Jon Reisman

The Collins/Platner dueling Downeast July Fourth parade marches included hurled water balloons in Eastport, septuagenarian Senator Susan marching and mingling in 80+ degree heat in both Eastport and Machias, and an early Platner Eastport exit followed by a no-show in Machias as the rape allegations were just beginning to leak. The ensuing saga of spin, hypocrisy, and continuing uncertainty left me with several Statler and Waldorf queries, quandaries, reflections, and comments: 

• An inquiry into the nature and cause of the painful inflammation of the Platner fascia, the tribal band of democratic socialists that currently energizes and seeks to control the Democratic Party. The inflammation is caused by the stress of simultaneously running/raging against Trump, capitalism, Israel, and the Democratic establishment. The pain was seriously aggravated by the Establishment’s effort to decapitate Platner (an irony probably lost on the Jacobins) and disenfranchise the record 150,000+ leftists who voted for him in June, endorsing his antisemitism, socialism, and character. As I write, Platner has pledged to withdraw on the deadline day (July 13). We shall see.

• My column last week illustrated the perils of dinosaur print technology as compared to social media temporal immediacy. As a baby boomer, I am an immigrant to the land of digital technology. I still prefer my laptop to a cell phone. I wrote my column on July 3, confidently predicting a close, expensive, and divisive Collins/Platner race, with no mention or hint of the coming coup and contretemps. I was quite pleased with the invention of Platner Traumatic Socialism Disorder (PTSD), but it was lost in the media melee that included the national media camping outside of Platner’s Sullivan home. As I write on July 10, I predict a similar media scrum at Shenna’s Secretary of State doorstep as the Monday afternoon withdrawal deadline approaches. We shall see.

• If Platner does withdraw, I expect the top contenders to replace him will be Nirav Shah and Troy Jackson. Shah got the most votes in the gubernatorial primary first round, and his Covid czar experience is beloved by the left. Jackson is a bombastic bully and Bernie bro, so he’d make a fine Platner stand-in. I’m sure if given the opportunity, the Democrats will pick an antisemitic socialist Trump and Trump-voter hater. Arguments for a woman (however defined) replacement have been made, but Shenna Bellows was crushed by Susan in 2014, and Paige Loud, while truly representative of the Platner fascia, is not ready. Maybe Jordan Wood can migrate from Q to T on the alphabet rainbow spectrum. We shall see. 

• A whole slew of Democrats have withdrawn their endorsements of Platner, including Bernie and Elizabeth Warren (a.k.a Pocahontas [“My kind of man”]). One prominent Washington County politician endorsed the oyster Führer, but has somehow managed to avoid any scrutiny on the matter. In early March, Passamaquoddy Tribal Representative Aaron Dana announced an independent run for State Senate District 6, covering Washington and Eastern Hancock County. Just after that, Dana introduced and endorsed candidate Platner at a rally at Centre Street Church in Machias. For some reason, no one from the legacy media has reported on Dana’s endorsement, and the candidate has been silent. On July 9, I sent an e-mail to Tribal representative and candidate Dana:

In March you introduced and endorsed Graham Platner at Centre Street Church in Machias.  Are you withdrawing your endorsement? As you are probably aware, I believe Platner to be an antisemite. Do you support antisemitism?

I have not received any response. We shall see.

Editor’s Note: Per the Maine Department of the Secretary of State, Graham Platner has officially withdrawn from Maine’s U.S. Senate race as of 4 p.m. Friday, July 10. Platner had until 5 p.m. Monday, July 13 to submit formal notification that he has in fact withdrawn from contention. 

Jon Reisman is an economist and policy analyst who retired from the University of Maine at Machias after 38 years. He resides on Cathance Lake in Cooper, where he is a Statler and Waldorf intern. Mr. Reisman’s views are his own, and he welcomes comments as letters to the editor here or to him directly via email at jreisman@maine.edu.