You Can't Run the Nazi Tattoo Guy Against Susan from "The County"
"I am not accusing Platner of being a Nazi or a white supremacist. I am accusing Platner of being unfit for the US Senate. He is not irredeemable, he just isn't suited for one of the most powerful jobs on the planet."
This piece was supposed to be the launch of a new segment (called "Afterburns") I've been planning focused on rebuilding American democracy whenever the Trump regime ends, but instead it was revealed that a popular progressive Senate candidate from Maine had a Nazi tattoo on his chest.
Now I know a thing or two about Maine. I lived there most of my adult life, from 2007 to 2018 when I moved to DC to become the first ever openly trans Capitol Hill reporter. I voted for her opponent in both 2008 and 2014. I extensively covered her decision to vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court and ultimately end the right to access abortion care in the US.
I was there in the Hart Atrium as dozens of women sobbed as they watched her speech announcing that vote. That image is seared into my hippocampus forever.
I've wanted to see Collins lose more than anything else since then.
Which brings me back to Graham Platner. His campaign announcement ad felt like a dream. A gruff looking tough guy talking about bringing down the oligarchy and supporting Medicare for All? A small business owner and an oysterman who is a leftist?
Where do I sign?
In fact, I sent an email back to his campaign back then introducing myself and offering to help them beat Susan Collins. I was excited about his candidacy, in part because I thought his vibe would connect with other Mainers. He talks like a lot of Mainers.
Let this be a lesson learned. I will never offer work for a politician ever again. It was revealed on Tuesday that Platner has had a "Totenkopf" tattoo (the skull and crossbones pin worn by the actual 1930s German Nazi SS, the guys who ran the death camps) on his chest.
The Totenkopf is the symbol at the center of the famous skit-turned-meme "Are we the baddies?"
The skull on their hats here is what Platner had tattooed on his chest.
He said he got it while drunk with his Marine buddies in Croatia in 2007. A later report said that he told a friend of his that the tattoo was "my Totenkopf", showing he knew exactly what it was. The AP reported this morning that he had it removed yesterday after the controversy blew up.
I am not accusing Platner of being a Nazi or a white supremacist. I am accusing Platner of being unfit for the US Senate. He is not irredeemable, he just isn't suited for one of the most powerful jobs on the planet.
Here's what you have to know about Maine: Its two most southern counties are some of the most progressive areas you will find in the whole country. The running joke is that Cumberland and York counties are essentially north Massachusetts.
And then there's the rest of the state. Sure there are blue dots, college towns and some of the prettiest coastal small towns in the world. But there's a whole lot of Alabama in Maine too. The state has its own bible belt, which is right around the little town of Dover-Foxcroft.
Maine's northernmost county, Aroostook County, is gigantic, and sparsely populated. It has the lowest population density of any county in New England. By acreage, it is larger than 3 other states and is the second largest county east of the Mississippi.
Locals call it "The County".
Susan Collins is from The County. Me ex's father used to call her "Suzy from The County". Whether we like it or not, Collins has built a political empire in Maine. Her CLOSEST re-election win was a 16 point win over Democrat Tom Allen.
Allen was the 1st District US Representative of the time (which consists mostly of the aforementioned liberal counties). It wasn't close. In Collins' last campaign, she trounced former Maine State Speaker of the House Sara Gideon despite being outspent by $25 million.
It will take something special to beat Collins, and I'm sorry, but a guy with a Nazi tattoo, no matter the circumstances in which he got it, no matter how he feels about it now, regardless of how much redemption he's sought, will not beat her.
That is just plain harsh reality.
It also sucks, because there are a lot of voters who will see what is happening now to Platner and blame it on the Democratic party. My first job in Maine was in radio ad sales. I spent a lot of time driving all over Maine to meet with clients. There's a disturbing number of confederate flags flying in a state known for driving back the confederates at Gettysburg.
These guys were the 20th Maine (I couldn't mention them in the piece and not share this clip)
Those people were never going to vote for Platner anyway, but the party will still be punished for driving him out of the race.
In the midst of a news cycle dominated by Republicans being outed as outright Nazis, we simply cannot put up a Democrat with a Nazi tattoo or who used to have a Nazi tattoo, against Susan Collins.
Putting Platner in the Senate now in this moment, will be a tacit endorsement of every Republican secret Nazi scandal currently unfolding. We can't claim to have the moral high ground and also have Platner as a US Senator. Former US Senator Robert Byrd was a supporter of civil rights for over 50 years, but because he was once a member of the KKK in his youth, Republicans are still hammering Democrats over him, and he died over a decade ago.
I once wanted to believe in Platner and am bitterly disappointed at how this turned out. But the election is so far away, and new candidates have until March to file the paperwork to run. The Democratic primary is in June and features Maine governor Janet Mills and 8 other candidates, including Platner.
This isn't really a purity test, it's just stone cold political analysis. Susan Collins isn't disappearing without a fight, and the Democratic candidate can't meet her with one hand tied behind their back.
I don't like Mills' age (77) for a freshman senator, but she has name recognition, and a solid record as governor. She famously was the first Democratic governor to stand up to Trump to his face when she told him "see you in court," when Trump called her out over the state's trans inclusive school sports policy.
She then beat Trump in court.
She is certainly not perfect, but I do think she has a real shot at beating Collins. Or maybe one of the other 7 candidates for office will emerge with momentum. I encourage everyone in Maine to take a solid look, there is plenty of time and options.
Corrections: An earlier version of this story misspelled "Aroostook," which is a frankly embarrassing oversight.
It also claimed Susan Collins' nickname in Maine is "Suzy from The County" which I only just today realized was my ex-father-in-law's nickname for her and not a more generally used moniker.
My apologies.
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Thanks so much everyone, have a great week!
-Katelyn
