2026 Mid-Term Elections

[Derec]

Another illogical conclusion. Try to focus on- pointing out an obsession about a subject does not even imply one cannot criticize it.

Your unwillingness to admit to your flagrant whataboutisms is getting tiresome.

There is no realistic question to dodge.

It is a realistic question, especially on this forum. We discuss the pros and cons of different electoral systems all the time.

He won a fair election.

No election where a candidate has >70% of the vote against him and still "wins" can be described as "fair".
Now, of course he won according to the rules. But rules that allow such outcome are clearly flawed and should be changed.

If the people of NJ think their election rules need changing, presumably they will do it,

It is perfectly appropriate to discuss election rules on the PD forum, and not dismiss it the way you do it.

 

[Derec]

You really think the party chooses those people?

They certainly have a lot of influence. They can encourage certain people to run, and throw organizational and monetary support behind that person.

Do you really want to go back to the days when candidates were chosen by the party bigwigs in smokey back rooms?

Minus the smoke, was that really that horrible? Trump would not have emerged from a "smokey back room" as the nominee either.
So, while I do not think "smokey back rooms" are the best possible way to choose candidates, I do not think the current primary system is that great either. Especially when done with plurality, rather than majority.

What makes you think he hates Israel? Disagreement with their government does not equal Israel hatred. It's amazing how you get that wrong so often.

Disagreement with the government is very different than not wanting them to be able to defend themselves against genocidal aggression by Hamas, Hezbollah and other vassals of the Iranian theocracy.

And when somebody apply different standards about self-defense to the Jewish state vs. any other state, then I suspect that antiseminism may be a big part of the reason why. Especially when that someone got a Nazi tattoo he affectionally called "My Totenkopf".

 

[laughing dog]

Another illogical conclusion. Try to focus on- pointing out an obsession about a subject does not even imply one cannot criticize it.

Your unwillingness to admit to your flagrant whataboutisms is getting tiresome.

Missing the point with irony. Bravo!!!!

There is no realistic question to dodge.

It is a realistic question, especially on this forum. We discuss the pros and cons of different electoral systems all the time.

He won a fair election.

No election where a candidate has >70% of the vote against him and still "wins" can be described as "fair".
Now, of course he won according to the rules. But rules that allow such outcome are clearly flawed and should be changed.

If he won by the rules, it was fair.

BTW, you cannot know what proportion of votes were against him. All one can say is that he was not the 1st choice for more than 70% of the primary voters.

If the people of NJ think their election rules need changing, presumably they will do it,

It is perfectly appropriate to discuss election rules on the PD forum, and not dismiss it the way you do it.

This thread is about current midterm elections not optimal election rules. I suspect if the winning candidate met your approval, the rules would not be an issue.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Platner continues to have not so good stuff come out on him. The, "but it was in the past" excuse is getting quite thin. It would suck to lose a chance at the Senate because this guy was able to somehow talk a good enough game to get the nomination. Gov. Mills wasn't exactly wanting the role of senator and Mainers weren't liking the idea of electing another person in the 70s. Platner is becoming the wrong person at the right time, moving beyond the line of hold the nose and vote for.

This would be the first Democrat candidate suffer likewise. The GOP has made a sport of it, having awful candidates make it in the primary.

Democrats might need a plan B. But it could be too late.

 

[TV and credit cards]

Platner continues to have not so good stuff come out on him. The, "but it was in the past" excuse is getting quite thin. It would suck to lose a chance at the Senate because this guy was able to somehow talk a good enough game to get the nomination. Gov. Mills wasn't exactly wanting the role of senator and Mainers weren't liking the idea of electing another person in the 70s. Platner is becoming the wrong person at the right time, moving beyond the line of hold the nose and vote for.

This would be the first Democrat candidate suffer likewise. The GOP has made a sport of it, having awful candidates make it in the primary.

Democrats might need a plan B. But it could be too late.

Reads like a mixed bag. And who's to say some particular girlfriend was an angel. At this point, Platner can't very well step up and state what a train wreck of a girlfriend X was.
I've met some pretty flaky chicks in my day. I can imagine what they might say.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Platner continues to have not so good stuff come out on him. The, "but it was in the past" excuse is getting quite thin. It would suck to lose a chance at the Senate because this guy was able to somehow talk a good enough game to get the nomination. Gov. Mills wasn't exactly wanting the role of senator and Mainers weren't liking the idea of electing another person in the 70s. Platner is becoming the wrong person at the right time, moving beyond the line of hold the nose and vote for.

This would be the first Democrat candidate suffer likewise. The GOP has made a sport of it, having awful candidates make it in the primary.

Democrats might need a plan B. But it could be too late.

Reads like a mixed bag. And who's to say some particular girlfriend was an angel. At this point, Platner can't very well step up and state what a train wreck of a girlfriend X was.
I've met some pretty flaky chicks in my day. I can imagine what they might say.

Certainly true. You've met some real doozies.

But seriously, I'm not playing the "woman is lying" card. There are multiple claims and evidence of other aspects. This is hardly the only thing playing against him at the moment. Things might get so bad, MAGA might vote for him by accident.

 

[ZiprHead]

Platner continues to have not so good stuff come out on him. The, "but it was in the past" excuse is getting quite thin. It would suck to lose a chance at the Senate because this guy was able to somehow talk a good enough game to get the nomination. Gov. Mills wasn't exactly wanting the role of senator and Mainers weren't liking the idea of electing another person in the 70s. Platner is becoming the wrong person at the right time, moving beyond the line of hold the nose and vote for.

This would be the first Democrat candidate suffer likewise. The GOP has made a sport of it, having awful candidates make it in the primary.

Democrats might need a plan B. But it could be too late.

Reads like a mixed bag. And who's to say some particular girlfriend was an angel. At this point, Platner can't very well step up and state what a train wreck of a girlfriend X was.
I've met some pretty flaky chicks in my day. I can imagine what they might say.

My older brother has some pretty severe PTSD from his tours in the middle east. While also dealing with agent orange exposure syndrome from his service in Vietnam, possibly Cambodia and Laos too. But he says he's not allowed to talk about that. He can really fly off the handle badly for tiny reasons. Although I've never known of him to hurt anyone. He really does suffer from it. So I have sympathy for anyone who has to deal with that.

 

[Jarhyn]

Platner continues to have not so good stuff come out on him. The, "but it was in the past" excuse is getting quite thin. It would suck to lose a chance at the Senate because this guy was able to somehow talk a good enough game to get the nomination. Gov. Mills wasn't exactly wanting the role of senator and Mainers weren't liking the idea of electing another person in the 70s. Platner is becoming the wrong person at the right time, moving beyond the line of hold the nose and vote for.

This would be the first Democrat candidate suffer likewise. The GOP has made a sport of it, having awful candidates make it in the primary.

Democrats might need a plan B. But it could be too late.

Reads like a mixed bag. And who's to say some particular girlfriend was an angel. At this point, Platner can't very well step up and state what a train wreck of a girlfriend X was.
I've met some pretty flaky chicks in my day. I can imagine what they might say.

My ex-wife is a piece of work. I am absolutely sure that if I ever made a swing at politics, both my ex-wife and our business's stalker would line up to take turns trying to destroy me.

My ex-wife has made several swings at attempting to defame me, even though I don't actually deny that I was about as horrible to her as she was to me.

In fact, my honest and open description of the full horror of our relationship is largely what has saved me on those occasions.

The stalker though, would attack me on the basis that I run an adult kink-positive business.

At one point I told someone that they could, absolutely, be a shoo-in candidate for a grass roots political run (they own a respectable multi-location business in the city, have some rather strong social awareness, and understand finance and business concerns), and following a long discussion about politics, business, and social awareness of class issues, they said that if they ever did, they might want me in their organization.

I had to explain carefully why that MUST never happen, especially if they really ran for office, from the fact that I have a "politically toxic" business interest, to the fact that I'm "spicy and opinionated", to the fact that I even LOOK most days like a homeless drifter, that I have an open marriage, and that I have both a psychotic ex-wife and a stalker both of which would attack any cause I was attached to directly.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

I found this interesting. Sen. Graham, a guy that couldn't possibly be more of a lap dog for Trump... had to spend a good deal of money to avoid a runoff against a primary candidate that said Graham wasn't MAGA enough. Yes, Graham won 56% of the vote, but the opponent is currently at 28.9%. Which seems absurd that about 3 in 10 GOP primary voters felt Graham wasn't MAGA enough. Currently Lynch is saying you can't trust the corrupt voting machines.

 

[southernhybrid]

At least Platner, should he win, will not support Trump's maniacal plans, unlike Collins who supports Trump almost every time.

Plus Platner has apologized for his past actions and his wife has forgiven him too. When has Trump ever admitted he was wrong about anything or apologized for anything? I don't live in Maine, but I think I'd prefer Platner, considering the alternative. I respect people who admit they have done bad things in the past and have learned from these things. Trump is a convicted felon and people like Lindsey, who used to criticize him, now suck up to him like all good toadies.

Sure, it would be good to have a more experienced candidate without so much baggage, but it's time for people like Collins to go. We have too many people in Congress and on the courts who have been there far too long.

At least Ossoff is currently leading in the polls. He's a good guy so hopefully, he will remain our Senator in Georgia.

 

[ZiprHead]

At least Ossoff is currently leading in the polls. He's a good guy so hopefully, he will remain our Senator in Georgia.

I've seen him speak. He doesn't mince words when it comes to Trump.

 

[southernhybrid]

At least Ossoff is currently leading in the polls. He's a good guy so hopefully, he will remain our Senator in Georgia.

I've seen him speak. He doesn't mince words when it comes to Trump.

I sometimes sign petitions although I'm skeptical they do any good, but Ossoff actually sent me an email, likely one his staff sent to everyone who signed that petition. The email thanked me and said he agreed with the issue. I don't remember which petition it was but that was the only time I heard from someone in Congress regarding a petition.

 

[Playball40]

Platner continues to have not so good stuff come out on him. The, "but it was in the past" excuse is getting quite thin. It would suck to lose a chance at the Senate because this guy was able to somehow talk a good enough game to get the nomination. Gov. Mills wasn't exactly wanting the role of senator and Mainers weren't liking the idea of electing another person in the 70s. Platner is becoming the wrong person at the right time, moving beyond the line of hold the nose and vote for.

This would be the first Democrat candidate suffer likewise. The GOP has made a sport of it, having awful candidates make it in the primary.

Democrats might need a plan B. But it could be too late.

So what is the 'not so good stuff' (the link wouldn't load for me). All I've heard so far is very vague.

 

[southernhybrid]

Platner continues to have not so good stuff come out on him. The, "but it was in the past" excuse is getting quite thin. It would suck to lose a chance at the Senate because this guy was able to somehow talk a good enough game to get the nomination. Gov. Mills wasn't exactly wanting the role of senator and Mainers weren't liking the idea of electing another person in the 70s. Platner is becoming the wrong person at the right time, moving beyond the line of hold the nose and vote for.

This would be the first Democrat candidate suffer likewise. The GOP has made a sport of it, having awful candidates make it in the primary.

Democrats might need a plan B. But it could be too late.

So what is the 'not so good stuff' (the link wouldn't load for me). All I've heard so far is very vague.

The links primarily describes what some of his former girlfriends said about him. Some said he was awful, while others said he was a great guy and they remain friends with him to this day. It also talks about his sexting to other women while married etc. He has a history of heavy drinking and severe combat related PTSD, but he's admitted his mistakes. His wife has forgiven him and they are currently in counseling together. I'm going to quote a comment from a Maine voter who supports him. Imo, despite all of his flaws and baggage, I'd take him over Collins, but I'm sure the Republicans will use his past against him as much as possible.

@Lisa Lerer I was a Harris/Collins voter in 2020 and plan to vote for Platner in next week’s primary as well as the general. Having met him in person (like many Maine voters), I came away feeling refreshed that a politician would admit they were flawed and had worked on themselves as a person. I think he also has the best vision for the state going forward, and while I wish he had a cleaner past I also have to contrast his past, solely personal issues with the existential threat of a Republican controlled Senate and the systemic harm it will cause. I like Senator Collins, I just don’t think we can afford a Republican Senator and think Platner is offering real, exciting change that will flip the seat vs. a much more moderate vision from Mills.

 

[Jarhyn]

Platner continues to have not so good stuff come out on him. The, "but it was in the past" excuse is getting quite thin. It would suck to lose a chance at the Senate because this guy was able to somehow talk a good enough game to get the nomination. Gov. Mills wasn't exactly wanting the role of senator and Mainers weren't liking the idea of electing another person in the 70s. Platner is becoming the wrong person at the right time, moving beyond the line of hold the nose and vote for.

This would be the first Democrat candidate suffer likewise. The GOP has made a sport of it, having awful candidates make it in the primary.

Democrats might need a plan B. But it could be too late.

So what is the 'not so good stuff' (the link wouldn't load for me). All I've heard so far is very vague.

The links primarily describes what some of his former girlfriends said about him. Some said he was awful, while others said he was a great guy and they remain friends with him to this day. It also talks about his sexting to other women while married etc. He has a history of heavy drinking and severe combat related PTSD, but he's admitted his mistakes. His wife has forgiven him and they are currently in counseling together. I'm going to quote a comment from a Maine voter who supports him. Imo, despite all of his flaws and baggage, I'd take him over Collins, but I'm sure the Republicans will use his past against him as much as possible.

@Lisa Lerer I was a Harris/Collins voter in 2020 and plan to vote for Platner in next week’s primary as well as the general. Having met him in person (like many Maine voters), I came away feeling refreshed that a politician would admit they were flawed and had worked on themselves as a person. I think he also has the best vision for the state going forward, and while I wish he had a cleaner past I also have to contrast his past, solely personal issues with the existential threat of a Republican controlled Senate and the systemic harm it will cause. I like Senator Collins, I just don’t think we can afford a Republican Senator and think Platner is offering real, exciting change that will flip the seat vs. a much more moderate vision from Mills.

Ok, that clarifies. He's had past relationships, and is in fact human.

If this is what is considered "flaws and baggage", I want to know how politicians that fucking shoot puppies manage to stay on the ballot.

 

[Derec]

So what is the 'not so good stuff' (the link wouldn't load for me). All I've heard so far is very vague.

• He had a Nazi tattoo he affectionately called "My Totenkopf" (reminiscent of the Are We the Baddies sketch)
• Accusations of violence against former girlfriends
• Praised Hamas' tactics
• Wrote that a wounded US soldier did not deserve to live
• Wrote that all cops are bastards and identified as a communist
• Is linked with antisemitic conspiracy theorists

Among other things.

 

[ZiprHead]

Paxton's impeachment lawyer just endorsed Talarico.

 

[crazyfingers]

Trump is trying to reduce the democratic vote by putting the postal service in charge of vetting mail in ballots.

Trump and his administration is absolutely evil.

Postal Service Seeks to Block Mail Ballots in States Resisting Trump Demands​

Democrats and voting-rights groups have challenged the proposed rule as a harmful federal intrusion that could affect millions of voters who cast their ballots by mail.

The U.S. Postal Service has proposed a new rule that would allow it to refuse to deliver mail ballots in states that don’t turn over voter rolls to the federal government.

The rule, proposed last week, is vaguely written but appears to establish broad authority for the agency to intervene in the mail voting process. It calls on states to compile lists of mail voters that Postal Service employees would use to screen ballots for eligibility. If states refuse to comply, the agency could refuse to send their mail ballots.

I can imagine millions of ballots not being delivered due to Trump administration illegally interfering with the vote.

Unless this is resolved quickly I can imagine having to vote in person. But millions of eligible voters have a very hard time voting in person due to their work ours or hours long lines to vote.

Trump is absolutely evil.

Postal Service Seeks to Block Mail Ballots in States Resisting Trump Demands

Democrats and voting-rights groups have challenged the proposed rule as a harmful federal intrusion that could affect millions of voters who cast their ballots by mail.

www.nytimes.com

 

[Patooka]

Accusations of violence against former girlfriends

Firstly, it's a bit fucking rich that this one time you have decided to believe a woman's accusation.
Secondly, the accuser was part of a group called "women for Kavanaugh", so...

 

[Derec]

Firstly, it's a bit fucking rich that this one time you have decided to believe a woman's accusation.

I neither believe nor don't believe. That's why I wrote "accusations of violence". What is with

Secondly, the accuser was part of a group called "women for Kavanaugh", so...

Speaking of Kav, you lot wanted to crucify him based on allegations from when he was a minor (or as Toni would say, "a child"). But you are willing to give Plat the benefit of the doubt for things that happened well into his adulthood. And not just accusations of violence. Kav was criticized for drinking in high school. Plat has been a full-fledged alcoholic in his 30s. There certainly is a double standard here.

And moreover, Kav never had any Nazi tattoos, nor did he praise terrorist organizations, nor did he go on podcasts with antisemitic conspiracy theorists.