2026 Midterms Discussion

[Huckleberry]

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5752823-platner-holds-double-digit-lead-on-mills-collins-in-maine-senate-race-poll/

Platner holds double-digit lead on Mills, Collins in Maine Senate race: Poll​

Progressive oyster farmer Graham Platner (D) holds comfortable double-digit leads over both Maine governor and Senate candidate Janet Mills (D) and Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), according to a new poll.

A University of New Hampshire Survey Center Pine Tree State poll released on Tuesday showed Platner leading Mills 64 percent to 26 percent, with 6 percent undecided or who didn’t know. That’s a 4-point increase in Platner’s margin since October when a similar poll had Platner at 58 percent and Mills at 24 percent, with 14 percent saying they didn’t know or were undecided.

Platner also comfortably leads Collins in a hypothetical head-to-head matchup at 49 percent to her 38 percent, with 9 percent saying they didn’t know or were undecided and 4 percent saying another candidate. Platner notably holds a 9-point edge over Collins among independents.





Since November 3 figures to be a very important (and likely contested) election day, it might as well have its own thread.

 

[Crimson1967]

Mills has dropped out of the race.

Maine Gov. Janet Mills suspends Senate campaign, clearing Democratic path for Graham Platner

Polls had consistently shown Mills trailing oyster farmer Graham Platner in the Democratic primary. Republican Sen. Susan Collins awaits in the general election.

share.google

 

[Bazza]

Still a lot of time to go and a lot of things at play.

At this point in time my prediction is the Dems win back the House.......but not the Senate.

If that happens...buckle up because the number of impeachment charges by the Dems are going to set records!!!

 

[selmaborntidefan]

The party of “the GOP is racist Nazis” is nominating a guy with a Nazi tattoo who made racist posts he has deleted as their choice to take Susan Collins’s seat.

Which proves what I’ve known for 40 years - not only was it never about racism with the Left but I’m amused the same section of the country that wanted to talk to me about the civil war and slavery and how racist a South they haven’t visited “still is” are themselves projecting like when some gay people used to really “hate” gays only for us to find out who they were.


I’ve stated my piece: the Democrats will take the House, the only question is by how much, and they COULD take the Senate. If they lose the Senate control by the seat in Maine, it will serve them right. If they gain it by that one seat, they used racism and anti Semitism to win.

There aren’t a lot of avenues to Senate control but there are enough it could get interesting.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

Mills has dropped out of the race.

Maine Gov. Janet Mills suspends Senate campaign, clearing Democratic path for Graham Platner

Polls had consistently shown Mills trailing oyster farmer Graham Platner in the Democratic primary. Republican Sen. Susan Collins awaits in the general election.

share.google

“Well, Janet, you have grandchildren. Be a shame if something happened to one of them now wouldn’t it?”

- billionaire donors Democrats pretend to loathe

 

[92tide]

The party of “the GOP is racist Nazis” is nominating a guy with a Nazi tattoo who made racist posts he has deleted as their choice to take Susan Collins’s seat.

Which proves what I’ve known for 40 years - not only was it never about racism with the Left but I’m amused the same section of the country that wanted to talk to me about the civil war and slavery and how racist a South they haven’t visited “still is” are themselves projecting like when some gay people used to really “hate” gays only for us to find out who they were.


I’ve stated my piece: the Democrats will take the House, the only question is by how much, and they COULD take the Senate. If they lose the Senate control by the seat in Maine, it will serve them right. If they gain it by that one seat, they used racism and anti Semitism to win.

There aren’t a lot of avenues to Senate control but there are enough it could get interesting.

well, if he actually starts spouting a bunch of racist and nazi stuff, you may have a point

 

[selmaborntidefan]

well, if he actually starts spouting a bunch of racist and nazi stuff, you may have a point

He already did.

David Duke wasn’t the Grand Wizard when he was running for governor, either. And were he not the Luke Skywalker only hope of unseating Collins me suspects nobody would try this line of after the fact reasoning.

He’s a racist Jew hater (the latter of which makes him part of the Democratic mainstream now) and he’ll be the next Fetterman (“we didn’t know he was this when he ran”) if he wins.

 

[92tide]

He already did.

David Duke wasn’t the Grand Wizard when he was running for governor, either. And were he not the Luke Skywalker only hope of unseating Collins me suspects nobody would try this line of after the fact reasoning.

He’s a racist Jew hater (the latter of which makes him part of the Democratic mainstream now) and he’ll be the next Fetterman (“we didn’t know he was this when he ran”) if he wins.

ok

 

[Tidewater]

well, if he actually starts spouting a bunch of racist and nazi stuff, you may have a point

I would prefer we adopted this approach to questionable behavior on the part of public figures: bring up the incident/speech, present the figure with interpretations that put the figure in a bad light, ask the figure to clarify.
For example, when George Wallace was running in 1982, remind him that he had said, "Segregation, now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever." Then ask him if he stands by that statement. When he disavows that idea, and says, he regrets having said it, and no longer feels that way, accept his changed views.
For Platner, show him SS soldiers wearing totenkopf insignia, tell him this implies he might be a supporter of Nazi Germany. When he says got that tattoo as a symbol to intimidate Marines' opponents (which is plausible), and that he was unaware of its history (which is also plausible), but he is not a supporter of Nazis, believe him. The tattoo warrants the question, but it does not warrant automatically drawing judgments about the man's character.

But that is not the way we do politics in these United States today.

 

[Bazza]

The party of “the GOP is racist Nazis”

None of this "party of racist Nazis" is being reported on by anyone but those on social media who use their keyboards to dislike the president and his voters.

You would think - this would be "news".

Instead we have an ENTIRE one hour press conference including questions from reporters.....and no mention of racism.

Maybe they are just afraid to say anything to him in person.....

 

[RollTide_HTTR]

Yeah, I did not know about this guy but his history is very concerning to me. At least from what I've read so far. At the very least he seems to lack some judgment skills

 

[CrimsonNagus]

Yeah, I did not know about this guy but his history is very concerning to me. At least from what I've read so far. At the very least he seems to lack some judgment skills

Yep, it’s a pretty sad state of affairs if democrats are getting behind this guy. What’s the point if you have to elect blue MAGAs to win. The country will be no better off if we swing form radical right to radical left.

 

[Bodhisattva]

 

[92tide]

there is an hour plus long interview with platner on jon stewart's podcast this week. i can't link due to language, but it's worth a listen