The Oystergruppenführer Counteroffensive
Maine provides a glimpse into the much bigger leftist split that is likely to occur in the very near future
Democrats have been so desperate to make gains with male voters that they nominated a ticking time-bomb to take on the most moderate of all moderates, Susan Collins, in a must-win Senate race this year. And you’d better believe it, the bill is coming due.
What they saw in Graham Platner was a rugged military veteran who is an oyster farmer (actually, gives oysters to his mother’s restaurant as a hobby) with natural ties to the state’s working-class population. He would provide the necessary boost in this magnificent sliver of a 2026 midterm to finally oust the only Republican in all of Congress. What they actually got was something much different:
An actual Nazi with a Totenkopf tattoo (hence “Oystergruppenführer)
Self-described “communist” positions
Hatred for all law enforcement and mockery of wounded soldiers
No real job
Bizarre online behavior and description of his personal behaviors
Past with women that would make Bill Clinton blush
The timing of Monday’s article couldn’t have been better:
The DSA Drift: Are We Truly Surprised?
It’s been almost two weeks since three “Democratic Socialists” championed by Zohran Mamdani bulldozed their way to U.S. House nominations in overwhelmingly blue seats in New York City. Two of them had to do it the old-fashioned way and unseat incumbents, and the other just had to ride what has been a rising tide for almost two decades. I wrote about the New York primary, and what it means for the future of American politics, here:
Monday is also when the latest Platner allegations and horror stories dropped, and they were along the lines of everything that came out against Eric Swalwell ahead of California primary when the Democrat machine needed to get rid of a candidate seen as a threat to the brand. In the case of Maine, it’s Platner’s inevitable loss to Susan Collins forcing the party to Biden him after he just won their primary last month. You can see, even in rigged polling, that Platner’s lead is gone:
Last month, I did the math on why Collins is on pace for a victory against Platner based on how she does against polling and voter registration historically:
“But the Polls” - Maine Edition
Many of you know I couldn’t care less about what polling says. I’ve even leveled up to the point where I don’t care what polling says when it is good for my side. I subscribe to the “campaign like you’re ten points behind” school of thought and care more about what the winds of history and the science of voter registration change tell me about an election.
Before I go any further, I must be honest. The tactics being used by the Democrats to push Platner out the door give me cause for concern. Based on what I know about this guy, and what many people have corroborated, I suspect the allegations against him are true, or mostly true. The trouble here is that we are getting to the point in which anyone can make an allegation against any candidate and that candidate will be pressured to drop out. Remember when we were one Jeff Flake decision away, during the Kavanaugh hearing, from having every male in this country potentially branded a sexual abuser just because someone said so?
Anyway, it’s high noon for Democrats in Maine and they have until Monday, July 13, to replace him if he withdraws. Unfortunately for Maine Democrats, who attempted to lay down the law yesterday, Platner holds the cards. As of this morning, there is talk on the street that Platner is negotiating his exit, but nothing concrete.
Here are the three main takeaways of Platner-gate (the efforts to remove Platner as Senate nominee):
