Should the Democratic candidate's 'Nazi tattoo' and history of incendiary remarks disqualify him from the Maine Senate primary race? Mehdi hosts a debate between Cenk Uygur and Kaivan Shroff.
Honestly, as soon as I read this guy was a former HRC staffer, I was done.
As far as Platner goes, I’m sticking by my support for this dude and that’s coming from a Black man. I get all the concerns and I see what (some) folks are saying. I’ve also seen Progressive and Left-Populist candidates destroyed over a lot less in their background. I’m hoping he sticks with it and wins just for the simple fact that it can act like an icebreaker ship and cut through that machine that eats up anyone before they even get started and it makes it ok for flawed folks who articulate good politics to come out and keep this momentum going.
No I do not think we are in for a rug pull moment with him. He’s not Fetterman, who had way sketchier stuff in his past (shotgun incident) and I don’t even think you’ll get a Tulsi situation either (literally grew up in a cult).
The ratio story does not bother me. The multiple deployments resulting from stop loss don’t bother me and the 6-month contractor (mercenary) stint also doesn’t do it for me either.
Mills can’t beat Collins, and there’s no one else either. Still not seeing enough here to change my mind about this or him. Now I could be horribly wrong, but it don’t think I am.
I think we should let centrist Democrat oppo PR completely confuse and derail us so that the corporates continue to treat us with zero respect because we have zero power, spine, or solidarity. I think that’s a good strategy to build the progressive movement and pass sane policies that might prevent omnicide, along with banning for life any candidate or voter who hasn’t shown crystalline perfection since conception.
Only the left—the online left—is this fucking stupid.
Are you kidding? The “oppo PR” is just pointing out a GIANT NAZI TATTOO he had on his own body for twenty years up until this exact moment. Don’t give me the “he’s not perfect” line as if it’s an unreasonable expectation to want representatives who didn’t have Nazi iconography inked onto their skin for most of his adulthood.
If you keep backing people like this, you’re going to keep ending up with traitors like AOC and Bernie Sanders. And you’ll deserve them.
I’ll take “traitors” like Bernie and AOC any day of the week, fucko.
PS: “Establishment Democrats spent a full year complaining the Left forced them to be “woke.” But then a left populist, Graham Platner, threatened to win in Maine, so they went right back to trying to cancel someone over old internet posts.”
Platner is exactly, *exactly* what the Party needs. I am so tired of the self-imposed and ALWAYS self-defeating purity standard of the Democrats. It's this very excellent oyster fisherman and veteran, or it is the admittedly excellent governor. I think a lot of the governor, but it's time to lower the average age of Congress. Give the Republicans the middle finger and dare them to oppose the definitely FAUX nazi. Have you heard him speak? He is a man of the people, down to earth and sensible. We need a lot more AOCs and no Fettermans. We need universal healthcare and NO for-profit insurance. We need a living minimum wage. We need ZERO billion and trillionaires. We absolutely must have no gerrymandering and other voting restrictions. Endorsing and supporting Graham is a very good start.
Yeah, we’re not doing this bullshit “purity” rhetoric here. If you’re cool with a Blackwater merc with a Nazi tattoo, the problem isn’t that other people’s standards are too high. It’s that yours are nonexistent.
I'm pulling my hair out at your comment. Have you read what he stands for? Have you heard him speak? He is not a nazi, and he is no longer a mercenary. Goddammit! He's PROGRESSIVE. Educate yourself! I'm so DONE with the pearl clutching!
“Have you read what he stands for?” Are you new? We’ve been here before. Politicians lie on the campaign trail. “Progressive” candidates turn once elected. Don’t blame me for being less gullible than you.
“He’s no longer a mercenary” lmao okay he’s a RETIRED war criminal then, my bad I guess.
“I’m tired of the pearl clutching” Well, I’m tired of “progressives” taking up the space where actual leftists could be. Y’all keep lowering your standards for every Democrat who makes nice-sounding noises with their mouth, no matter how many obvious red flags they raise that you’d never accept otherwise, only to be disappointed after a year when they turn out like AOC and Bernie. And then you fall for it again the next time anyway, and screech at anyone who points out the obvious.
You’re not “tired of the pearl-clutching,” you just don’t have any real principles.
As a progressive Democrat, I believe our values only have meaning when we live by them. Dismissing Platner’s tattoo or his past remarks because he’s “on our side” undermines everything we stand for. If we expect moral consistency from the right, we must embody it ourselves. Leadership requires we stand taller and wiser, even when it’s uncomfortable.
I could smell the stench of AIPAC influence oozing off the Hillary guy. The gaslighting, the projection accusations, the slick-talking. I'll take a guy like Platner, warts and all, who has lived a real life over these fakes. His authenticity spotlights how soulless the other guys are. Our country's problem isn't Trump alone - it's all billionaires and their corrupt influence over our government. Corporate Dems are as guilty as GOP. Platner won't bend the knee to either.
I for one am not happy when people try to brush off comments they used to make in the past. The claim of a profound change of one's personality, the core of it, goes against all we know about psychology. Now, if you do truly change, then you should love to discredit your old self. And you can see it in Uygur's comments, who used to be conservative and apparently write ugly things and now only argues only about winning an election, not about fundamental human values. Moreover, he admits to know nothing about Mills and yet claims that she will be a disaster - a pure demagoguery. It tells you nicely how people rarely change.
Cenk has changed his stripes multiple times and left many vulnerable populations in the dust in the name of electability. I'm not sure about Platner, but I think he might be better off serving on a state level first, gaining some experience and really showing his constituents what he's made of before claiming a stake on the national stage. That said, America is desperate for alternatives to the corporate Dems who have betrayed us time and again. Maine has some tough choices to make. (Also f*** Polymarket Studios. I don't put any stock in what a sellout like Uygur and his terf cohost think about anything.)
I always wondered why pro democracy platforms attract even people who use offensive speech. Is that ignorance? Lack of ability to coherently express one's ideas? Love for violence? But then why be here - after all, democracy is all about debating one's beliefs. It would make an interesting study of socio-psychology.
As an 82 year old woman who was raised in the military, I find this whole kerfuffle ridiculous. The tattoo sounds like something an immature young serviceman would find great, especially after getting plastered with his buddies. There are many things our juveniles indulge in the process of growing up. In the past when we did not have all this Social Media, things were quickly forgotten. Today any mistakes or misspoke word lives forever. If this is a pattern that does not change it is one thing but if it is a case of a young person looking at all different possibilities trying to find what he or she believes, I would rather have their investigating and using their mind to find answers than to be told something and accept it as the TRUTH.
I've donated to Platner. I really like his framing of issues, especially healthcare. I like that he's a vet. I suspect it was establishment oppo research that largely led to the hubbub of the last week. That said, Kaivan is right that the quick pivot on Platner's part to blaming the establishment isn't sensible. Platner hasn't done a terrible job explaining it all, but it's legitimate to have questions. Cenk's "defense" of Platner was worse much worse than Platner's defense of himself. Cenk's tired casting blame led me unexpectedly to feel Kaivan made the better argument. Everyone needed more grounding in Maine, as I don't recall anyone spoke to Collin's previous races, where the more centrist got the nomination and lost. The case for a candidate like Platner remains very strong, but I'm on the fence now whether Platner's the guy.
“I like that he’s a vet.” You mean an Iraq and Afghanistan war criminal and Blackwater mercenary who has bragged about how many people he personally murdered?
The “establishment oppo research” was pointing out a tattoo he put on his own body and kept there for 20 years. The origin of the information is irrelevant. Platner’s “defense” was to play victim and act like it’s ridiculous for people to be upset about this. It’s absurd that your standards are this low.
Yes, it’s definitely a good idea to replace people who won’t say “genocide” with someone who had a symbol of those who committed the most infamous one inked onto his body for 20 years. That’ll show ‘em.
Justin Trudeau wore Black/brown face on three occasions (teen, teen, and 29) - he addressed what he did, he apologized and he was roundly humbled by Canadian media. Trudeau was in office when the scandal broke and running for his second term, and we had enough experience with Trudeau to know he supported antiracism and was ashamed of what he did. So if Platner has owned what he has done and works against racism and fascism, then he should be allowed to run.
So Kainvan's strategy is get Platner out of the race so we can see who comes along in his place? That is absolute stupidity. If there are better candidates they can join the campaign at any time. Nothing is stopping anyone from jumping in. Unless I'm absolutely blind to some political strategy logic that argument makes no sense.
Why is everyone so helpless? There is plenty of time to come up with a better candidate. Throw these two out. One is two old and tired and one can't be trusted. Get to work!
Honestly, as soon as I read this guy was a former HRC staffer, I was done.
As far as Platner goes, I’m sticking by my support for this dude and that’s coming from a Black man. I get all the concerns and I see what (some) folks are saying. I’ve also seen Progressive and Left-Populist candidates destroyed over a lot less in their background. I’m hoping he sticks with it and wins just for the simple fact that it can act like an icebreaker ship and cut through that machine that eats up anyone before they even get started and it makes it ok for flawed folks who articulate good politics to come out and keep this momentum going.
No I do not think we are in for a rug pull moment with him. He’s not Fetterman, who had way sketchier stuff in his past (shotgun incident) and I don’t even think you’ll get a Tulsi situation either (literally grew up in a cult).
The ratio story does not bother me. The multiple deployments resulting from stop loss don’t bother me and the 6-month contractor (mercenary) stint also doesn’t do it for me either.
Mills can’t beat Collins, and there’s no one else either. Still not seeing enough here to change my mind about this or him. Now I could be horribly wrong, but it don’t think I am.
I’m Jewish. Donated $50 to Platner.
I think we should let centrist Democrat oppo PR completely confuse and derail us so that the corporates continue to treat us with zero respect because we have zero power, spine, or solidarity. I think that’s a good strategy to build the progressive movement and pass sane policies that might prevent omnicide, along with banning for life any candidate or voter who hasn’t shown crystalline perfection since conception.
Only the left—the online left—is this fucking stupid.
Are you kidding? The “oppo PR” is just pointing out a GIANT NAZI TATTOO he had on his own body for twenty years up until this exact moment. Don’t give me the “he’s not perfect” line as if it’s an unreasonable expectation to want representatives who didn’t have Nazi iconography inked onto their skin for most of his adulthood.
If you keep backing people like this, you’re going to keep ending up with traitors like AOC and Bernie Sanders. And you’ll deserve them.
I’ll take “traitors” like Bernie and AOC any day of the week, fucko.
PS: “Establishment Democrats spent a full year complaining the Left forced them to be “woke.” But then a left populist, Graham Platner, threatened to win in Maine, so they went right back to trying to cancel someone over old internet posts.”
https://jacobin.com/2025/10/democrats-cynically-wield-wokeness-against-graham-platner
A lot of nastiness over small irrelevant issues from decades ago
Graham Platner is a superb candidate with good principles, a.o. will not accept AIPAC money
Don't let Schumer mess up this election.
The Democrats like him, they are tired of the passive useless same old, same old
Schumer’s endorsement of Mills is enough for me to stick with Platner.
Platner is exactly, *exactly* what the Party needs. I am so tired of the self-imposed and ALWAYS self-defeating purity standard of the Democrats. It's this very excellent oyster fisherman and veteran, or it is the admittedly excellent governor. I think a lot of the governor, but it's time to lower the average age of Congress. Give the Republicans the middle finger and dare them to oppose the definitely FAUX nazi. Have you heard him speak? He is a man of the people, down to earth and sensible. We need a lot more AOCs and no Fettermans. We need universal healthcare and NO for-profit insurance. We need a living minimum wage. We need ZERO billion and trillionaires. We absolutely must have no gerrymandering and other voting restrictions. Endorsing and supporting Graham is a very good start.
Yeah, we’re not doing this bullshit “purity” rhetoric here. If you’re cool with a Blackwater merc with a Nazi tattoo, the problem isn’t that other people’s standards are too high. It’s that yours are nonexistent.
I'm pulling my hair out at your comment. Have you read what he stands for? Have you heard him speak? He is not a nazi, and he is no longer a mercenary. Goddammit! He's PROGRESSIVE. Educate yourself! I'm so DONE with the pearl clutching!
“Have you read what he stands for?” Are you new? We’ve been here before. Politicians lie on the campaign trail. “Progressive” candidates turn once elected. Don’t blame me for being less gullible than you.
“He’s no longer a mercenary” lmao okay he’s a RETIRED war criminal then, my bad I guess.
“I’m tired of the pearl clutching” Well, I’m tired of “progressives” taking up the space where actual leftists could be. Y’all keep lowering your standards for every Democrat who makes nice-sounding noises with their mouth, no matter how many obvious red flags they raise that you’d never accept otherwise, only to be disappointed after a year when they turn out like AOC and Bernie. And then you fall for it again the next time anyway, and screech at anyone who points out the obvious.
You’re not “tired of the pearl-clutching,” you just don’t have any real principles.
As a progressive Democrat, I believe our values only have meaning when we live by them. Dismissing Platner’s tattoo or his past remarks because he’s “on our side” undermines everything we stand for. If we expect moral consistency from the right, we must embody it ourselves. Leadership requires we stand taller and wiser, even when it’s uncomfortable.
I could smell the stench of AIPAC influence oozing off the Hillary guy. The gaslighting, the projection accusations, the slick-talking. I'll take a guy like Platner, warts and all, who has lived a real life over these fakes. His authenticity spotlights how soulless the other guys are. Our country's problem isn't Trump alone - it's all billionaires and their corrupt influence over our government. Corporate Dems are as guilty as GOP. Platner won't bend the knee to either.
Ah yes, the very unreasonable “AIPAC influenced” opinion of “having a Nazi tattoo is bad.”
The latest poll show Graham ahead with 58% to Janet Mills, 24%
Democrats want new leaders and I agree
Here's the good news: we have ranked-choice voting in Maine. So I say let the people decide.
I for one am not happy when people try to brush off comments they used to make in the past. The claim of a profound change of one's personality, the core of it, goes against all we know about psychology. Now, if you do truly change, then you should love to discredit your old self. And you can see it in Uygur's comments, who used to be conservative and apparently write ugly things and now only argues only about winning an election, not about fundamental human values. Moreover, he admits to know nothing about Mills and yet claims that she will be a disaster - a pure demagoguery. It tells you nicely how people rarely change.
Cenk has changed his stripes multiple times and left many vulnerable populations in the dust in the name of electability. I'm not sure about Platner, but I think he might be better off serving on a state level first, gaining some experience and really showing his constituents what he's made of before claiming a stake on the national stage. That said, America is desperate for alternatives to the corporate Dems who have betrayed us time and again. Maine has some tough choices to make. (Also f*** Polymarket Studios. I don't put any stock in what a sellout like Uygur and his terf cohost think about anything.)
So I guess you’ll always be an idiot then.
I always wondered why pro democracy platforms attract even people who use offensive speech. Is that ignorance? Lack of ability to coherently express one's ideas? Love for violence? But then why be here - after all, democracy is all about debating one's beliefs. It would make an interesting study of socio-psychology.
As an 82 year old woman who was raised in the military, I find this whole kerfuffle ridiculous. The tattoo sounds like something an immature young serviceman would find great, especially after getting plastered with his buddies. There are many things our juveniles indulge in the process of growing up. In the past when we did not have all this Social Media, things were quickly forgotten. Today any mistakes or misspoke word lives forever. If this is a pattern that does not change it is one thing but if it is a case of a young person looking at all different possibilities trying to find what he or she believes, I would rather have their investigating and using their mind to find answers than to be told something and accept it as the TRUTH.
He kept the tattoo for 20 years. He’s had every single day of those years to have it removed or covered. Stop playing games.
I've donated to Platner. I really like his framing of issues, especially healthcare. I like that he's a vet. I suspect it was establishment oppo research that largely led to the hubbub of the last week. That said, Kaivan is right that the quick pivot on Platner's part to blaming the establishment isn't sensible. Platner hasn't done a terrible job explaining it all, but it's legitimate to have questions. Cenk's "defense" of Platner was worse much worse than Platner's defense of himself. Cenk's tired casting blame led me unexpectedly to feel Kaivan made the better argument. Everyone needed more grounding in Maine, as I don't recall anyone spoke to Collin's previous races, where the more centrist got the nomination and lost. The case for a candidate like Platner remains very strong, but I'm on the fence now whether Platner's the guy.
“I like that he’s a vet.” You mean an Iraq and Afghanistan war criminal and Blackwater mercenary who has bragged about how many people he personally murdered?
The “establishment oppo research” was pointing out a tattoo he put on his own body and kept there for 20 years. The origin of the information is irrelevant. Platner’s “defense” was to play victim and act like it’s ridiculous for people to be upset about this. It’s absurd that your standards are this low.
How is his tattoo a bigger reason for disqualification than this!!?
https://zeteo.com/p/14-senators-posed-with-netanyahu
Slaves of Netanyahu and AIPAC. Lack moral principles;. None of them have even uttered the word :"GENOCIDE" WE ABSOLUTELY NEED A CHANGE AT THE TOP,
GRAHAM IS A GOOD START
Yes, it’s definitely a good idea to replace people who won’t say “genocide” with someone who had a symbol of those who committed the most infamous one inked onto his body for 20 years. That’ll show ‘em.
OK, but that's worse. You do get how that's worse, right?
– Chidi Anagonye, The Good Place
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA_E57ePSR4
Platner sounded good at first but after the deep dive ( and he's not that old) he needs to step down. Unsure about trusting him.
Janet Mills has shown exactly who she is. She can stand up to trump. And that's what we need RIGHT NOW.
[Crickets.]
Justin Trudeau wore Black/brown face on three occasions (teen, teen, and 29) - he addressed what he did, he apologized and he was roundly humbled by Canadian media. Trudeau was in office when the scandal broke and running for his second term, and we had enough experience with Trudeau to know he supported antiracism and was ashamed of what he did. So if Platner has owned what he has done and works against racism and fascism, then he should be allowed to run.
Using our Genocidal, Zionist embarrassment of an ex PM as an example is not the hot take you think it is.
If Justin Trudeau is your benchmark for “antiracism,” then it makes perfect sense how Graham Platner is enough for you.
So Kainvan's strategy is get Platner out of the race so we can see who comes along in his place? That is absolute stupidity. If there are better candidates they can join the campaign at any time. Nothing is stopping anyone from jumping in. Unless I'm absolutely blind to some political strategy logic that argument makes no sense.
Why is everyone so helpless? There is plenty of time to come up with a better candidate. Throw these two out. One is two old and tired and one can't be trusted. Get to work!
Binky Wood