Faulty reasoning signals

• Hasty Generalization - 12.2%
• Appeal to Emotion - 9.7%
• Negativity Bias - 9.6%

Article text

In a video posted on X, Graham Platner announced he is ending his Senate campaign after a woman accused him of sexual assault in 2021. Platner denied the allegation as “false” but said that he was suspending campaign operations. NBC News’ Ryan Nobles reports.

YEAH. KYRIE STEWART WITH ALL ANGLES OUT THERE COVERED. THANK ANGLES OUT THERE COVERED. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. AND SOME MORE YOU SO VERY MUCH. AND SOME MORE BREAKING NEWS RIGHT NOW OUT OF BREAKING NEWS RIGHT NOW OUT OF MAINE THIS TIME. GRAHAM PLATNER MAINE THIS TIME. GRAHAM PLATNER HAS JUST POSTED A VIDEO ON HIS HAS JUST POSTED A VIDEO ON HIS SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS. IT’S 11 SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS. IT’S 11 MINUTES LONG AND WE ARE STILL MINUTES LONG AND WE ARE STILL LISTENING TO IT. BUT PLATNER LISTENING TO IT. BUT PLATNER HAD UNTIL MONDAY TO DROP OUT OF HAD UNTIL MONDAY TO DROP OUT OF THE RACE. IT WOULD GIVE. IT THE RACE. IT WOULD GIVE. IT WOULD THEN GIVE THE DEMOCRATIC WOULD THEN GIVE THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY UNTIL JULY 27TH TO CHOOSE PARTY UNTIL JULY 27TH TO CHOOSE A NEW CANDIDATE TO RUN AGAINST A NEW CANDIDATE TO RUN AGAINST REPUBLICAN SENATOR SUSAN REPUBLICAN SENATOR SUSAN COLLINS. IN NOVEMBER, COLLINS. IN NOVEMBER, BLATTNER’S CAMPAIGN ALL STARTED BLATTNER’S CAMPAIGN ALL STARTED TO COME CRASHING DOWN AFTER HIS TO COME CRASHING DOWN AFTER HIS FORMER GIRLFRIEND PUBLICLY FORMER GIRLFRIEND PUBLICLY CLAIMED HE RAPED HER BACK IN CLAIMED HE RAPED HER BACK IN 2021. SINCE THEN, ANOTHER WOMAN, 2021. SINCE THEN, ANOTHER WOMAN, LINDSEY FIFIELD, HAS TOLD THE LINDSEY FIFIELD, HAS TOLD THE WASHINGTON POST THAT PLATNER WASHINGTON POST THAT PLATNER REPEATEDLY REMOVED PROTECTION REPEATEDLY REMOVED PROTECTION DURING SEX WITHOUT HER CONSENT. DURING SEX WITHOUT HER CONSENT. PLATNER CONTINUES TO DENY THESE PLATNER CONTINUES TO DENY THESE ACCUSATIONS. NBC’S CHIEF ACCUSATIONS. NBC’S CHIEF CAPITOL HILL CORRESPONDENT RYAN CAPITOL HILL CORRESPONDENT RYAN NOBLES, JOINS US NOW FROM NOBLES, JOINS US NOW FROM WASHINGTON. RYAN, I KNOW YOU’RE WASHINGTON. RYAN, I KNOW YOU’RE WATCHING THE VIDEO. WE’RE WATCHING THE VIDEO. WE’RE WATCHING THE VIDEO. IT STARTS WATCHING THE VIDEO. IT STARTS OFF. IT DOES SEEM LIKE HE OFF. IT DOES SEEM LIKE HE CONTINUES TO DENY THESE CONTINUES TO DENY THESE ALLEGATIONS. BUT WHERE ARE WE ALLEGATIONS. BUT WHERE ARE WE RIGHT NOW WITH PLATNER? RIGHT NOW WITH PLATNER?

SO THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THIS MORE THAN 11 MINUTE VIDEO IS THAT GRAHAM PLATNER MAKES IT CLEAR THAT HE IS NO LONGER GOING TO BE THE NOMINEE FOR DEMOCRATS IN THE MAIN CONTEST FOR THE UNITED STATES SENATE. HE SAYS, AND I QUOTE, WE BELIEVE THAT FOR THE MOVEMENT TO CONTINUE, IT CAN’T BE ME. AND FOR THAT REASON, WE ARE SUSPENDING CAMPAIGN OPERATIONS. I WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR, HE GOES ON TO SAY A BIT LATER ON, THOUGH, I INTEND TO FILE MY PAPERWORK TO WITHDRAW. NOW, THIS IS AN IMPORTANT DISTINCTION. IT’S NOT JUST ENOUGH FOR HIM TO, SAY, SUSPENDING HIS CAMPAIGN OR THAT HE’S GOING TO CONCLUDE CAMPAIGN OPERATIONS. HE HAS TO PHYSICALLY GO THROUGH A LEGAL PROCESS WHERE HE TAKES HIS NAME OFF OF THE BALLOT, AND THAT WILL THEN TRIGGER AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY IN THE STATE OF MAINE TO BEGIN A PROCESS BY WHICH THEY WILL PICK A REPLACEMENT. SO THE FACT THAT PLATNER TONIGHT IS ANNOUNCING THAT HE IS NO LONGER GOING TO BE THE NOMINEE, THAT ALLOWS THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY TO DO THAT. NOW, HE DOES IT IN A VERY LONG-WINDED FASHION, GOES THROUGH A LIST OF GRIEVANCES ABOUT THE WAY THIS WHOLE PROCESS PLAYED ITSELF OUT. HE BELIEVES THAT HE HAS BEEN WRONGLY ACCUSED. HE BELIEVES THAT HE WAS NOT GIVEN DUE PROCESS SPECIFICALLY AS IT RELATES TO THE ALLEGATIONS OF RAPE, AND BELIEVES THAT THIS WAS AN UNFAIR PROCESS THAT WAS PROPPED UP BY PEOPLE THAT WERE POLITICALLY MOTIVATED. BUT HE GOES ON TO SAY THAT HE RECOGNIZES THAT EVEN THOUGH HE THINKS THIS IS UNFAIR, THAT HE CANNOT DO THAT DAMAGE IN THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT IT WOULD TAKE TO REGAIN THE MOMENTUM THAT WOULD ALLOW HIS SENATE CAMPAIGN TO CONTINUE. SO, BECAUSE HE CLAIMS THAT HE CARES MORE ABOUT THE MOVEMENT AND THE IDEALS AND THE POLICIES THAT HE WAS FIGHTING FOR, THAT HE HAS DECIDED TO STEP ASIDE. SO THE NEXT I’LL TRY AND FORECAST YOUR NEXT QUESTION. THE NEXT QUESTION IS HOW IS HE REPLACED? AND WE DO HAVE AN ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION AS WELL, BECAUSE THE MAINE DEMOCRATIC PARTY, EVEN BEFORE PLATNER MADE THIS DECLARATION THAT HE HAD PLANNED TO STEP DOWN, HAD A VERY LENGTHY CALL WITH THE 100 MEMBERS OF ITS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND ANNOUNCED THAT THEY PLAN TO HOLD A PARTY CONVENTION WITH MORE THAN 600 MAINE DEMOCRATS THAT WILL THEN ELECT THE NEXT NOMINEE FOR THE UNITED STATES SENATE. SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE DEMOCRATS IN MAINE WERE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT WAS THAT BY NOMINATING SOMEONE AFTER PLATNER STEPS DOWN, THAT YOU WERE TAKING THAT OUT OF THE HANDS OF RANK-AND-FILE VOTERS. THEY WANTED A PROCESS THAT WAS AS TRANSPARENT AS POSSIBLE AND INVOLVED AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE, DESPITE THE FACT THAT THIS WAS GOING TO BE A VERY SHORT WINDOW OF TIME. SO WE NOW KNOW OFFICIALLY, PLATNER IS NO LONGER IN THE RACE. WE NOW KNOW THE MECHANISM IN WHICH DEMOCRATS IN MAINE ARE GOING TO TRY AND REPLACE HIM. THE QUESTION IS, WILL THIS BE ENOUGH FOR MAINE DEMOCRATS TO GET OUT FROM UNDERNEATH ALL OF THESE SCANDALS AS THEY CONTEST WHAT MAY BE THE MOST IMPORTANT RACE ON THE SENATE MAP FOR DEMOCRATS THIS FALL?

YEAH, I BELIEVE WE HAVE THE VIDEO THAT HE JUST POSTED ONLINE RIGHT NOW. LET’S GO AHEAD AND LISTEN TO WHAT HE HAS TO SAY.

HEY EVERYONE, IT’S GRAHAM PLATNER HERE. I THINK AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF DAYS, I HAVE FACED SOME VERY SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS. AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR THIS IS ALL FALSE. THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN CLAIMED DID NOT HAPPEN. IT’S NOT REAL. IT HAS PLACED AN IMMENSE AMOUNT OF WEIGHT ON ME AS I THINK ABOUT WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN NOW. AMY AND I ARE REGULAR PEOPLE. WE WERE NOT LOOKING FOR THIS EXPERIENCE. WE WERE NOT LOOKING TO GET INTO POLITICS. WE HAD NO DESIRE TO RUN FOR OFFICE. I JUST WANT YOU TO THINK ABOUT, LIKE, WHAT YOU WOULD DO AS A REGULAR PERSON IN A POSITION WHERE A MUCH LARGER WORLD, LARGE FORCES, WERE WORKING AGAINST YOU PERSONALLY TO ACCUSE YOU OF THE WORST THING THAT A PERSON COULD DO. AND IT WAS NOT REMOTELY TRUE. I LEARNED ABOUT THIS THROUGH PRESS INQUIRIES WITH NO TIME TO TRULY RESPOND, NO TIME FOR INVESTIGATIONS BEFORE A CORPORATE MEDIA SYSTEM AND THE POLITICAL ESTABLISHMENT GOT TO ACT AS JUDGE, JURY AND EXECUTIONER. ACCUSATIONS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE THE BEGINNING OF THINGS, NOT THE END. I THINK IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND WHY THIS IS HAPPENING IN THE TIMELINE, WHY THIS IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW. MUCH LIKE OCTOBER, WHEN THE FIRST ATTACKS STARTED. MUCH LIKE THE NEWS THAT WAS CREATED THE WEEK BEFORE THE PRIMARY, THERE IS A REASON THAT THIS IS HAPPENING NOW. I ONLY HAVE UNTIL JULY 13TH UNTIL I AM OFFICIALLY THE NOMINEE. THIS WAS THE LAST WEEK TO TRY TO GET ME OFF OF THE BALLOT. AND THAT’S WHY THIS IS OCCURRING. IT’S NOT THE FALSE ALLEGATIONS, THOUGH, THAT HAVE BROUGHT US TO WHERE WE ARE. IT’S THE FACT THAT THEY ARE BEING USED BY THE POLITICAL ESTABLISHMENT TO PUT STRUCTURAL PRESSURE ON US. WE LIVE IN A POLITICAL SYSTEM THAT IS NOT BUILT FOR NORMAL PEOPLE. IT IS A SYSTEM THAT IS BUILT STRUCTURALLY TO MAKE SURE THAT MOVEMENTS LIKE OURS CANNOT FLOURISH, THAT IF THEY BEGIN TO SUCCEED, THEY CAN BE CRUSHED. WHAT WE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED HERE, YOU MADE POSSIBLE THE PEOPLE OF MAINE, THE VOLUNTEERS, THE VOTERS, THE GRASSROOTS DONORS. AND I HAVE ALL THE FAITH IN THE WORLD THAT WE COULD WIN IF WE COULD CONTINUE TO HARNESS THAT. BUT THE BRUTAL POLITICAL REALITY IS THAT THEY ARE GOING TO TAKE EVERYTHING AWAY FROM US. THOSE IN POWER WHO HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO SO ARE USING THESE ALLEGATIONS AS AN EXCUSE TO TAKE AWAY ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO RUN A CAMPAIGN. WE ARE GOING TO LOSE OUR ABILITY TO FUNDRAISE. WE ARE GOING TO LOSE OUR ABILITY TO ACCESS VOTER DATA. WE ARE GOING TO LOSE ALL OF THE THINGS THAT ANY CAMPAIGN NEEDS ON THE BASIC LEVEL, SIMPLY TO FUNCTION. LARGER ORGANIZATIONS, THE NATIONAL LEVEL PARTY, THE BIGGER DONOR NETWORKS, THEY HAVE ALL COMMITTED TO SPENDING NO MONEY IN THIS RACE. IF I’M IN IT, THEY WOULD RATHER SEE SUSAN COLLINS WIN THAN HAVE ME BE THE NEXT SENATOR FROM MAINE. WHAT COMES NEXT NEEDS TO COME FROM THE PEOPLE, NEEDS TO COME FROM THE PEOPLE OF MAINE, NEEDS TO COME FROM THE VOTERS WHO ON JUNE 9TH, AT A STRENGTH OF OVER 150,000, THE LARGEST NUMBER IN THE HISTORY OF MAINE PRIMARIES, SAID NO TO THIS KIND OF POLITICS, VOTED FOR A POLITICS THAT WOULD ACTUALLY REPRESENT THEM, VOTED AGAINST THE POLITICAL SYSTEM, AGAINST THE DONOR CLASS, AGAINST THE ENTRENCHED FORCES. AND I’M NOT ASKING FOR HOW THIS PROCESS IS GOING TO WORK. I’M NOT TRYING TO DICTATE TO ANYONE WHO IT SHOULD BE OR HOW WE GET THERE. BUT I WILL SAY THIS IT NEEDS TO BE OPEN, TRANSPARENT, AND DEMOCRATIC. IT NEEDS TO BE REFLECTING THE WILL AND THE VALUES OF THE PEOPLE THAT BUILT THIS MOVEMENT. THE PEOPLE THAT SHOWED UP ON JUNE 9TH. PEOPLE IN DC NEED TO STAY IN DC. DECISIONS SHOULD NOT BE MADE IN BACKROOMS BY PEOPLE IN PLACES OF POLITICAL POWER. PARTY APPARATCHIKS ARE NOT THE ONES TO MAKE THESE DECISIONS. THESE DECISIONS NEED TO BE MADE IN THE OPEN BY THE PEOPLE OF THIS STATE. THE PEOPLE WHO GOT US HERE. THIS IS EXACTLY THE KIND OF POLITICAL SYSTEM THAT EVERYONE VOTED AGAINST ON JUNE 9TH, AND FOR THAT REASON, WE NEED TO BE ASSURED THAT IT IS GOING TO BE OPEN AND DEMOCRATIC AS WE MOVE FORWARD. AMY AND I STRUGGLED ABOUT GETTING INTO THIS LAST SUMMER. RIGHT AROUND THIS TIME OF YEAR. WE SAT DOWN AND WE LOOKED AT EACH OTHER AND WE SAID, IF WE BELIEVE IN THE KIND OF POLITICS WE THINK THAT WE DO, WE HAVE TO DO THIS. OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF DAYS, REALLY YESTERDAY AND TODAY, WE HAVE HAD TO HAVE THAT EXACT SAME CONVERSATION. WE BELIEVE THAT FOR THE MOVEMENT TO CONTINUE, IT CAN’T BE ME. AND FOR THAT REASON, WE ARE SUSPENDING CAMPAIGN OPERATIONS. THIS IS INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT BECAUSE I KNOW THAT SOME WILL THINK IT’S AN ADMISSION OF GUILT, AND IT MOST CERTAINLY IS NOT. WE’RE NOT DOING IT BECAUSE OF THE ALLEGATIONS. WE’RE DOING IT BECAUSE OF THE STRUCTURES THAT ARE BEING TAKEN AWAY FROM US BY THOSE IN POWER. AND I ALSO FEEL AN IMMENSE AMOUNT OF RESPONSIBILITY TO EVERYONE WHO HAS WORKED SO HARD TO GET US TO WHERE WE ARE. WE WENT TOE-TO-TOE WITH ONE OF THE MOST ENTRENCHED POLITICAL SYSTEMS IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD, AND WE WON. WE BEAT THEM ON JUNE 9TH IN OVERWHELMING NUMBERS. WE DID IT THE RIGHT WAY. WE BUILT A CAMPAIGN. WE ENGAGED IN ELECTORAL POLITICS. WE MOTIVATED PEOPLE. WE BANDED TOGETHER. WE DID IT THE WAY THAT WE WERE TOLD WE ARE SUPPOSED TO MAKE CHANGE. AND WE WON. BUT NOW THEY ARE NOT GOING TO LET US HAVE IT. NOT IF IT’S ME. AND SO WE’RE SUSPENDING CAMPAIGN OPERATIONS. I WANT TO MAKE CLEAR, THOUGH, I INTEND TO FILE MY PAPERWORK TO WITHDRAW. THE PROCESS NEEDS TO ASSURE THAT WHAT COMES NEXT IS REFLECTIVE OF THE MAINERS WHO ON JUNE 9TH, TURNED OUT AND SHOWED THAT THEY ARE DESPERATE FOR A DIFFERENT KIND OF POLITICS. IT NEEDS TO BE DRIVEN NOT FROM BACKROOMS, BUT BY THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE. AND THE DECISIONS THAT COME NEXT MUST COME FROM THAT. ALL WE WERE ASKING FOR WAS HEALTH CARE WAS THE END OF GENOCIDE. TO USE OUR TAXPAYER DOLLARS AT HOME TO UPLIFT OUR COMMUNITIES, INSTEAD OF WAGING WAR OVERSEAS, WE WERE ASKING FOR A FAIRER SYSTEM. WE WERE ASKING FOR AN END TO THE CORRUPTION, THE END TO THE MONEY IN POLITICS. WE WERE ASKING FOR REAL DEMOCRACY AND WE DID IT THE RIGHT WAY. AND WE WON. BUT NOW THE BALL IS IN THE COURT OF THE DEMOCRATIC ESTABLISHMENT. MY NAME MIGHT BE ON THE BALLOT RIGHT NOW, BUT THAT BALLOT LINE BELONGS TO THE PEOPLE OF MAINE. AND ON NOVEMBER 3RD, IT NEEDS TO BELONG TO THE PEOPLE OF MAINE AND THE NEXT DEMOCRATIC SENATOR FOR MAINE NEEDS TO BELONG TO THE PEOPLE OF MAINE. THEY NEED TO REFLECT THE WILL AND THE VALUES OF THE PEOPLE OF THIS STATE. I LOVE THIS STATE. I LOVE MAINE, AND I LOVE MAINERS IN WAYS THAT I CAN’T REALLY DESCRIBE. I’M IMMENSELY PROUD OF WHAT WE HAVE BUILT, AND I HAVE THE UTMOST FAITH THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO BUILD, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE TOWARDS A BETTER FUTURE. FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART, THANK YOU. THANK ALL OF YOU. AND KEEP FIGHTING. WE’RE GOING TO WIN SOMEDAY.

ALL RIGHT. THAT IS A GRAND FULL STATEMENT. AS HE NOW STEPS DOWN FROM THAT RACE, NBC NEWS CAPITOL HILL CORRESPONDENT RYAN NOBLES IS BACK WITH US FROM WASHINGTON. AND RYAN, YOU’VE BEEN WATCHING THIS AS WELL. HE TALKED A LOT. AND YET HE SEEMS TO BE DENYING THE ALLEGATIONS THAT HAVE AT THIS POINT NOW FORCED HIM TO STEP DOWN IN THIS RACE. SO MUCH SUPPORT FOR HIM HAS BEEN PULLED BACK. YOU WERE TALKING BEFORE WE WATCHED THAT ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS NOW. MAINE IS MAINE AND THE ESTABLISHMENT, THE DEMOCRAT ESTABLISHMENT IS IN A CONUNDRUM RIGHT NOW BECAUSE MAINE VOTERS OBVIOUSLY CHOSE THE ANTI-ESTABLISHMENT CANDIDATE WHEN IT CAME TO THE LAST PRIMARY. AND NOW PART OF THAT ESTABLISHMENT HAS TO DECIDE WHO THEY WANT TO REPLACE HIM. RIGHT?

YEAH, I DO THINK IT PUTS THEM IN A BIT OF A DIFFICULT POSITION HERE. BUT I ALSO THINK GIVEN THE REALITY OF THE SITUATION, IT’S PROBABLY THE BEST OF A SERIES OF BAD OPTIONS THAT THEY HAD IN FRONT OF THEM. THE SCANDAL SURROUNDING PLATNER WERE JUST CONTINUING TO GROW. YES, HE ENJOYED A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF SUPPORT WITH A VERY LOYAL FACTION OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY. THAT IS A RECIPE FOR EASILY WINNING A DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY. I THINK IN A STATE LIKE MAINE, WHICH HAS A LOT OF INDEPENDENT-MINDED VOTERS WHO, EVEN THOUGH THE STATE TENDS TO LEAN BLUE, ARE NOT AFRAID TO ELECT A REPUBLICAN, THEY HAVEN’T HAD A REPUBLICAN SENATOR IN MAINE FOR SEVERAL DECADES. THE OTHER SENATOR IN MAINE, ANGUS KING, CAUCUSES WITH THE DEMOCRATS, BUT HE IDENTIFIES AS AN INDEPENDENT. SO I THINK THAT THERE WAS A REAL ISSUE WITH PLATNER GOING INTO THE GENERAL ELECTION, GIVEN ALL THE BAGGAGE THAT HE WAS CARRYING AND GOING UP AGAINST A CANDIDATE AS FORMIDABLE AS SUSAN COLLINS, WHO HAS BEEN COUNTED OUT MANY TIMES BEFORE. THE LAST PERSON THAT RAN AGAINST HER, SARA GIDEON, SIX YEARS AGO, RAISED MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, WAS AHEAD IN EVERY SINGLE POLL LEADING INTO ELECTION DAY, AND SUSAN COLLINS TROUNCED HER. SO THEY NOW HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY HERE TO GO FIND ANOTHER CANDIDATE WHO WILL APPEAL TO THE MIDDLE OF THE VOTER BASE. AND THE CHALLENGE THEY’RE GOING TO HAVE NOW IS NOT ALIENATING THAT WING OF THE PARTY THAT WAS SO PASSIONATELY BEHIND GRAHAM PLATNER. AND THAT’S WHY I THINK THEY’RE GOING TO DO EVERYTHING THEY POSSIBLY CAN TO MAKE THIS SHORT WINDOW OF TIME THAT THEY HAVE TO NOMINATE A NEW CANDIDATE, BE AS TRANSPARENT AS AND AS OPEN AS POSSIBLE, WHICH MEANS BRINGING IN THOSE PROGRESSIVE VOICES THAT TALKED ABOUT THE ISSUES THAT PLATNER TALKS ABOUT IN THIS VIDEO, LIKE MEDICARE FOR ALL AND, YOU KNOW, STRONG STANCE AS IT RELATES TO ISRAEL, YOU KNOW, CHANGING LAWS AS IT RELATES TO INSIDER TRAINING FOR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, YOU KNOW, CHANGING CAMPAIGN FINANCE LAWS. THESE ARE ALL THINGS THAT GRAHAM PLATNER WAS VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT. AND SO THERE ARE CANDIDATES THERE THAT I THINK CAN THREAD THAT NEEDLE FOR THEM THAT ARE PROGRESSIVE ENOUGH THAT THEY WON’T ALIENATE THE BASE, BUT THEN WILL BE EMBRACED BY THE ESTABLISHMENT WING OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY, AND THEN MAYBE EVEN APPEAL TO SOME INDEPENDENT VOTERS AS WELL.

YOU KNOW, I TALKED TO A LOT OF BOTH REPUBLICAN AND DEMOCRATIC OPERATIVES IN THE WAKE OF THESE ACCUSATIONS AGAINST GRAHAM PLATNER. AND WHAT I HEARD OVER AND OVER AGAIN WAS THE BEST CANDIDATE FOR DEMOCRATS IN MAINE IS GENERIC DEMOCRAT. IF YOU PUT UP GENERIC DEMOCRAT AGAINST SUSAN COLLINS, GENERIC DEMOCRAT WINS EVERY TIME. BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP’S APPROVAL RATING SOMEWHERE IN THE 30S, WITH THE REPUBLICAN BRAND SUFFERING RIGHT NOW, VOTERS ARE LOOKING FOR A CHANGE. THEY’RE LOOKING FOR SOMEONE DIFFERENT. SO IF THEY CAN FIND SOMEBODY WHO FITS THE MOLD OF GENERIC DEMOCRAT, IN OTHER WORDS, JUST ISN’T ALIENATING ON SOME LEVEL, I THINK THAT GIVES THEM A BETTER SHOT THAN GRAHAM PLATNER DID, EVEN THOUGH HE DID HAVE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF ENTHUSIASTIC SUPPORT. THE SUPPORT HE HAD WAS STRONG. IT JUST MAY NOT HAVE BEEN ENOUGH TO WIN A GENERAL ELECTION IN A STATE LIKE MAINE.

IS THERE SUCH A THING? I MEAN, A GENERIC DEMOCRAT EXISTS, I GUESS, IN A LOT OF PEOPLE’S HEADS. BUT MAINE IS A SMALL STATE, AND THE POOL OF PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING TO BE CHOOSING WHOEVER TAKES THIS SPOT ON THE TICKET, THAT’S A SMALL, RELATIVELY SMALL POOL OF PEOPLE. LIKE, ARE THERE IS THERE A LONG LIST OF GENERIC DEMOCRAT NAMES THAT THEY CAN THROW IN?

YEAH, I MEAN, THERE’S ALREADY ABOUT 4 OR 5 DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES WHO HAVE RAISED THEIR HANDS SAYING THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO RUN. ONE OF THE INTERESTING THINGS ABOUT THE WAY THAT MAINE DOES THEIR PRIMARY PROCESS IS THAT THEY DO RANKED CHOICE VOTING IN THE PRIMARY, WHICH LENDS ITSELF TO A MUCH BROADER FIELD OF CANDIDATES THAT RUN IN THE PRIMARY AND SO ON. THE ON THE RACE FOR GOVERNOR, THERE WERE ABOUT 7 OR 8 DEMOCRATS THAT RAN FOR GOVERNOR IN THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY. THERE WAS ONLY ONE OTHER DEMOCRAT THAT RAN IN THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY FOR SENATE BECAUSE PLATNER WAS SO STRONG. AND THERE’S ABOUT 3 OR 4 OF THOSE CANDIDATES WHO ALL RAN STRONG RACES, THE NOMINEE FOR THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY IN MAINE DID NOT WIN RUNNING AWAY. SHE WON WITH RELATIVELY STRONG SUPPORT, BUT THERE WERE A NUMBER OF OTHER CANDIDATES WHO HAD PRETTY STRONG SHOWINGS AND HAVE NAME RECOGNITION STATEWIDE IN THE STATE OF MAINE AS A RESULT. SO THE MOST OBVIOUS NAME THAT MANY PEOPLE ARE POINTING TO IS TROY JACKSON. HE’S THE FORMER SENATE PRESIDENT THERE. HE WAS SOMEONE THAT, UP UNTIL ABOUT THREE DAYS AGO, WAS ARM IN ARM WITH GRAHAM PLATNER AND HAS NOW DISTANCED HIMSELF FROM PLATNER. HE WAS ON OUR MEET THE PRESS PROGRAM EARLIER TODAY WITH KRISTEN WELKER AND SAID THAT HE DOESN’T WANT PLATNER ENDORSEMENT, BUT HE IDENTIFIES AS A PROGRESSIVE. HE IS A LABOR LEADER. HE IS SOMEONE WHO HAS WORKED WITH UNIONS. HE ALSO HAS A REALLY IDENTIFIES AS A MAINER BY TRADE. HE WAS A LUMBERMAN AND IS SOMEBODY THAT, YOU KNOW, IS NOT COMING IN FROM A CONSULTANT FACTORY SOMEWHERE IN ANOTHER PART OF THE COUNTRY. HE’S SOMEBODY THAT UNDERSTANDS WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A MAINER. SO THAT’S A POTENTIAL NAME. BUT THERE ARE A LONG LIST OF OTHER NAMES OF PEOPLE THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE PART OF THIS CONVENTION. JUST BEFORE WE GO, THE ONE NAME THAT WON’T BE ON THAT LIST, THOUGH, IS PATRICK DEMPSEY, THE ACTOR FROM MAINE, WHO WAS SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING IT WAS BEING ASKED TO JUMP INTO THE RACE, BUT WROTE AN OP-ED TODAY IN A PORTLAND NEWSPAPER SAYING THAT HE’S NOT GOING TO GET INTO THE RACE. SO NO MCDREAMY. BUT THERE ARE PLENTY OF OTHER CANDIDATES. YEAH.