2026 Mid-Term Elections

[Derec]

I don't understand how you can persistently miss the point of a comparison.

One is a moderate Republican who, as in common for Senators on both sides of the aisle, generally supports the agenda pushed by the president of her own party.
The other is somebody who has shown very poor judgment throughout his adult life.
I think there is no comparison.

The voters still picked him - it is on them.

There is fault to be laid at their feet too. But voters choose among available options, and with Mills withdrawing there weren't that many options.

 

[Derec]

Vote for the person who helped end Roe v Wade and Chevron (but saved ACA)

Chevron? As in the gas station?

 

[ZiprHead]

Strange you disbelieve the three women referenced about Kavenaugh

Because there is a reason for disbelief. CBF was vague about when and where the alleged assault happened, and her friend Keyser does not think her story is likely. Ramirez said that she could not even be sure that the alleged penis belonged to Kav. And Swetnick backtracked about what she observed, and has her own unrelated credibility issues.

but believe the

I do not necessarily believe or disbelieve her. I am agnostic. But it is quite telling that most here (with notable exception of Toni who thinks the man is always guilty) accept allegations against Kav as a fact

Republican operative woman about Platner.

And the women who accused Kav are Democrats. So what? Just because she is a Republican does not mean she is lying.

I notice you left out the word operative.

It's almost is if you have an agenda to keep.

One part of the "agenda" is to point out the hypocrisy.

The other is that Platner should not be anywhere near a Senate seat because of his judgment. Even without the DV accusation, there is plenty of evidence of poor decision making throughout his life: his Nazi tattoo, him appearing on an antisemitic conspiracy theory podcast, his Reddit posts, his DUI, etc.

There's lots of people that make poor choices early in life. PTSD is far from a walk in the park. It can be the root of many bad behaviors. It's quite apparent you feel that people cannot change as their life progresses.

Why do you think he is a good choice for Maine?

I don't know enough about him to make that judgement. I am unfamiliar with his platform. But the people of Maine seem to like him.

 

[Toni]

Sure. The women’s memories are hazy because of alcohol but Kav’s are perfectly clear although he was drunk and had a lot more at stake.

Nobody is saying his memory is "perfectly clear". But Ramirez admitted that her memory is hazy. And yet you still insist it must have happened and that Kav is guilty. Again, for the millionth time:

On the night of the alleged incident, Ramirez admits to being drunk and, since then, having gaps in her memory. According to The New Yorker, “she was reluctant to characterize Kavanaugh’s role in the alleged incident with certainty.”
The magazine reported that it took six days of “carefully assessing her memories and consulting with her attorney” for Ramirez to go on record accusing Kavanaugh.” The Times reported that Ramirez had contacted several of her former classmates to see if they remembered the incident because she could not be certain that Kavanaugh had been the perpetrator. CNN has not been able to find any firsthand eyewitnesses to corroborate her story.[/B]

If she doesn't know what happened, or who did it, I fail to see how you can know all that.

Multiple women Abd ig if I remember some of his make friends backed up at least one account.

I think all that they back up is that was drinking a lot when young. There is no corroboration of any of the specific claims, but we have exculpatory evidence of Ramirez admitting that she wasn't sure it was even Kav who did anything, and Swetnick backtracking about what she actually observed.

Even if anything happened, there just isn't any evidence.

No evidence other than multiple people saying that he did this sort of thing.

 

[laughing dog]

I don't understand how you can persistently miss the point of a comparison.

One is a moderate Republican who, as in common for Senators on both sides of the aisle, generally supports the agenda pushed by the president of her own party.
The other is somebody who has shown very poor judgment throughout his adult life.
I think there is no comparison.

My comparison was between Platner and Kavanaugh.

 

[ZiprHead]

Vote for the person who helped end Roe v Wade and Chevron (but saved ACA)

Chevron? As in the gas station?

The Chevron Deference

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Vote for the person who helped end Roe v Wade and Chevron (but saved ACA)

Chevron? As in the gas station?

The Chevron Deference

Indeed. Loper Bright was the biggest SCOTUS reversal that most haven't heard of, and of those who have heard of it, it is alao among the most critical reversals.

 

[robnisch]

Vote for the person who helped end Roe v Wade and Chevron (but saved ACA)

Chevron? As in the gas station?

The Chevron Deference

Indeed. Loper Bright was the biggest SCOTUS reversal that most haven't heard of, and of those who have heard of it, it is alao among the most critical reversals.

It's all part of the anti-science theme of this admin.
Project 2025 baby!

 

[ZiprHead]

13 Moderate Democrats Reject Socialism On New ‘Promise To America’ Pledge

Thirteen moderate Democrats, led by Rep. Tom Suozzi, signed the “Promise to America” declaring “We are capitalist, not socialist.”

www.yahoo.com

Thirteen Democratic House members and candidates have signed onto a new centrist initiative called "Promise to America," explicitly declaring "We are capitalist, not socialist" and calling for secure borders, fiscal responsibility, and national pride.

The announcement comes days after Democratic Socialists of America-backed candidates won several primaries in New York, bringing to light the ongoing tensions inside the Democratic Party as it prepares for the 2026 midterms under President Donald Trump.

 

[Derec]

No evidence other than multiple people saying that he did this sort of thing.

I already explained. Ramirez admitted that her memory was hazy and that she could not be certain to whom the alleged penis belonged. Swetnick backpedaled and eventually said that she only saw them close to the punch bowl, and not doing anything nefarious.

And while CBF persisted in her accusation, there is no evidence for those either, and even her friend thinks it's unlikely that things could have happened the way CBF claims they did. 3x garbage = garbage.

 

[Derec]

13 Moderate Democrats Reject Socialism On New ‘Promise To America’ Pledge

Thirteen moderate Democrats, led by Rep. Tom Suozzi, signed the “Promise to America” declaring “We are capitalist, not socialist.”

www.yahoo.com

Good for them. Dems desperately need a counterweight to the DSA insurgency.

 

[Derec]

The Chevron Deference

Ah yes. I forgot it was named after Chevron.

 

[Derec]

My comparison was between Platner and Kavanaugh.

Against Kav all you have some allegations, highly questionable, from when he was high school and college.

Against Platner you have domestic violence allegations from when he was in his 30s. And unlike with Kav you have all the other instances of poor judgment - the Nazi tattoo, the extremist posts, the DUI, etc. And yet because he is a leftist Democrat, we are being told that none of it should matter.

 

[TV and credit cards]

13 Moderate Democrats Reject Socialism On New ‘Promise To America’ Pledge

Thirteen moderate Democrats, led by Rep. Tom Suozzi, signed the “Promise to America” declaring “We are capitalist, not socialist.”

www.yahoo.com

Thirteen Democratic House members and candidates have signed onto a new centrist initiative called "Promise to America," explicitly declaring "We are capitalist, not socialist" and calling for secure borders, fiscal responsibility, and national pride.

The announcement comes days after Democratic Socialists of America-backed candidates won several primaries in New York, bringing to light the ongoing tensions inside the Democratic Party as it prepares for the 2026 midterms under President Donald Trump.

Whatever their district demands.

 

[Toni]

My comparison was between Platner and Kavanaugh.

Against Kav all you have some allegations, highly questionable, from when he was high school and college.

Against Platner you have domestic violence allegations from when he was in his 30s. And unlike with Kav you have all the other instances of poor judgment - the Nazi tattoo, the extremist posts, the DUI, etc. And yet because he is a leftist Democrat, we are being told that none of it should matter.

One could argue that as a high school student, he was a minor as a college student, no, he was legally an adult.

 

[laughing dog]

My comparison was between Platner and Kavanaugh.

Against Kav all you have some allegations, highly questionable, from when he was high school and college.

My comparison was Kavanaugh’s SCOTUS rulings. It would help your rebuttals if you actually the posts you are trying to rebut.

 

[lpetrich]

Rep. Tom Kean returns to Congress after four months, citing treatment for depression

“Several months ago, due to health concerns, I entered the hospital for some testing. I did not believe that this would result in a long-term stay. I was given the diagnosis of depression,” Kean said in a speech on the House floor.

He said his doctors “recommended that I remain in the hospital to address my illness” and added that depression means more than “feeling sad” — “it is physical, it is emotional, and until you experience it yourself, it is difficult to fully understand how powerful this illness can be.”

“Today, I am grateful that I listened to my doctors,” Kean said. “And I’m grateful for the exceptional care that I received from doctors, nurses and support staff. I am grateful that I accepted help. Because today, I stand before you healthier, stronger and excited to return to the work that I love.”

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

It appears Platner is likely to leave the race with the latest set of accusations. With this coming after the primary, it gets messy with selecting a candidate.

In a private call with his campaign staff on Monday evening, Mr. Platner did not announce plans to withdraw but implied such a decision would be coming, according to three people familiar with the conversation. He said that he believed he still had leverage to influence which candidate would replace him on the ticket and wanted to ensure that the movement his campaign had built would continue, the people said.

I don't think Platner understands how this works. You step away because of scandal doesn't make you a kingmaker. You aren't even likely going to be wanted on the campaign trail!

The selection of a candidate would require instant name recognition, which makes one think Gov. Mills is going to have to suck it up, and go for the role again. Those excited by a Platner nomination aren't going to like this. No idea if they have the pragmatism to make the right choice if they have to choose Mills or not vote for Senate (at all?).

Appears there is a ticking clock with this decision. A matter of days where the rules allow the Democrats to choose a replacement.

Platner can drop out any time before the November election. But Democrats, under state law, would only be able to put a replacement candidate on the ballot if he does so in the next week.

Regarding options other than Mills.

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-California), shortly after pulling his endorsement for Platner on Monday, touted former state Senate president Troy Jackson, while others weighed in on social media with less specific demands that party officials choose another liberal candidate.

Other potential replacements include Nirav Shah, a former Maine health official who finished second in the governor’s race, and Shenna Bellows, Maine’s secretary of state. Both urged Platner to leave the race in social media statements.

I think the candidate needs to be younger to appease the primary voters that wanted someone younger, but "liberal" can be tricky in Maine and the boat needs to steer appropriately within the political waters in Maine, or end up run aground and rusting like the Red October.

 

[ZiprHead]

Bernie Sanders, once a Platner supporter, has called for Platner to drop out.

 

[Derec]

Fauxgressive Dems right now: