This means he can be replaced with another Democrat
Graham Platner can be replaced as the Democratic nominee for Senate in Maine if he withdraws from the race by next Monday, and state law would then give the state Democratic Party until July 27 to name a replacement.
What I never saw once during the discussion over the last 48 hours is, what exactly is someone supposed to do if they’re falsely accused of rape when running for office? Because the current standard seems to be that it’s a guaranteed way to tank any campaign. And all you have to do to tank any candidate you don’t like is find some old ex of theirs, and offer them money or threaten them into making a false accusation.
And what people really missed was that political ratfucking is ALWAYS designed to sound reasonable. Everyone already knew that Platner was/is a bit of a creep. So a rape allegation would seem in character. You craft an allegation that fits the person. If someone has complicated business dealings, you accuse them of fraud. If someone has a long military career they’re running on, you accuse them of cowardice or dereliction of duty. If someone has some misogyny in their past, you accuse them of rape. In no case will a false accusation ever make people go, “now that’s not likely, that doesn’t sound like something he would do.” If AOC runs for Senate, she won’t be targeted with rape allegations, it will be something more believable.
“Nothing” seemed to work pretty well for Joe Biden. When your accuser has messages regarding you being a rapist dating back to years before you ever ran for office, and your friends corroborate that you’ve never once changed your story, then the only reasonable option is to step down
You know how I know that’s bullshit? There are no credible rape allegations against Zohran Mamdani. If it was that easy to tank someone’s campaign, they would have done that the second he gained literally any popularity
Yes. I think you had the right of it, and I had the wrong of it. At least in part, in that, regardless, I knew that Platner would be stepping down.
Something I noted is that Platner said he “would” be filing the paper work. But he has not filed it yet. He does that bit of leverage, but I don’t know where this goes. Its bonkers. Like, if you did what he’s accused of and is denying it, like, he’s fucked. Beyond fucked. Like decades in prison fucked. And he knows that. And thats not the video he posted.
Where do you think it goes from here? What should Platner do?
I honestly don’t know what he should do. And frankly, I’m not willing to say he’s innocent. My thoughts through this whole thing have just been that we shouldn’t jump to conclusions without properly investigating things.
First and foremost: At the best of times, accusations of sexual assault and rape are “he said she said”. The defense is almost always “Well, she is a slut who told me she wanted it rough”. Because on the off chance the victim actually managed to get a rape kit done in time AND the chain of evidence was maintained… all that really says is that sexual activity occurred and that there may or may not be signs of physical trauma.
And when you factor in rapists being predators who tend to target victims where it is even easier to discredit them (high risk behaviors like drug use or… wearing a skirt)? And cops tending to be bastards who actively don’t want to investigate things?
This is why victims don’t come forward. The best they can hope for is a slap on the wrist for the rapist and their entire life to have been thrown under a microscope and attacked. So mostly they just try to recover and live a life in a society that has actively failed them.
But as for
That is exactly what everyone did when Lyndsey Fifield came forth. Basically everyone dismissed it because she is a republican. She was a slut. She deserved it. She is a lying bitch who just wants his sperm. Fucking whore was asking for it.
And that is why Jenny Racicot was brave enough to came forth and talked about platner violently raping her.
So… maybe educate yourself a bit more before you have any more “thoughts” that would make people think you are someone who is calling rape victims liars?
And yes, men are raped too but their reasons for not coming forward tend to be different. Although the societal abuse and shame aspects remain.
Well I think your sentiment is right. But I’m like… my head is spinning after the past three days.