspiracy theories to be throwing stones

And when presented with evidence you're wrong you double down and insist you're right. Something about seeing the speck in someone else's eye but not the log in your own.

[questionseverything]

72. I believe American citizens have a right, in fact a duty to oversee our elections

What part of that don’t you agree with?

Funny coincidence, Maine is one of the few states that actually allows hand counting paper ballots.

[Nanjeanne]

2. I don't defend Republicans because their policies suck.

The rest wouldn’t matter to me at all and I’d hope the Dem running against this fictitious GOPer concentrated on policies as well.

[Irish_Dem]

4. Thank you for posting.

War Gamer, if you were gaming out a war,
would you pick a strong strategy and weapons
or the weakest ones you could find to win the war?

[WarGamer]

7. Yuo fight with the weapon you have, even if the weapon sucks

Like i said... hope he wins and resigns day 1

[Irish_Dem]

26. Yes but there are strong weapons all around you.

But you choose the weakest weapon in the armory.

Truly mind boggling.

[WarGamer]

27. can't argue against that!

[Irish_Dem]

29. You are living up to your name!

[MineralMan]

6. Theoretically?

It sounds like you're accepting the negative stuff on Platner as God's own truth. Why is that? He says it's not. Have you not seen false information introduced just before an election more than once? I mean, think of Hillary Clinton and the announcement of an "investigation" just before the election.

It's one of the oldest opposition tricks in the book. Introduce negative things when it's too late to prove them false.. People have been using that trick since like forever.

All too often, it's bullshit.

[WarGamer]

8. There's always the Nazi tat?

Sexual assault victims should “just take some responsibility for themselves” to avoid attacks and “act like an adult for f–cks sake.” G.P.

[MineralMan]

12. Ever been in a tattoo parlor?

Skull and bones are a common patten on display in the samples on the wall and in the book. Imagine yourself as a half drunk active duty Marine who goes in with his buddy and they both get a skull and bones tattoo. Do they know it's a Nazi thing? Maybe. Maybe not. It's a symbol of death.

Later, you get another tattoo to cover it up and hide it. Platner did that, too.

Why are you so eager to believe that Platner is on the wrong side of this? I don't get it.

[WarGamer]

14. For the 14th time... this isn't a generic skull and bones "Jolly Rogers"

It's a Nazi Totenkopf as seen on Nazi uniforms, posters, medals, badges and as unit logos on tanks and artillery.

It's on the damn pointy cap that Jewish folks saw before they were shot

[MineralMan]

15. Only the 14th time?

Bye, now. I'm done with this conversation.

[Nanjeanne]

21. Well you really should take that up with the US government who evaluates tattoos during

physicals and during his reenlistment and question why they allowed it. Platner has given his explanation. His friend who got the tattoo with him also gave his explanation. You don’t accept it. Fine. But maybe you can find out why the US Marine Corps disregarded it.

[niyad]

18. Do you have any comments about his rape apologist remarks, which

were only scrubbed when he decided to run?

[MineralMan]

22. I do not.

In fact, I'm done with comments about Platner. Looks like folks have managed to poison his campaign plenty well. I don't vote in Maine, anyhow.

Hillary's email.
I just don't like Hillary.
I'll just stay home.

Kamala doesn't have enough experience.
She doesn't seem to be up to the job.
I'll just stay home.

Oh, well. I'm 80. I hand it all over to you. Good freaking luck!

[niyad]

28. I do not vote in Maine either, but the thought of someone with his

posted views on women being put in a position to vote on issues directly affecting women is disturbing. As is the fact that so many people everywhere on social media seem to be deliberately ignoring them, or actually saying women are simply not a priority. A rather appalling view coming from professed Dems.

[mr715]

49. Susan Collins has supported men with a spotty track record on women...

[Emile]

58. So Collins who confirmed Brett Kavanaugh to end legal abortions

sound like the better choice?

[mr715]

59. I see what you did there Emile.

[Nixie]

34. Speaking of voting in Maine, there is a senator from Vermont

who injects himself and his followers into every election in every state to make the Democratic party over in his image of the world.

So it’s too late to tell others to mind their own business about other states and candidates. I’ll mind my business when he minds his.

[mr715]

45. Oh Christ

[Nixie]

48. Oh dear

[mr715]

50. Oh heavens

[Nixie]

52. Lame. Thanks for your concern.

[mr715]

54. Oh my

[betsuni]

80. Seems like a limerick.

There's a senator from Vermont
The decider of establishment or not
He preached revolution
And claimed persecution
But it isn't what most people want

[Nixie]

96. ...........

Excellent !

You should copyright this, it’s that good.

[electric_blue68]

73. Woah. That's (above) a horrible (and not so rare) comnent about sexual assault victims!

Hadn't seen that.

Does Mills have a chance? We so need to get The House, and Senate back.

[mr715]

76. Mills does not have a chance.

I may eat those words, in all but one poll she was polling down 20-30%


Edit: With Platner over 50%, to clarify for ranked choice outcomes.

[electric_blue68]

79. Got it.

[niyad]

97. Those comments are what some of us have been pointing out for

weeks.. 11

[mcar]

57. Amazing how people overlook his actual statements. nt

[MorbidButterflyTat]

63. It's sickening

[Emile]

9. Does the tattoo now look like the State of Ohio?

[WarGamer]

10. That or a Rorschach test?

[Emile]

17. "It's a Rorschach test, and it says you're projecting."

[Dave says]

81. I thought it looked like the tick I just removed from my leg

For real. Not meant as an off-handed insult toward GP.

[krawhitham]

11. "Theoretically" hell no we would not support him, but you put a D next to his name and we will sell our souls

[NoRethugFriends]

82. So you prefer Collins?

[leftstreet]

13. What policies would they be running on?

Medicare for all?
Wage increases?
Taxing the rich?
Ending wars?

[MineralMan]

19. How come we keep screwing ourselves?

This crap happens far too often, it seems to me.

"But her emails..."

[CrispyQ]

30. We could get Fettered, for sure, but our priority right now is to capture the senate majority.

There is no more "when they go low, we go high." That only works when the other side plays by the same rules & they don't. We get the senate majority any damned way we can.

[mr715]

31. If the GOPer renounced it, covered it up, and ran of eviscerating billionaires

Yeah, especially in Idaho.

No intellectual yoga required.

[CivicGrief]

32. Dumb question.

And irrelevant. Give it a rest.

[mr715]

33. Bizarro question.

With a clear intention

[BannonsLiver]

56. VERY.

[blm]

35. BS on the Nazi tat. 90% of heavy metal acts used skull images

And 100% of pirate movies. Most people don’t know the differentials involved, especially when they walk into a tattoo parlor.

I call BS on the concern.

[WarGamer]

39. lol...

[Dave says]

83. You laugh, but 2 drunk 20 year old marines ...

… are not PhD’s in history. GP is not a perfect human being. Go ahead, let the perfect be the enemy of the good enough and let the USA continue to fall apart.

This is hardball we fight with the Repubs, not badminton. First mission is to gain control of the Senate and House. GP, with his now fully mature brain (which for males doesn’t happen until we reach about 25), has a D next to his name. He’s running against a long entrenched Repub. As of now he appears to support many progressive goals. I’d vote for him (if I lived in Maine).

[QueerDuck]

36. Thank you! For me, it's the Nazi tattoo thing that I can't get over... and here's why.

For some reason, I've always had a hard time trusting anyone who claims to "not know" what a Totenkopf is.

I also find it improbable that in the eighteen years they had a tattoo of a Nazi symbol, they never figured it out. It's not just a drunken choice of "cool skull and crossbones dude" tattoo, I'll take THAT one! Instead, it's a specific historical emblem worn by concentration camp guards.

In fairness... and this is FULL EXTENT of the lenience I'm willing to extend to Platner... perhaps in a drunken moment he looked around the walls of the tattoo shop or a three-ring binder of designs displayed plastic page protectors... and blindly chose that particular one from "skull and crossbones" collection.

Perhaps he really didn't know its meaning at the time. But in the subsequent eighteen years (EIGHTEEN YEARS!) that passed before he FINALLY had it covered (and only when it was politically expedient) it seems unlikely. He was a political activist and organizer during some of those years, so, the argument that a politically active person wouldn't have encountered the meaning of a Totenkopf in nearly two decades is statistically very thin. It's hard for me to accept that he had "no idea" what it meant and that nobody ever bothered to question him or tell him.

Even though Platner maintained he didn't know the symbol's meaning, reports from CNN surfaced alleged past Reddit comments (now deleted) and witness claims suggesting he was aware of the Totenkopf connection years earlier. His former political director and some past acquaintances have claimed he "knows damn well" what the symbol meant years ago, contradicting his claim of ignorance.

Personally, I find it difficult to completely trust his judgement. I subscribe to the philosophy of Maya Angelou who gives the advice that "when people show you who they are, believe them." His insults and other "jokes" about: women, sexual assault victims, LGBTQ, LEO's, rural-Americans being dumb, the "cheap" tipping habits of AA's, and using the R-word as recently as last month cannot be ignored. I know that we're all just human and imperfect, but these things indicate a pattern of poor judgement and lack of impulse control that bother me.

If he ends up being our nominee, I'll hope and pray that he wins... as I've said in the past: the "worst Democrat" is always preferable to any Republican. But, honestly, I'm just tired of being disappointed. I'm afraid that the road ahead will be filled with heartbreak and regret.

[mr715]

66. There is also the dumb explanation.

In that he is just kinda dumb.

Good talker, but kind of dumb.

Not a great selling point, but not necessarily a deal breaker. I'm sure there are plenty of dumb politicians that are decent speakers but not great thinkers.

Admittedly I'm having trouble of thinking of any DEMOCRATIC examples, but still...

At least dumb isn't malicious and it is another explanation.

[EX500rider]

68. Yeah, I agree, it one thing to get it drunk, it's another to lie about knowing what it is 20 years later

[electric_blue68]

78. I didn't know what a Totenkoff was, nor what it looked like either....

Till all this happened.

[questionseverything]

88. I didn't either and I watched hogan's heroes as a kid

[electric_blue68]

89. I watched some of that, but never looked closely at the hat.

[questionseverything]

90. Me either and no adults said anything about the insignia

[electric_blue68]

91. Mine either.

[niyad]

98. THANK YOU!!!

[Boo1]

37. My hypocrisy only goes so far

If he wins the primary i hope he beats Collins. But, this feels like back when the GOP was nominating people talking about witchcraft and blew daces they would have won.

[Ocelot II]

38. I don't live in Maine so I can't vote one way or the other.

But if I did, I'd be considering the basic question of whether Platner or Collins would vote in ways that would better serve Maine and the US in general. Call it realpolitik or something like that, but we're not choosing babysitters for our children or pastors for our church. This isn't to say character flaws should be excused or ignored just because the flawed person is on our side of the aisle, but Senators have one job, which is to represent the interests of their constituency. Which one of them would do better at that job? Maybe it's too bad that other and less problematic candidates haven't attracted as much interest (and I know the primary is next week so there's no official nominee yet), but the choice at this point seems like it will be binary. Do the people of Maine want to stick with Collins, whom they know, or take their chances with someone with some uncomfortable baggage?

[sop]

40. Of course not. And, as a lifelong Democrat, I wouldn't support Jesus Christ if he was running as a Republican.

Republican policies are devastating middle and lower-income Americans. Democratic policies are better for the majority of Americans.

Let me be perfectly clear: I would vote for anyone who will will help push the progressive agenda forward. Anyone. I don't care if they are scumbags. I'll start voting for saints when this country is no longer on the precipice of a full blown fascist takeover by mega-corporations, Nazis, racists and rightwing christian fundamentalists. I've had enough! Enough!

[maxrandb]

41. Of course not

The "R" after his name tells me more about this fantasy Idahoan's character and core beliefs than a million tattoos would.

JFC! After witnessing the shitshow Donnie Dipshit and his spineless party members have wrought, I wouldn't care if Mr. "Fucking" Rogers was running. The "Retrumplican" identifier is a non-starter.

[Scrivener7]

42. We all know about the tattoo, the offensive texts, the complaints of old girl friends. So who is lying or covering up?

I think most people simply see that Mainers are sticking with him - which they have the right to do - and he is looking like the best option to get rid of Collins and get another seat toward getting control of the committees. And I see those people not wanting the Democratic support to split due to the incessant discussions of his undesirability, so that Collins slithers into another term.

That's why people are supporting him. YOURSELF INCLUDED, apparently, despite your weird insinuations of moral superiority toward the rest of the posters who, like you, are supporting him.

[BannonsLiver]

43. "i hope he wins"

I love the sanctimony. I’m going to tell you all you’re a bunch of hypocrites and then say I hope he wins anyway. Just like with Ukraine, right? 🤪

[Scrivener7]

44. Right? Can't make this shit up.

[BannonsLiver]

53. I'm sure this thread seemed like a good idea when it was started.

[mr715]

55. So did taking Kyiv

[Sympthsical]

64. . . .

[Scrivener7]

71. Which is, in itself, concerning.

[Kingofalldems]

84. Reminds me of the massive amount of Al Franken threads

from a few years back.

[mcar]

51. Or if it was a woman or Black man

[mr715]

60. But it isn't.

So let's all grieve

[betsuni]

85. Then they would be labeled "establishment" and a fictional sins and revisionist history worldview thrown at them.

[mcar]

92. This is true.

[csusan]

61. In a perfect world

I wouldn't want him to run. But we are currently living in an extremely unperfect country and we need to do everything possible to win. Which means we need him to win. I don't live in Maine so I don't have to decide. If he was a republican, I would think poorly if him.

[Cosmocat]

62. In my 50+ years

Ds have consistently taken high ground and literally have never been given credit for it.

Rs ignore it and continue to slander Ds as God, country hating puppy killing spawns of Satan and "independents" ignor it and equivicate Ds w Rs doing their "both sides are the sane bullshit.

Conversely, Rs have way more unethical and immoral situations are hailed as "good conservatives" who moral and patriotic.

Even more so w Trumpianism and MAGA.

So, the premise that taking the high ground has any relevance at this point is completely false.

And, I dont see a lot of "rationalization."

I see people acknowledging hes got moral issues but 1) appears to be right on the issues and as such is infinitely better than the incumbent regardless of his moral issues (as they are currently known) and 2) hes the best chance to beat her.

W DT and MAGA

[MorbidButterflyTat]

65. If it wasn't a Nazi tattoo

why did Platner cover it up?

He covered it up because it was a Nazi tattoo and in his best interest politically to do it.

That is not a "fighter" who will fight for the progressive Utopian wish list of eradicating billionaires and creating Universal healthcare for all, etc., etc.

I'd like to see his actual plans for implementing Utopia.

"Graham Platner wrote that women worried about rape need to 'not get so f’d up they wind up having sex with someone they don’t mean to.'”

Look over there at the tattoo, nothing to see here.

[Emile]

70. Maybe because it's his skin, and he felt like it.

[EdmondDantes_]

69. It's not even intellectual twister. It's just declaring him better

Where's the action that shows he's changed in the last couple of years? Because he was abusive towards a girlfriend in 2021 and the sexting thing even more recently.

He talks a good game, but as you say nobody would believe a Republican under the same circumstances.

[Scrivener7]

74. Except maybe the OP, who says in his post that he supports Platner's election.

[mr715]

77. LOL

Wow, logic.

[EdmondDantes_]

99. That's not an answer to the question I asked

Not really sure how it's a relevant response. That people can't point to actions that demonstrate change suggests that you all can't.

[Nanjeanne]

86. Just curious - which girlfriend was he abusive to in 2021? I'm probably getting very confused by much of it - but

I only know of the Fifield allegation which was when he was in college. Personally I think you might be confusing that comment with Jenny Racicot. She never said he was abusive at all. In the NY Times article this is what Racicot said:

Jenny Racicot, 41, a Maine Democrat, who said she dated him casually off and on between 2019 and 2021, said the posts deepened her belief that he did not respect women. “When I saw the old comments that he made online,” she said, “I recognized a version of him that I had experiences with.”

So re being abusive - Just post a link if you don't mind - thanks.

Also really - SEXTING? That's a problem for you? It sure isn't my thing but I'm an old lady with a great loss of muscle! In my day we had telephone sex with boyfriends/girlfriends we weren't with. Nowdays - "sexting" is the thing. Of course, that's much more dangerous as those kinds of things are never really gone . . . but are we now being moderators of other people's sex lives and how they choose to engage with a partner (or partners). Doing it when married - that's fucked and he was certainly a bad husband - as he and his wife admit. But I've never understood people's interest in other people's sex lives when it's not affecting them. You may find sexting distasteful. Plenty of people do not and engage in it. I may find his behavior shameful as a husband. But I'm glad he and his wife had counseling and have recommitted to their relationship.

Where's the action that he's changed in the last couple of years? Well - do you really want to interview each and every one of his friends, coworkers, partners, etc.? Have at it. I can only judge by what I see now - and that's fine with me. I don't live in Maine - so I can't vote for him. But I did send some $. I want him in the Senate and I want Collins gone. I know her actions pretty well and I haven't seen any change in her. That's my line in the sand.

[intheflow]

93. Thank you.

Not all sexting is abusive, unwanted, and evil. Some DUers seem to have developed a latent Puritanical worldview with regard to this newfangled technology.

I honestly don’t think people are even reading about his sexting, just reacting to it in a knee-jerk emotional way, assuming it wasn’t consensual. No one has come forward to say he sent unwanted sexts to them. It’s obviously not great he cheated on his wife, but she got over it. Would that others do the same!

[-misanthroptimist]

87. Would I be defending a Republican?

Of course not! The key word there is "Republican."

In point of fact, I'm not defending Platner, either. I am simply discounting unsubstantiated noise and self-serving conjecture.

Collins must go, and Platner is the guy to do it. Case closed.

[orangecrush]

95. Here's an interesting tattoo

The tattoo behind it all