r/moderatepolitics • u/TheWyldMan • 3d ago

News Article Graham Platner’s Wife Flagged Sexually Explicit Texts to His Senate Campaign

https://www.wsj.com/politics/elections/graham-platners-wife-flagged-sexually-explicit-texts-to-his-senate-campaign-628ec832?mod=e2tw
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u/Elegant_Athlete_7882 3d ago

If this was 2006 I’d say it would probably be the end of Platner’s campaign, given that it’s 2026 I don’t think it will matter much. This just isn’t something voters really care about anymore.

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u/Iustis 2d ago

I don't know if it will matter, but if think it's a much more damaging news for a guy who's whole brand is "I used to be shit but I'm better now, make me a senator" that he was still a shit at least a year ago and something he's lied about when the honesty of his explanations is central to his viability

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u/Interesting_Total_98 2d ago

There's no sign of voters caring about cheating scandals. Trump won over swing voters after doing far worse things, so I can see Platner winning in a blue state in an election that benefits Democrats in spite of this.

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u/Hour-Ad-9508 2d ago

True but watching people run cover for him about everything is so exhausting. It’s gross when republicans do it and it’s gross when democrats do it.

He had a Nazi SS tattoo for almost 2 decades, wrote on Reddit about how assault survivors “deserve some of the blame,” criticized Collins for the Iraq war while he worked for Blackwater in 2018, and is now dealing with a cheating scandal from a year ago.

I get that he says what democrats want to hear but how does anyone trust what this guy has to say?

At a bare minimum, he has absolutely terrible judgment. If he was running with an R next to his name we’d (rightfully) be hearing about how this is an affront to what the U.S. is supposed to stand for.

I’m sorry but I just can not ever accept someone who has had a Nazi tattoo as a representative of the United States, regardless of intent. It should be a complete non-starter.

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u/keljam68 1d ago

So people cannot evolve?

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u/Hour-Ad-9508 1d ago

They sure can. From this story, he was sexting women as recently as last spring. He doesn’t sound very evolved to me, personally.

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u/TammyK Obama-Trump 2028 1d ago

Pretending to suddenly care about left wing issues is just a mating strategy. This is a man who is and always will be motivated by sex. Maybe that's unrelated to his campaign, but it's obvious to me that's the kind of person he is.

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u/keljam68 1d ago

No? Lots of adulterous people out there that have good ideas for our country.

I was thinking about the tattoo situation and should have been more clear.

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u/Daytime-mechE 2d ago

Didn't Cal Cunningham lose in NC in 2020 for similar scandals?

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u/Klutzy_Carpet_9170 2d ago

NC is a much redder state

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u/Interesting_Total_98 2d ago

That was in a year where support between the two parties was basically even. Democrats have a large advantage this time.

Also, it's unclear how much of a part that scandal played, if anything. Cunningham barely losing in 2020 makes sense with or without that scandal happening.

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u/kyler01williams 16h ago

Well Cunningham was ahead in the polls until the scandal happened.

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u/Interesting_Total_98 14h ago

He was still ahead in the polls when the election happened. 2020 was a relatively bad year for polling.

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u/Iceraptor17 2d ago

That was the time where there was a belief trump was an anomaly.

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u/Solarwinds-123 2d ago

Platner is not trying to appeal to Trump's base.

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u/Interesting_Total_98 2d ago

I didn't say he was. Prioritizing a candidate's platform over a cheating scandal isn't unique to them.

I brought up Trump because he won over many swing voters after saying and doing several things that are much more negative.

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u/layinuponem 1d ago

I think pretending that democrats are held to the same standard as trump is a pretty laughable assertion with no real world back up. We absolutely are held to a stricter standard. Republican voters consider us pompous and holier than thou. Any stain like this is immediately posterized and paraded on attack adds that absolutely work. Meanwhile, when their guys are seen doing the same or worse, crickets. Because they aren't pretending to uphold ideals. (This is a typical voters outlook, not a reflection of how republican senators carry themselves. They usually are trying to uphold 'Traditional ideals') and so their faults are excused or ignored. We need to be perfect, flawless iconoclasts. They can be scum of the earth, and often are. Sucks to suck

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u/Interesting_Total_98 1d ago

held to the same standard as trump

I never said that. Platner would lose if he was as controversial as him.

We need to be perfect, flawless

There are different standards, but if that were true, Jay Jones wouldn't have won by 7 points in Virginia.

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u/Sea_Performer_2086 1d ago

This, the texts messages and NON NUDE images he spent to another CONSENTING ADULT happened more than a year ago, his wife already knew about them and was the one who disclosed them. That would lead one to be believe that Graham and his wife had already dealt with the issue surrounding them. Did he actually cheat, ie fcking someone? No Did he actually send a nude image of himself? No, he had a towel around himself. It makes him human, people aren’t perfect. It’s shtty, yes. But it doesn’t make him a liar. Given that from what was released about it himself a consenting adult talked with another consenting adult. No crime, public corruption, hints at being involved with someone like epstein, working with/for a foreign government or anything else shady happened here. This is honestly a personal matter between 3 adults(graham, his wife, and the other person(s)) that(though the perception looks bad) it should have no bearing on his campaign or what people think of him as a senate candidate. Especially when you look at the dozens of actual elected congressional representatives who have committed sexual assault, sexual misconduct, or sexual harassment and have an entire congressional fund devoted to paying the people off and they just recently voted to keep all details of it confidential and not available to the public.

Or the fact that no less than half of trump’s hand picked cabinet members or secretaries have allegations or are/were being investigated for some sexual assault, misconduct, or harassment.

The other half have committed or are/were being investigated for some other kind of real crime where people got hurt or were/are connected to Epstein.

Don’t let this fool you. This is the exact same thing that just happened to massie in Kentucky. This is israel/AIPAC and republicans trying to destroy his reputation, run smear campaigns, distract from actual policies issues that matter when running for a senate.

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u/PairOk7940 23h ago

Here here!   Nobody should care or involve themselves in the consenting marriage issues of other people.  Not to mention this behavior is hardly rare.  Quite frankly anybodies marriage could be dragged for its worst moments.  I actually believe the real shame here,  is whomever felt the need to drag his wife and his marriage back through its most painful moments, just to score points in a game voters dont give a gaf about.  Its sick what they do to the average person. All to keep power in the hands of the greediest, most self serving,  lazy politicians. On both sides.

Unless Platner was somehow involved in coercion, or illegality, his marriage outside of office is his business.  Quite simply, he isn't proposing to me, so why is this my buisness.  Pretending to care about his wife and his fidelity to her, while publicly embarrassing her with such brutality,  all to avoid talking about Healthcare is disgusting.  Once again the political industrial complex and the  media that feeds off it, niss the point entirely.   Get a real job, or go touch grass.This isn't a story for anyone but their marriage counselor.   P. S lets talk about how insurance doesnt cover marriage counseling,  or couples therapy. 🤔 

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u/Geekerino Undo the duopoly, vote third-party! 1d ago

That's the thing though, cheating fits into Trump's central image of the quintessential asshole, it doesn't contradict his intended message of being the asshole who'll fight for you. Democrats tend to have a more sterile image as a whole, and Platner's thing since the tattoo report has been being a better man than he used to be when he got it, years ago. But this incident wasn't terribly long ago, only a year. That contradicts the intended message.

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u/Interesting_Total_98 17h ago

Jay Jones won in Virginia by 7 points without a sterile image.

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u/TheWyldMan 2d ago

And also this is only what his wife discovered. Who really knows what she might have found. Do we really think he’s shown that he’d 100% confess to everything?

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u/Solarwinds-123 2d ago

It's been announced just hours ago that he has a Kik account. Anyone under 30 can tell you what that's used for.

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u/Open_Climate_3760 2d ago

I’m over 30. Can you tell me? Is it like pedo shit or something?

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u/Solarwinds-123 2d ago

Not officially, but it was one of the most popular third party messaging apps for 13-18 year olds because it supports anonymity and lacks any semblance of parental controls. It has been implicated in numerous child porn, underage sexting and grooming scandals. CBS News once described it as a "predator's paradise".

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u/Fragrant-Luck-8063 1d ago

I've heard the same thing about pretty much every social media and messaging app. Seems to be a problem in general.

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u/Solarwinds-123 1d ago

True, but Kik in particular isn't social media and has little in the way of legitimate uses except to send messages that aren't linked to a stock messaging app, a name or a phone number.

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u/PairOk7940 23h ago

Sure Jan,  verify that info or your just spreading vague unsubstainted bs on the internet. The epstisn files have sources and victims and Susan Collins is all about protecting those people so she can keep sucking the life out of her own constituents. Please share actual receipts. 

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u/Solarwinds-123 20h ago

Verify what, the history of Kik and child abuse? Real their Wikipedia article, it's all there and sourced.

As far as I'm aware, there is no connection between Collins and protecting Epstein.

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u/curdledtwinkie 2d ago

And allegedly posted half undressed pictures of himself. Nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist

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u/Solarwinds-123 2d ago

That one I personally don't have much of a problem with, it's only shirtless.

Though I did note that the totenkopf tattoo he pretended not to know the meaning of just happened to be cleverly obscured in the photo.

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u/Interesting_Total_98 2d ago

this is only what his wife discovered.

You're making it sound as if it's a huge deal, even though you haven't established that voters care. This isn't something related to his job.

Although people would prefer a faithful husband, voters aren't known for requiring no personal life scandals.

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u/TheWyldMan 2d ago

voters aren't known for requiring no personal life scandals.

Yeah but you see he has other scandals.

The teflon nature of Trump is a political anamoly.

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u/Interesting_Total_98 2d ago

he has other scandals.

None that have mattered so far.

He doesn't need the level of loyalty that Trump has because his issues aren't even remotely as bad.

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u/julius_sphincter 2d ago

It will matter to democrat voters potentially and it will "definitely" matter to the right when they attack him. If this was a Republican running though, dems would make a half-hearted effort to point it out but Republican voters don't seem to care about that sort of thing no matter how recent

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u/Fragrant-Luck-8063 1d ago

If Democrats weren't bothered by Bill Clinton then why would they be bothered by this?

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u/Trick-Persimmon-6642 2d ago

This is just another attempt by do nothing dems to sabotage a populist candidate even if it means a Republican wins, its traitorous bullshit and it’s the last thing we need when our country is falling apart.

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u/Solarwinds-123 2d ago

Traitorous? Really?

Telling the voters about the person they're voting for is treason?

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u/PairOk7940 23h ago

Democratic voter here.  I dont give a shit about this. Though I have deep empathy for he and his wife currently becauae this is absurd and not a story. Its a heartless attack on somebody's private life.   The price of gas, lack of access to Healthcare and affordable housing is the story. So unless their is evidence he kicked a grandmother off SS, or started a war to cover up his role in sex trafficking this is meaningless. 

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u/Letmein202 2d ago

It dredges up memories of all the other stupid/derogatory comments Platner has said, and of course his notorious tat. There was seriously no room for error in Maine - but we are, as usual.

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u/Katwill666 2d ago

Yeah I mean half the Republican nominees across the country are all cheaters or have cheated on their spouses. Hell majority of Trump's administration cheated on their spouses and Republicans have a 80% approval for all of them.

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u/CloudApprehensive322 2d ago

Kristi Noem was literally cheating on her husband while holding the DHS secretary position and everyone knew about it.

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u/Katwill666 2d ago

Labor Secretary as well Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Hegseth cheated on his wife, RFK Jr. cheated on his first wife to the point she killed herself. I mean the whole administration is nothing but cheaters.

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u/decrpt 2d ago

Scott DesJarlais of Tennessee’s 4th Congressional District was involved at least six sexual relationships with people he came in contact with while chief of staff at Grandview Medical Center in Jasper, Tennessee including three co-workers, two patients and a drug representative. He also pressured a mistress to get an abortion, then lied about having recorded that conversation.

He's been in office since 2011.

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u/blewpah 2d ago

And staunchly pro life I'd imagine.

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u/airforceCOT 2d ago

Are you hoping that Platner will secure a large crossover share of the votes from Republicans who would rather support him than Collins? If not, then why bring Republican voters up?

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u/nycbetches 2d ago

I do think his campaign strategy is to woo some disaffected Republican voters, yes. You can see that in his populist rhetoric.

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u/GoodLeroyBrown 2d ago

So Dems shouldn’t rise up but stoop down. Got it

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u/bashar_al_assad 2d ago

There's no need for party officials to beat themselves up over standards that voters don't seem to care about or apply to anyone else. If it seems like voters in Maine are holding it against him then sure, reevaluate. Given that his wife is standing by him (and the reason we're learning about it is her initiating an effort to have the texts not hurt the campaign), I think it's likely to have a larger effect on twitter than on Maine voters.

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u/GoodLeroyBrown 2d ago

That’s fine, just don’t act like the party of moral superiority than.

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u/Pleasant-Result988 2d ago

As long as Dems aren't the party that tried to overturn an election they'll be the party of moral superiority

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u/KarlsReddit 2d ago

Not this only. It's everything about him. And most voters just care about the affiliation. I'm just saying in a country with millions of smart, quality human beings we keep ending up having to make tough choices and compromises on marginal people. I wouldn't let this guy babysit my son.

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u/julius_sphincter 2d ago

Sorry, how many politicians would you let babysit your kid even if they were out of politics?

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u/Interesting_Total_98 2d ago

Being a politician has no relation to babysitting, so that's a weird argument. His job is to make general public's lives better, particularly his constituents. How well he'd do isn't determined by personal scandals.

The policies he supports is far more relevant.

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u/tomsing98 2d ago

It is relevant, though. Poor judgment in his personal life, repeatedly. What else is out there that could be used as leverage against him?

If I lived in Maine, I'd vote for him over literally any Republican. Control of the Senate is far more important than whether I personally like an individual. But there's no way he's the best Maine could come up with.

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u/Interesting_Total_98 2d ago

Senators vote for things, so what matters is his platform, not whether or not he's faithful to his wife. Focusing on the latter tells you nothing about the former.

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u/skelextrac 2d ago

I'm wondering how many Chinese spies he has banged in the last week.

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u/Interesting_Total_98 2d ago

If you're referring to Eric Swalwell, there's no evidence that they ever dated or slept together.

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u/Open_Climate_3760 2d ago

This is pretty naive. Voting on legislation with the party is the absolute bare minimum of the job. You actually want someone who can influence what ends up in bills and can form coalitions with other senators and representatives. 

His personal issues are going to make it way harder for him to create relations with others in power. Why would a Senator from another state want to align themselves to Platner when building a piece of legislation or offering public support for policies? The only people who would do that are those locked into uncompetitive seats with lots of support in primaries. Look at AOC, she’s personally moderated quite significantly but her alignment with “the squad” still follows her. Any time Reps Omar or Tlaib say something wacky she’s tied to it. Platner’s history poses an even higher risk because he’s known to be a shade sketchy at best.

Trump’s a bad example because he has power over the GOP as the executive. Platner has almost no control over anything even if he becomes a Senator. His job is far more collaborative than authoritative.

So he’ll vote with Dems which is better than nothing but will likely be very ineffective due to his personal issues. Also, guys like this don’t change. He’ll undoubtedly have another scandal in office that will further damage his ability to wield influence.

In sum, he’s better than a GOP member holding the seat but literally the worst possible type of Dem.

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u/Interesting_Total_98 2d ago

You actually want someone who can influence what ends up in bills and can form coalitions

Personal life isn't relevant to that either, so your claim is very ignorant.

Why would a Senator from another state want to align themselves to Platner when building a piece of legislation or offering public support for policies

Because using ad hominem as an excuse to not do their job would be a bad look.

Trump has done terrible things that affect the general public, yet his party still works with him because that's what their constituents want, so the idea that politicians would ignore Platner over his private life is complete nonsense.

Trump’s a bad example because he has power over the GOP as the executive.

Platner has power over Democrats because any Senate majority they'll get will be very narrow.

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u/[deleted] 2d ago

[deleted]

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u/tomsing98 2d ago

I mean, I disagree with that. A senator's job is to do what they think is right, not what they think is popular, and if the constituents disagree enough, they can vote for someone else next time around. Do Mainers want Trump impeached and removed from office? I don't give a shit. It's the right thing to do. Do Mainers want a woman to have bodily autonomy? I don't give a shit, it's the right thing to do.

And Platner's poor judgement is relevant here. He hasn't shown that he understands the right thing to do. And he might have more things in his past that he doesn't want to get out, that can be used as leverage against him.

Again, vote blue no matter who, levers of power, etc. I don't intend to drag any Dem candidate, because I don't think it's a good way to achieve my personal goals, so I'm not going to bow out of this convo.

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u/Interesting_Total_98 2d ago

not what they think is popular

The comment says goals, not their exact desires. People want to get rid of corruption, which means impeaching Trump, even if that's not their idea of doing so.

He hasn't shown that he understands the right thing to do

He has when it comes to his platform, which is what represents his job, as opposed to his personal life.

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u/Solarwinds-123 2d ago

Do Mainers want Trump impeached and removed from office?

This is not on the table. There is no world in which Democrats gain the votes to remove Trump without agreement from Republicans.

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u/PairOk7940 23h ago

Quality hunan beings make mistakes.  So if you could qualify the word "quality " that would be great.  I dont have standards for other folks marriages.  Thats part of the democratic platform actually. 

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u/brontosaurusguy 2d ago

America will never be serious about politics again if we give as fuck about a guys marriage rather than his policy. 

 it isn't reality TV!