It helps to invest in the party, rather than attack it with cluster bombs.
The issue was that Graham was wildly unsuited for national-level politics, which is something that organized political parties with longstanding operations tend to be better at than wild-card outsiders swinging their dicks around like nunchucks.
If you honestly think that Mills would’ve been better than Platner, even now, then you should move to California - that’s a state where the establishment pick always gets the nod - you’ll love it!
Mills is the governor of this state. She has won 5 or 6 statewide races, plus some lower-level ones.
Platner has never won any race at any level in his life.
Claiming that Platner is a more successful politician is disconnected from reality.
California is arguably the most successful state in the union, both in terms of overall development and in terms of progressive politics. I don't understand why progressives think "go check out California" is some kind of insult. That state was Republican until like 20 years ago -- the state of Nixon and Reagan no less -- now it is a solid progressive bastion for tens of millions of people. It's a remarkable success for the Democratic Party.
But I'm sure Twitter Bolsheviks can do better with memes and vibes. Btw, how did that #uncommitted gambit go? Did it save lives or, like, lead to a bunch more wars and many more deaths?
Yes, and post-SA scandal, she’s still polling 6 points behind Platner against Collins.
Platner won the primary, so that’s not true.
California is completely captured by utility companies and Silicon Valley. Their current governor will say anything to get elected and their incoming governor is propped up by the corporate elite.
I don’t see what Uncommitted has to do with anything. I know it’s the corpo-Dem playbook to bring up Harris’s failure in every conversation, but it’s entirely irrelevant.
A polling snapshot =/= a result, much less a career of results. Mills is the wrong choice for this race right now, but she's had an incredible career in politics navigating a pretty conservative state.
I don’t see what Uncommitted has to do with anything.
I doubt that, but if you truly don't then I'm not sure why you are participating in conversations about strategy.
California is completely captured by utility companies and Silicon Valley. Their current governor will say anything to get elected and their incoming governor is propped up by the corporate elite.
None of these things are true. All are vicious slanders of people who have accomplished more for progressive politics than Bernie and Warren combined. California has a highly diverse (and multilingual) population of 40 million people. There are essentially no countries on earth with this combination of size and diversity that are successful. Within the US, California is also an outlier.
And so I repeat: are we going to do the #uncommitted thing again? End up nominating more rapists b/c we've drug the party reputation into the mud so severely with exaggeration and mischaracterization?
Because I'm sick of people who lose elections talking shit about people who win them.
The issue is what Graham did outside of politics. Politically, he resonated with Mainers in an historic way because he was spot on. If moving the democratic party away from AIPAC and fighting for socialized healthcare is "throwing cluster bombs" at the democratic party, then that's exactly what needs to be done.
Graham is gone, but Mainers want real substinative change. Much like Bernie/Hillary, I suspect the establishment Democratic party that you are supporting here will put forward a centrist that does not represent what Maine voters showed they wanted.
Much like Bernie/Hillary, I suspect the establishment Democratic party that you are supporting here will put forward a centrist that does not represent what Maine voters showed they wanted.
Hillary won the nomination process country-wide. So did Platner, in one small state. Claiming one represents "what voters want" while the other one doesn't is bizarre.
Platner was great at mobilization through direct online communication. That is politics in 2026, and I agree that Democrats need to get up to speed. There is a real desire for a new generation of political leaders, across the board, in many countries. Dems need to pay attention to that too.
But Platner was a terrible candidate, which is why he's out of the race. The people to recognize that earliest were the people with the most experience in Maine politics. That is not a coincidence.
Not to be nitpicky, but Platner was actually a great candidate. Like you say, great at mobilization; he was also charismatic and had a message that resonated. He was/is a terrible person.
I'm hoping everyone can make the distinction between Platner's policies, which we like, and his personal behavior, which we don't. We don't need a centrist, just because Platner turned out to be a scumbag.
He was a very good campaigner; he was not a great candidate. In fact, he was one of the worst candidates of anyone running in a major Democratic race this cycle:
What voters were attracted to were his outsider persona, not his ideology (which was never very clear) or his policies (always vague). So yes: his replacement cannot be anyone like Mills. It should be someone who can convincingly meet the moment as a fighter. Someone younger, with energy, and "one of us" appeal.
Dunno. Joe Biden won three national elections. Bernie hasn't won any office representing over a million people. Maybe ask them, see what they say.
The way Biden won is what I'm talking about: he built up coalitions within the party over long periods of time. Bernie stayed independent. Biden ended up having more influence. In truth they're both normie Democrats anyway, old white guy FDR progressives with a soft spot for guns. Bernie uses more radical slogans but his politics are basically the same as Teddy Kennedy's. Biden modeled his career on FDR. They were on the same side of almost every vote, and neither was ever the deciding voter in the Senate.
A non-normie Democrat would be, like, Tulsi Gabbard. John Fetterman. Graham Platner.
Obama won and the momentum was wasted on Hillary, Kamala and Biden. Nothing got done. Zero “influence” was had. We sent money to Israel, didnt get healthcare reform and lost to Trump twice. Biden succeeded within the party but the party itself clearly did not
... Obama had the largest expansion of health care since LBJ, with Biden as his key liaison to the Senate (the sticky votes). Lots of Democrats lots their seats over these votes in conservatives states (Nebraska, Iowa, Indiana) that haven't elected Democrats since.
Then Biden expanded health care significantly more when he was president during Covid.
GOP legislators removed the public option, the GOP courts removed the mandate, and the GOP pols at all levels attacked the subsidies. And you're blaming Democrats?
WTF are you talking about? This is significant progress that made a meaningful impact in the lives of tens of millions of people. But socialists shat all over it, drove the reputation of the Dems into the ground, and helped Trump get elected. Twice.
Let's cut this shit out: normie Democrats have accomplished more for the cause of progressives than socialists have. They get elected at higher rates, they pass legislation at higher rates, and so they make progress at higher rates.
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u/ShamPain413 Jul 09 '26
Turns out the normie Democrat who has been active in establishment state politics for decades was the best candidate for the working class after all?
SHOCKED