“Moraff, this wealthy Ivy League boy, and his partner almost literally went window-shopping for a burly white guy who fit their paint-by-numbers stereotype of a gruff, populist white workingman. They saw tattoos and a beard and went nuts.”
Even if Platner had treated women with respect, the question is still why folks like Moraff are bent on recruiting guys who fit the stereotype, especially since the Maine polls showed the tactic wasn’t accomplishing the stated goal. Blue-collar white guys, the most dominant group in the GOP base, were still going for Collins by a huge margin. His appeal was more among college-educated Democrats and people earning more than $100K. The whole thing sounds like modern country music’s tendency for performers to come from the South’s larger cities but adopting poses as country boys with heavy accents.
For some time I seriously considered reaching out to Run for Something because I felt that it would be significant for an actual neurodivergent person to take the fight directly to RFK Jr *in Kennedy country itself*. But…. if “sexually predatory lobsterman” (who has a tendency to casually bandy about the French word meaning “slow”) is also on their list of “underrepresented demographics” they don’t mind recruiting from, I’m not sure if that’s a good idea after all. Also too, checking a box of “millennial female AuDHDer with gifted-kid burnout” is probably too much “HR lady identity politics” for the kind of Platneristas who gather on Reddit’s r/stupidpol and listen to “Red Scare Podcast.” If you don’t know what either of those are, consider yourself fortunate.
I'll go one step further. I don't think there is any reason to hear about this guy now. Christ! Move on. There is enough shit to be shoveled with this political system without any more stories, that deal with him. Sorry, Gary. You are one of my favorites, but drop this bastard like a hot coal and let him lie and cool on his own among the rocks of the Maine coast.
I was fucking tired of him after the whole "accidental" Nazi tattoo, but based on most national liberal/progressive commentary I was being too purity pony over it, and ignore your creeper alarm! It's too finely tuned!
I'm not a Maine voter, so my opinion was worth nothing at the time, but anyone who says "I didn't know it was a Nazi tattoo when I got it," especially if they were in the military and got them as a group, is lying. It's like a mechanic getting a tattoo of a Ford logo and saying they had no idea what it was.
Who remembers Missouri Senator Thomas Eagleton, who was briefly George McGovern's running mate for VP in 1972? He had a respectable career and was a good human being, but he had suffered from periods of depression, for which he had sought electro-shock therapy in the past. Apparently he didn't tell the nominating committee about this, or else he did tell them and they thought it wasn't important, but then the news about it broke and certain people became absolutely hysterical. Eagleton withdrew from the campaign after 18 days and was replaced with Sargent Shriver. Eagleton went on to be re-elected to the US Senate by Missourians for the next 14 years.
That was back in the days when Missourians were mostly sane, rational people.
At the time this happened, my first thought was "Gee, I'd rather have a candidate who recognized that he had a personal problem and dealt with it responsibly and overcame it, than one who didn't do any of those things."
“According to the Times, …a senior FBI official contacted a reporter and a senior editor at the paper asking that they not publish the article. The official said the article posed a national security issue but would not explain what it was, according to the Times.”
Quote
Caren Bohan @carenbohan
·
27m
Latest instance of Trump admin taking the unusually aggressive step of demanding that journalists appear before grand juries: Justice Dept. subpoenas NYTimes journalists over reports on new Air Force One https://wapo.st/4yiyB0B via @PerryStein
Because the Democratic party has abandoned some places for at least two decades, and haven't even bothered to run people for some of those seats. Leaving those who have managed to win too indispensable in their current position.
A look at the MAGA's favorite movie right now- 'The Vigilante'. Good take IMO.
https://youtu.be/WK-WVZW7ra4?is=OMrm38vxGjw2stg2
“Moraff, this wealthy Ivy League boy, and his partner almost literally went window-shopping for a burly white guy who fit their paint-by-numbers stereotype of a gruff, populist white workingman. They saw tattoos and a beard and went nuts.”
Even if Platner had treated women with respect, the question is still why folks like Moraff are bent on recruiting guys who fit the stereotype, especially since the Maine polls showed the tactic wasn’t accomplishing the stated goal. Blue-collar white guys, the most dominant group in the GOP base, were still going for Collins by a huge margin. His appeal was more among college-educated Democrats and people earning more than $100K. The whole thing sounds like modern country music’s tendency for performers to come from the South’s larger cities but adopting poses as country boys with heavy accents.
Some people have a lot more work to do unpacking the bigotry we're all fed from youth in this country. They don't want to acknowledge that, though.
Wimbledon observation: thank goodness Linda Noskova won because she was on her way to an epic melt down.
For some time I seriously considered reaching out to Run for Something because I felt that it would be significant for an actual neurodivergent person to take the fight directly to RFK Jr *in Kennedy country itself*. But…. if “sexually predatory lobsterman” (who has a tendency to casually bandy about the French word meaning “slow”) is also on their list of “underrepresented demographics” they don’t mind recruiting from, I’m not sure if that’s a good idea after all. Also too, checking a box of “millennial female AuDHDer with gifted-kid burnout” is probably too much “HR lady identity politics” for the kind of Platneristas who gather on Reddit’s r/stupidpol and listen to “Red Scare Podcast.” If you don’t know what either of those are, consider yourself fortunate.
I know what both of those are and consider myself unfortunate.
Also, fellow millennial AuDHD burnout here. Always nice to meet a fellow cinder.
Honestly, when scanning your qualifications, those clowns wouldn’t get further than “girl.”
Who else will be very happy when we don't have to talk about this guy anymore?
I'll go one step further. I don't think there is any reason to hear about this guy now. Christ! Move on. There is enough shit to be shoveled with this political system without any more stories, that deal with him. Sorry, Gary. You are one of my favorites, but drop this bastard like a hot coal and let him lie and cool on his own among the rocks of the Maine coast.
I was fucking tired of him after the whole "accidental" Nazi tattoo, but based on most national liberal/progressive commentary I was being too purity pony over it, and ignore your creeper alarm! It's too finely tuned!
🙈🙉🙊🤦
About who?
I will be glad to stop talking about him, but I hope we don't forget the lessons.
Okay, I'm through here today.
We deserve better, and I think (most of) you know what I mean.
I wonder if Trump will ever connect the dots and realize no one really wants to waste their time trying to kill him.
And no one cares if he rides a jet powered turkey.
But arresting the NYT makes it seem like he's important . . .
GOP ratfuck?
No, the people who pushed this guy are our own fuckups.
I'm not a Maine voter, so my opinion was worth nothing at the time, but anyone who says "I didn't know it was a Nazi tattoo when I got it," especially if they were in the military and got them as a group, is lying. It's like a mechanic getting a tattoo of a Ford logo and saying they had no idea what it was.
One covers it up immediately when one does learn what it means.
Who remembers Missouri Senator Thomas Eagleton, who was briefly George McGovern's running mate for VP in 1972? He had a respectable career and was a good human being, but he had suffered from periods of depression, for which he had sought electro-shock therapy in the past. Apparently he didn't tell the nominating committee about this, or else he did tell them and they thought it wasn't important, but then the news about it broke and certain people became absolutely hysterical. Eagleton withdrew from the campaign after 18 days and was replaced with Sargent Shriver. Eagleton went on to be re-elected to the US Senate by Missourians for the next 14 years.
That was back in the days when Missourians were mostly sane, rational people.
At the time this happened, my first thought was "Gee, I'd rather have a candidate who recognized that he had a personal problem and dealt with it responsibly and overcame it, than one who didn't do any of those things."
That was a fuckup of legendary proportion.
I remember HST writing about the affair.
OT: Bert Jansch - Black Water Side
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5Gcu0Sv6lk
🌚
Laura Rozen @lrozen
“According to the Times, …a senior FBI official contacted a reporter and a senior editor at the paper asking that they not publish the article. The official said the article posed a national security issue but would not explain what it was, according to the Times.”
Quote
Caren Bohan @carenbohan
·
27m
Latest instance of Trump admin taking the unusually aggressive step of demanding that journalists appear before grand juries: Justice Dept. subpoenas NYTimes journalists over reports on new Air Force One https://wapo.st/4yiyB0B via @PerryStein
1:10 PM · Jul 11, 2026
https://xcancel.com/lrozen/status/2075991053425889741
OT: Caturday Funday.
https://substack.com/profile/155629588-2cats2furious/note/c-292592719?r=2knok4&utm_source=notes-share-action&utm_medium=web
Floating otter pose is adorbs
Sorry for the O/TT: ‘Police Academy’ & ‘The Naked Gun’ Peter Van Norden dies, he was 75. Van Norden played Officer Vinnie Schtulman
PBUH.
Why are there assholes like Moraff out there trying to recruit candidates? Why not choose someone who's served in the State Senate or House?
Wannabe kingmakers. Not everyone in politics has any business being in politics.
Among a certain faction of the progressive crowd, this is considered acceptable.
Apologies to my lovely progressive friends on the board.
There is an element where just nobody cares if a man is hateful to women.
Because the Democratic party has abandoned some places for at least two decades, and haven't even bothered to run people for some of those seats. Leaving those who have managed to win too indispensable in their current position.
They have abandoned Missouri completely. Can't say as I blame them, as I would like to do the same thing.
Same here in OK.
OT- Our modem fizzled out days ago and I finally got the new one working. What a pain that was.
Skepti has been going nuts.
Welcome back!
Phew!
I'm so glad you guys are safe!
We've been worried! Glad it was just a modem!
This place just ain't the same without her.
Thank you for the update!!!
Terse Nurse brought up in this or Hooper's thread the two of you hadn't been seen for a while and concern commenced.
Happy to have you back.
OMG, people here have been so worried that we haven't seen SkeptiKC or you in days!
Oooof Good to hear from you- we were Wonk concerned!