this post was submitted on 30 May 2026

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187

Graham Platner Could Be the Bellwether of a New US Populism (jacobin.com)

submitted 1 day ago by favoredponcho@lemmy.zip to c/politics@lemmy.world

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[–] wpb@lemmy.world 9 points 13 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago) (2 children)

A lot of folks here are too young to remember this, but back in my day there was a democrat senator from Pennsylvania called John Fetterman. When he ran for this position, he was hailed as a new kind of progressive. Gave off serious working class vibes, wouldn't wear a suit, and ran a really progressive ticket. He had a bit of an iffy past, involving threatening a black jogger with a shotgun, and fighting to gentrify the town of Braddock when he was mayor there. And of course, he had parents who were business owners who bought his political career for him. But we were told to ignore this, because he was saying a lot of progressive stuff now, and because the person he was running against was ostensibly worse (a tv doctor I think).

Anyway, he got elected, and the unimaginable happened: the guy who acted conservatively in the past, was acting conservatively in the present too! Even though he'd said he'd changed his tune and was a progressive now, he was supporting conservative legislation, and even enthousiastically supporting the genocide Israel is committing in Gaza (although it's hard to find a democrat who doesn't).

The Plattner situation reminds me of this. Rich parents, iffy past (3 tours of joining the illegal invasion of Iraq, and one in afghanistan, mercenary after, an actual, honest to god, I'm not making this up, nazi tattoo on his chest), and iffy present (he's calling people who participated in the war crimes committed in Fallujah[1] "war heroes" in campaign interviews). It'd be kind of cool if we could learn from history instead of repeat it.

Inb4 the greybeards bring up Obama and his progressive campaign.

[1] they besieged the entire city and cut off its water and electricity supply. This is a war crime. Imagine being an elderly or disabled person who cannot leave the city -- these are the kinds of people targeted by this attack. This is the kind of stuff Israel does in Gaza that makes legal scholars say that they're committing a genocide. Anyway, the folks that did this are war heroes, apparently.

[–] Melvin_Ferd@lemmy.world 1 points 5 minutes ago

I don't care. We can't keep relying on people here. The furry internet mods of the internet who hide at the first hint of confrontation. You know at some point we have to be critical of ourselves as a reason Trump won. If i was on a baseball team and half the team doesn't show up and the other half that does show up decide to not even play the game then at some point we need to admit the reason we lost isn't just because the other team did something, that partially the reason we've lost everything in decades is due to the actions of our own team or lack thereof. But one thing I know for sure, we need more of Graham to inject some fuck you energy back into the left of MAGA side.

[–] cdf12345@lemmy.zip 0 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

I went back and listened to Fetterman during his election, and I've listened to Platner in recent interviews, there is a major difference in the general thought of how politics works and how it should work.

I suppose it's possible that this is another wolf in sheeps clothes, but it sure doesnt look like it to me. Not to mention taken at face value, he's leaps and bounds ahead of anyone else in the race.

[–] wpb@lemmy.world 0 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 4 hours ago)

So I feel like "taking things at face value" is exactly what went wrong with the previous bait and switch candidates. And I've yet to see something concrete and actual which distinguishes Plattner from them. As the saying goes, actions speak louder than words, and I haven't seen any progressive actions.

Seeing the amount of mental acrobatics performed in this thread to justify his background, I'm pretty sure some cosmic entity is polishing off the "fell for it again" awards somewhere. People are calling his mother owning multiple businesses, his dad being a prominent lawyer, donating 50k to politicians a regular background. Like holy moly.

[–] merdaverse@lemmy.zip 6 points 12 hours ago

[–] mrodri89@lemmy.zip 4 points 12 hours ago

His speech called “No one is coming to save us” dropped so many truth bombs. I was like FINALLY A POLITICIAN WHO SOUNDS REAL.

[–] brownsugga@lemmy.world 1 points 11 hours ago

I'm just here to see all the tankies come out of the woodwork claiming he's not "left enough" like he's got Bernie's fucking endorsement you lunatics

[–] plant@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 15 hours ago

DNC so successful they get Nazis and moderates too, woopee

[–] TronBronson@lemmy.world 11 points 22 hours ago

All you out of staters sound like some clown in Texas foaming at the mouth over the mayor of New York. Big clown energy. Calm down eyes on the prize focus on your own representation. This one’s mine. You can go reelect your little DNC clown so they can fund Israel and we could keep bombing brown people forever instead of getting healthcare.

[–] TronBronson@lemmy.world 11 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

99 other seats you could be worried about, 2 of which belong to each of you. Go put that energy into your own elections ya jackasses.

[–] pjwestin@lemmy.world 4 points 15 hours ago

Senators serve 6 year terms, and their terms are staggered so that only a third of them up for reelection during any given cycle, so there are only 33 (maybe 34) other elections to worry about right now. Factor in popular sitting senators who are unlikely to receive a primary or general challenge this year, and there are really only a handful of senate seats tor people to be concerned about. Off the top of my head, I can only think of Platner/Mills and Paxton/Talerico for the general elections, and the primary between Markey/Moulton (and I'm not sure if that has national attention or it's just news to me because I live in Massachusetts).

[–] BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today 4 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

Yeah, tell me all about how the guy who wants to destroy MAGA and fight for health care, is worse than the corrupt, treasonous, racist, pedophiles we have now. At least this one has a D next to his name, and adds to a Democratic majority in the Senate. I'm tired of being lied to by Susan Collins and her ilk.

[–] favoredponcho@lemmy.zip 4 points 18 hours ago (2 children)

You’d think Platner was Trump himself, from all these supposed “leftists” in the thread. They are the reason the party can’t move left. They all sit home on Election Day waiting for Jesus himself to be on the ballot.

[–] merdaverse@lemmy.zip 6 points 12 hours ago* (last edited 12 hours ago)

If you think that a 3 tour (or was it 4?) Blackwater merc is going to move you left, you are the reason why the party isn't moving left.

[–] SpookyBogMonster@lemmy.ml 10 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

Look, I get the point you're trying to make, but I can't begrudge anyone for being skeptical of the guy who got a Nazi SS Tattoo.

Maybe pick a different example next time?

[–] favoredponcho@lemmy.zip 11 points 16 hours ago* (last edited 16 hours ago) (1 children)

How about when Kamala Harris ran and instead of voting for her, a bunch of leftists sat home and let Donald Trump win instead to teach her a lesson. I don’t really see a difference here. Leftists demand moral purity and then end up with an actual Nazi instead being elected.

In that case, it was because Kamala walked the line on Israel. In this case, Platner has actually taken the side you want on Israel and you STILL find a gripe about the Democrat to let MAGA win the election over.

Also, you need to understand that people are capable of making mistakes and growing from them. Did it not occur to you that Platner likely did not even know the context of the tattoo when he got it? It was just a bunch of marines bonding and doing a group thing. He went along with it and probably didn’t understand the historical context. I’m willing to bet 99% of the people complaining about his tattoo would not have understood the historical context if they saw the tattoo two years ago. But, now that the DNC did opposition research you’re all suddenly in the know. Well, the opposition research had its chance to dissuade voters in the primary and it failed. Making one mistake in your life doesn’t disqualify you from ever participating in anything ever again. Get the fuck over it. At this point, the primary is over and you have two candidates to choose from.

You people have no plan. Your solution is what? Don’t vote or vote for Susan Collins? Either way, you’re supporting the Republicans and therefore supporting Trump. You are therefore my enemy.

[–] SpookyBogMonster@lemmy.ml 5 points 16 hours ago (2 children)

Leftists demand moral purity and then end up with an actual Nazi instead being elected.

You're voting for the guy who had an SS tattoo. Pot, meet Kettle.

How about when Kamala Harris ran and instead of voting for her, a bunch of leftists sat home and let Donald Trump win instead to teach her a lesson.

A lesson libs like you clearly have yet to learn. Kamala alienated parts of what should have been her electoral coalition, because she wouldn't distance herself from Biden who was deeply unpopular, wouldn't take a proper stance on Palestine, and adopted Republican border policy. Running to the right doesn't work.

To platner's credit, he's not doing that (ot at least hasn't yet. We'll see what he does if in office), but he's a controversial candidate for good reason.

Also, you need to understand that people are capable of making mistakes and growing from them. Making one mistake in your life doesn’t disqualify you from ever participating in anything ever again. Get the fuck over it.

I wholeheartedly agree with this sentiment. I don't think anyone is beyond redemption. I'm a prison abolitionist ffs. But if you can't see why the SS tattoo might give people pause, you're just not taking a sober look at the situation.

You people have no plan. Your solution is what? Don’t vote or vote for Susan Collins? Either way, you’re supporting the Republicans and therefore supporting Trump. You are therefore my enemy.

Ok, take a deep breath, and chill out. I am a stranger on the internet. You don't know me, and you don't know if I voted, or who for. Voting is a tool. It is one singular means of political engagement. Not every election is the most important election ever, and whether someone chooses to vote for someone like Kamala, or Platner, is up to them. Those people aren't necessarily your enemies, they're people who's conscience told them to take a position different from yours.

Unionize your workplace, if it's already unionized, get involved. Canvas for a ballot measure, or attend a city council meeting. Find a mutual aid network in your area and hand out food or hygine kits to the homeless. Opposing Trump is sometimes about voting, but it's also about building something beyond the systems which allowed him to come to power in the first place.

[–] optimisticturtle@lemmy.world 2 points 8 hours ago

Not every election is the most important election ever, and whether someone chooses to vote for someone like Kamala, or Platner, is up to them.

This is privilege. Meanwhile POC here, we're being dragged back to the 1950s under Trump I and II. Similar for women. Stopping the MAGA agenda should be paramount. I'm not thrilled about Platner but I am willing to take a chance with him over the perpetually concerned Collins who aligns MAGA when it counts. Unionizing, attending city council meetings, advocating for prison reform, etc. should accompany voting, not replace it.

[–] favoredponcho@lemmy.zip 2 points 16 hours ago* (last edited 16 hours ago) (1 children)

You like unions? So does Platner. He was found by the AFL-CIO to run for Senate. If you like unions, Platner is your guy.

Otherwise, you can help Collins get elected.

[–] SpookyBogMonster@lemmy.ml 4 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

I like unions, but not uncritically. The AFL-CIO suppressed left-wing labor movements in Latin America during the Cold War, something I find reprehensible.

You seem to have an awfully black-and-white view of the world.

[–] favoredponcho@lemmy.zip 2 points 15 hours ago

The election is black and white, you either support the anti-Trump candidate or you help the Trump candidate win with your comments and actions.

[–] TronBronson@lemmy.world 8 points 22 hours ago

Let’s go Maine. The rest of your bootlickers are just jealous. You can’t find someone to run that doesn’t have the DNC’s hand up their fucking ass.

[–] Doomsider@lemmy.world 4 points 19 hours ago (7 children)

This guy is totally a fake wealthy backed candidate meant to electioneer a win. An unholy blue maga combination of black ops and illiberalism. You have got to hand it to them though, so credit where credit is due. They have done a great job promoting this POS despite the fact that he is a murderous motherfucker.

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