I am a die in the wool liberal. I am proud you created this cartoon. And the reality is I am disappointed with Platner. This sexting with other women while married and the various issues while he was in the military. He should have looked at all this and not run. Allow someone else to take up the fight against Collins. Reminds me of Biden's ghastly mistake which contributed to the Orange Pus becoming the President.
Can't think of a politician in the last 50 years I wasn't disappointed in, save Bill Natcher. And I am sure he did something, sometime, that wouldn't pass the purity tests. I know I would not pass a purity test that went all the way back to Junior High School.
The texts, if nobody has complained about them, and they only came to light through a campaign's standard due diligence of trying to assess anything that an opposing campaign could use as potential negative dirt, go in the "whatever" pile for me.
Skull and crossbones? I didn't know the Nazis had some kind of patent on that symbol, or that there was a specific kind of skull and crossbones which was associated with the Nazis. If he has some Nazi-specific skull and crossbones tattoo, that is disconcerting.
Making fun of and disparaging wounded vets?! That's some traitot-tot type behavior right there. He's running in the wrong party if he wants to trash veterans who have risked their lives.
I am a Democrat who grew up in a Republican family. While I may disagree with conservative takes on policy, I have respected people on both sides of the aisle. Likewise, I will accept a reasonable amount of imperfection in a Democratic candidate without automatically saying NOPE. But this? If I lived in Maine, I honestly don't know what I'd do. I am no fan of Susan Collins, but this challenger for her seat sounds like a train wreck. Is this really the best that Maine has to offer???!!!
Moreso than with the sexting, I have big problem with the Totenkopf tattoo. Platner claims he was young, ignorant, and drunk when he acquired it, but also claims to be a student of military history. But in all of his studies, not to mention assumedly, he's watched a few WWII movies, he has never run across that insignia? The issue here is trustworthiness and honesty. I understand he has until June 16 to drop out. Please let's not have another Bidenesque slow torture to endure.
He had it covered, I think last year. It's now a celtic knot. This whole election cycle is disgusting. I almost didn't vote in my state's primary. The candidate I was most interested in had a snowflake's chance in hell.
Before all of these accusations and tidbits surfaced about Graham Platner, I was treating myself to an early celebration--we're finally getting rid of Susan Collins, once and for all. Woo hoo!
Now this! Oy! As my husband said the other day, "Is Platner really the best they got?" Turns out he's worse than anything I could have ever imagined.
He's done!
Hope that doesn't mean we're also done in the great state of Maine.
Methinks Graham Platner's campaign for the Senate seat is D.O.A. Too bad -- he had some good ideas, AND it's way past time for Susan Collins to GO! Then again, she's not the worst of the Republicans and every now and then she finds a bone or two of her spine. Good 'toon, Clay, and excellent commentary. (P.S. Like you, I have very liberal values, but am not registered with either political party. Neither are perfect, and I like to keep my options open. However, for the past decade, there hasn't been a single Republican who I felt actually had humanitarian values.)
So this is Susan Collins challenger...a sideways move, if any move at all. I am happy to hear the dirt on any democratic political figure, especially from a trusting soul like Clay. Great work on the toon and blog!
I have listened to a couple of interviews with Platner. I’m not a Maine voter, so my opinion doesn’t matter in the election. He has some sensible stuff to say and he doesn’t seem to be hiding from his past. In some ways he sounds a bit like you, Clay, less a Democrat than a liberal and absolutely not a MAGAt. I like him.
This political farce the USA is currently in and going through is too amazing to be believable. I have friends in other countries who ask me if what is coming out of the USA is a joke and they are missing the punch lines.
The other fact about the current situation is that for once Americans are coming face-to-face with the reality of politics - it is cruel, corrupt and a power-grabbing business. There is nothing honorable or wonderful or in the service of the country about politics. The truth is out there now and no American can ever claim they are doing anything for "public service" or "for the good of the country" or because "they want to provide for fellow Americans".
@claytoonz captures this stupidity and weirdness so well and presents it in such a way the absurdity is revealed by the best cartoonist ever!!
Yes, politics is a cruel business. And this micro exam of Platner's life is being undertaken because the corrupt are afraid that Platner, despite his faults, will do what he says he'll do and go for their throats.
Had we done this kind of micro exam of FDR, he'd never have been elected. Kennedy would never have been elected. LBJ would never have been elected. Obama is the only POTUS I can think of in my lifetime that came through this sort of thing OK, and I did not say "unscathed", just made it through. Funny how this super exam ONLY EVER MATTERS for Democrats, isn't it? Republicans can run rapists and criminals, and it just does not matter.
Insist on perfection, you'll never vote. And the rapists and criminals, and their supporters, will win every election.
I am a die in the wool liberal. I am proud you created this cartoon. And the reality is I am disappointed with Platner. This sexting with other women while married and the various issues while he was in the military. He should have looked at all this and not run. Allow someone else to take up the fight against Collins. Reminds me of Biden's ghastly mistake which contributed to the Orange Pus becoming the President.
Can't think of a politician in the last 50 years I wasn't disappointed in, save Bill Natcher. And I am sure he did something, sometime, that wouldn't pass the purity tests. I know I would not pass a purity test that went all the way back to Junior High School.
The texts, if nobody has complained about them, and they only came to light through a campaign's standard due diligence of trying to assess anything that an opposing campaign could use as potential negative dirt, go in the "whatever" pile for me.
Skull and crossbones? I didn't know the Nazis had some kind of patent on that symbol, or that there was a specific kind of skull and crossbones which was associated with the Nazis. If he has some Nazi-specific skull and crossbones tattoo, that is disconcerting.
Making fun of and disparaging wounded vets?! That's some traitot-tot type behavior right there. He's running in the wrong party if he wants to trash veterans who have risked their lives.
The Nazi's had a sort of "tight" skull and crossbones that takes up less space. I never heard of that being a "Nazi patent" image till recently.
I am a Democrat who grew up in a Republican family. While I may disagree with conservative takes on policy, I have respected people on both sides of the aisle. Likewise, I will accept a reasonable amount of imperfection in a Democratic candidate without automatically saying NOPE. But this? If I lived in Maine, I honestly don't know what I'd do. I am no fan of Susan Collins, but this challenger for her seat sounds like a train wreck. Is this really the best that Maine has to offer???!!!
Moreso than with the sexting, I have big problem with the Totenkopf tattoo. Platner claims he was young, ignorant, and drunk when he acquired it, but also claims to be a student of military history. But in all of his studies, not to mention assumedly, he's watched a few WWII movies, he has never run across that insignia? The issue here is trustworthiness and honesty. I understand he has until June 16 to drop out. Please let's not have another Bidenesque slow torture to endure.
It's not like he doesn't have the money to get that kind of tattoo removed.
He had it covered, I think last year. It's now a celtic knot. This whole election cycle is disgusting. I almost didn't vote in my state's primary. The candidate I was most interested in had a snowflake's chance in hell.
A 40 year old likely has a much better grasp of history than a young, dumb Marine. They get called "jar heads" for a reason.
Before all of these accusations and tidbits surfaced about Graham Platner, I was treating myself to an early celebration--we're finally getting rid of Susan Collins, once and for all. Woo hoo!
Now this! Oy! As my husband said the other day, "Is Platner really the best they got?" Turns out he's worse than anything I could have ever imagined.
He's done!
Hope that doesn't mean we're also done in the great state of Maine.
I would not write him off yet, but defeating Susan Collins is like a democrat winning in Texas to me. I'll believe it when I see it.
sigh--I know what you mean
Methinks Graham Platner's campaign for the Senate seat is D.O.A. Too bad -- he had some good ideas, AND it's way past time for Susan Collins to GO! Then again, she's not the worst of the Republicans and every now and then she finds a bone or two of her spine. Good 'toon, Clay, and excellent commentary. (P.S. Like you, I have very liberal values, but am not registered with either political party. Neither are perfect, and I like to keep my options open. However, for the past decade, there hasn't been a single Republican who I felt actually had humanitarian values.)
So this is Susan Collins challenger...a sideways move, if any move at all. I am happy to hear the dirt on any democratic political figure, especially from a trusting soul like Clay. Great work on the toon and blog!
Just MHO, if we wait for perfect candidates, we'll never vote for anyone.
I have listened to a couple of interviews with Platner. I’m not a Maine voter, so my opinion doesn’t matter in the election. He has some sensible stuff to say and he doesn’t seem to be hiding from his past. In some ways he sounds a bit like you, Clay, less a Democrat than a liberal and absolutely not a MAGAt. I like him.
Let’s get someone else in this contest…. Planter should drop out.
This political farce the USA is currently in and going through is too amazing to be believable. I have friends in other countries who ask me if what is coming out of the USA is a joke and they are missing the punch lines.
The other fact about the current situation is that for once Americans are coming face-to-face with the reality of politics - it is cruel, corrupt and a power-grabbing business. There is nothing honorable or wonderful or in the service of the country about politics. The truth is out there now and no American can ever claim they are doing anything for "public service" or "for the good of the country" or because "they want to provide for fellow Americans".
@claytoonz captures this stupidity and weirdness so well and presents it in such a way the absurdity is revealed by the best cartoonist ever!!
Yes, politics is a cruel business. And this micro exam of Platner's life is being undertaken because the corrupt are afraid that Platner, despite his faults, will do what he says he'll do and go for their throats.
Had we done this kind of micro exam of FDR, he'd never have been elected. Kennedy would never have been elected. LBJ would never have been elected. Obama is the only POTUS I can think of in my lifetime that came through this sort of thing OK, and I did not say "unscathed", just made it through. Funny how this super exam ONLY EVER MATTERS for Democrats, isn't it? Republicans can run rapists and criminals, and it just does not matter.
Insist on perfection, you'll never vote. And the rapists and criminals, and their supporters, will win every election.