Hey DU, All things considered, we may have missed a really close call

[Peacetrain]

with Platner... just saying.. He was trouble on the hoof.. now we find out.. Letter to our Democratic National Party.. kids you have to do a better job of checking someone out.

[leftstreet]

1. They had 30 yrs to get rid of Collins

You create a vacuum, someone might try to fill it

[Peacetrain]

2. That too!! My original point of view was that it was up to Maine

Their votes are the only ones that count and they knew who he was.. well apparently no, they didn't...

[hlthe2b]

11. Mentioning no names but after Platner was out, two DUers tried to make the case that Collins

"was not all that bad"... It took all within me not to give her entire intensely destructive voting history song and dance, but I just focused on her Kavanagh vote (the deciding one) despite even the MSM questioning her as to whether or not he would not work to end abortion protections. So, the end of Roe v Wade, abortion access, and the blood of the pregnant women who are not treated for fear of violating abortion laws is directly on her, IMHO.

"Not all that bad?" Really???

[leftstreet]

13. Yep

I saw that. I had to keep my mouth shut to avoid hides

But you're articulate, restrained and measured.

You should run for office!!

[hlthe2b]

14. LOL. Well, I thank you for the compliment, but OMG... ummm, no.

[milestogo]

3. Better now than later.

[Peacetrain]

4. Good point!!

[bucolic_frolic]

5. Platner is how they vented and removed his dang left wing worker agenda from Maine politics

I'm being cynical but maybe he was selected and allowed to implode.

[W_HAMILTON]

6. The DNC is not omnipotent and they are certainly not responsible for Platner's candidacy.

Alternatives were there for the nomination but a majority chose to disregard Platner's worrisome history and instead bought into his pandering.

As Rachel Maddow is fond of saying, watch what they do, not what they say." Talk is cheap and that's all Platner had going for him.

I think we dodged a two bullets: (1) so much more would have probably come out he wouldn't have even won the election and (2) if he did manage to win and no longer needed the voters, he would return back to those same problematic stances he held his entire life, back when all eyes weren't on him.

[Bmoboy]

7. Why should the "Party" decide who gets to run?

There are no political parties in the Constitution.

Yet they seem to dictate so.much of what the government chooses to address, like tax breaks, subsidies, and sweetheart deals for close friends and business partners.

[lostincalifornia]

10. Oh please. Article I, Section 4, Clause 1. It is called the ELECTION CLAUSE.

It establishes that individual states dictate the "Times, Places and Manner" of holding congressional elections.

[Wiz Imp]

15. How else would you suggest they do it?

There's not enough time for a new primary.

[lostincalifornia]

8. Even before this came out, a week ago the polls showed Platner and Collins were in a

dead heat.

The reality is the race of Platner verses Collins was never going to be a "shoe-in". It was going to be close, and I suspect no one is naive enough to believe the list from the nazi tattoo to the sextexting and social media posts by him, etc. were not going to be part of the Collins campaign against him.

The opportunity is for Maine Democrats to select someone who doesn't have the flaws that Platner had, and can relate to the people of Maine.

As an outsider I don't view this as a disadvantage, but as an opportunity.

California was in a similar situation with Swalwell.

It is so much better this came out before the General Election candidates were in stone.

Now Maine Democrats have the opportunity to choose the best candidate without the baggage, and finally replace Susan Collins.

[hamsterjill]

9. All candidates from now on need to be women.

Shocking? Attainable?

Probably not. But it would almost assure no sexual assault accusations. There could always be an exception, of course.

[leftstreet]

12. Margaret Thatcher says thank you

Just kidding. Sort of