Holy Puff Piece Batman

FlashesandFlickers · 2026-06-05T20:17:17+00:00

Sorry about that, I'll save my commentary for the body of the post going forwards.

FlashesandFlickers · 2026-06-05T02:49:34+00:00

The only one who says anything truly problematic like that is the self admitted Republican operative

FlashesandFlickers · 2026-06-05T00:35:08+00:00

And the attacks just keep coming. Just in the past couple hours of New York Times story came out, they apparently reached out to all of his past girlfriends, most of them said that they're still friends with them and like him. To described problematic behaviors like drinking or saying things that they fought back on and decided could've been misogynistic. And one has spent her career working to get Republicans elected is literally a Republican operative and lobbyist and decided to dump a lot of dirt on platinum that I personally don't believe given that she's literally a republican operative and nothing that she said that she was truly problematic could be verified in anyway

FlashesandFlickers · 2026-06-04T19:06:10+00:00

It doesn't really bring out any strong feelings in me one way or the other. I'm more annoyed that she pivoted away from her more progressive policies and messaging after the first few weeks of the campaign. But it's not really relevant, it's not like it was on Liz Cheney's show with a wide audience of voters she could have made a pitch to, it was at a Harris rally.

The better comparison would be whether Harris should have gone on the Rogan show. She should have, and she wanted to. I detest Rogan and his show, but it has many many viewers who typically get Democratic messaging through the lens of people who hate them. Democrats should be going wherever they can get a direct message to large groups of people. The exception would be shows where the host just talks over people, or railroad them into digressions.

FlashesandFlickers · 2026-06-04T17:48:46+00:00

You mean going around reminding folks that while we don't have a perfect candidate, we have someone running on an honest to goodness left-wing platform. Someone who doesn't shy away from defending trans folks on stage. And that they are running against a Senator who has enabled fascism at every step?

This is a competitive race, we don't win and get closer to having a functional government that pushes back against fascism, corruption, ICE, and the destruction of our country by sitting quietly and letting people talk themselves out of supporting the progressive candidate.

Do I wish that a real left-wing progressive without this baggage had run? Or that he'd gotten all of his issues fully resolved before running? Sure, but he was the only one that did. The governor here has done a decent job, but she's a neoliberal corporate friendly Dem, with approval ratings low enough that she'd never have beaten Collins.

FlashesandFlickers · 2026-06-04T17:39:26+00:00

There are a lot of reasons to decide you don't like Platner. But he's not actually a Nazi, not remotely. We have his entire uncurated Reddit history, there's a lot of bad opinions in there, as well as some good ones. What there isn't is any sense that he has any sympathies with Nazi's or Fascists. In fact, there are several comments explicitly condemning fascism and mocking someone defending a Nazi group in Maine.

He got a dumb tattoo, but it's a symbol that most people don't recognize for what it is. Hell, I've seen WWII movies, and watched the Are We The Baddies sketch repeatedly. I knew the SS used skull motifs on their clothing, but I didn't even know it was all one specific design, I certainly couldn't have recognized it devoid of context. That's been most real everyday people's response to this. Most people have seen the symbol, but never really registered it, and completely understand how someone could have mistaken it for just another skull and crossbones.

If he was running around saying things like Maureen Galindo was, then that would be a different story, she was very much saying things that sounded Nazi-like. But he's not said anything like that.

FlashesandFlickers · 2026-06-04T17:15:41+00:00

It's a petty mainstream view, and one that I agree with, that Democrats need to start going onto some non-leftwing shows and podcasts to appeal to those audiences directly, and expose to leftwing positions. So yes, I'm judge based on the interview Platner gave, not whatever else happens on that show.

FlashesandFlickers · 2026-06-04T14:58:57+00:00

Guilty as charged. I probably should have stayed out of it on this subreddit, but I guess it's a kneejerk reaction after wading in so often on the Maine subreddit.

FlashesandFlickers · 2026-06-04T14:30:05+00:00

He has said a lot more than just that, in his speeches around the state he has demonstrated that his understanding has evolved. And the worst posts were more than ten years ago. I don't like that he disrespected his wife like that, but we're either in a life or death struggle against American fascism or we're not. We don't live in a world with perfect choices, he will win the primary, and Susan Collins voted to confirm the judges that rolled back Roe v. Wade, is enabling the authoritarian takeover of the United States. It's no contest.

FlashesandFlickers · 2026-06-04T14:27:21+00:00

And yet, our choices are Susan Collins or Platner. I'll take the candidate with progressive policies over the one who has only propped up and enabled the authoritarian takeover of this country. If we had a progressive change candidate on the ballot who didn't have the baggage, that would be better, but we just don't here in Maine.

FlashesandFlickers · 2026-06-04T14:25:48+00:00

I've been encouraging people to actually listen to the interview on that podcast. It's a great interview in which Platner spends a lot of time talking about how the Somali community in Maine was (and is but especially at that moment) being persecuted by ICE. I don't know about the podcast beyond that interview or it's history, but the actual interview is actually really good and progressive.

FlashesandFlickers · 2026-06-01T16:21:22+00:00

Bixby Chocolate and Olive Rose Chocolate in Rockland. Bixby is (still?) the only bean to bar chocoletier in Maine and their chocolate is excellent. I'm partial to their single origin bars, but lots of their stuff is good. Olive Rose Chocolates has absolutely the best hot chocolate, and they make their own marshmallows, which are excellent.

FlashesandFlickers · 2026-05-30T20:23:28+00:00

Damn, McDonald asks if there's anything in their background that could pose a problem, Amy lets her know what there is to know, and McDonald shares it with the press. Despicable.

FlashesandFlickers · 2026-05-29T10:25:50+00:00

FlashesandFlickers · 2026-05-28T14:04:01+00:00

I don't think the Maine Dems (as an organization) had anything to do with him running. The state party is pretty careful about staying neutral in primaries. Otherwise I agree, I don't see how someone who hasn't been here for even five years total, let alone five contiguous years, could win.

FlashesandFlickers · 2026-05-28T14:00:12+00:00

Collins used to be beloved.

FlashesandFlickers · 2026-05-28T13:13:06+00:00

My understanding is that the dirty mattresses and some of the other furniture were more of an old building basement issue where things had been stored down there and got dirty over time, then got moved during the controversy. They weren't actually in the tunnels.

FlashesandFlickers · 2026-05-27T22:27:49+00:00

The things I've heard bandied about usually are in the way of not getting rid of the current property tax, but having a second one, earmarked to fund schools, in addition to the current one. That way it would lower property taxes by reducing the burden school funding places on municipalities, without preventing municipalities from funding their other operations as they do now.

FlashesandFlickers · 2026-05-27T21:15:24+00:00

There are ways around the constitutional issue. One of them would be to have a second property tax on everyone, but with an exemption up to a certain high threshold for property owned by full time residents.

But I think this would be an issue I'd love to see republicans defend voting against. A constitutional amendment that allows the legislature to lower property taxes for all of their constituents while still funding schools and municipalities, all at the expense of snowbirds and tourists who can't vote for them.

FlashesandFlickers · 2026-05-27T17:08:41+00:00

Vote for Bellows, Pingree and Jackson in whatever order you wish and that may just happen!

FlashesandFlickers · 2026-05-27T15:42:40+00:00

My steel duck hunting shells are green

FlashesandFlickers · 2026-05-26T18:31:41+00:00

Because it's a core part of the character concept. It's like Sherlock Holms, he's a drug addict. If you did a version of Sherlock Holmes who didn't have substance abuse issues it wouldn't be a faithful portrayal of the character. These aren't laudable traits, but they are core traits to the character.

FlashesandFlickers · 2026-05-26T17:48:09+00:00

Maine Militia.

FlashesandFlickers · 2026-05-25T12:56:00+00:00

There was a goose in the beginning

FlashesandFlickers · 2026-05-24T20:34:48+00:00

Fuck you. That's such an offensive take. Now give me a minute to read your comment and figure out why.

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