Graham Platner is ornery as ever after being forced to go back to work as a Maine oysterman following his fall from the height of socialist political superstardom over rape and sexual misconduct allegations.
asserted
Platner → force → rape
“Who the f–k are you weirdos?” Platner asked after The Post caught up with him a week before the midterm election.
asserted
Post → ask → election
Platner had just paddled to shore on a kayak, leaving his boat anchored in the water.
asserted
Platner → paddle → water
When asked what he was up to as his replacement, state Sen. Troy Jackson, is neck-and-neck with Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) in the polls, he responded: “What the f–k does it look like I’m up to?
asserted
I → ask → polls
When The Post suggested his life on the picturesque Maine coast was surely finer than spending his days campaigning and trying to make it to Washington, DC, he declined to offer any pearls of wisdom.
uncertain
he → suggest → wisdom
“It just seems to be, like, life, man,” Platner said.
asserted
Platner → seem → ?
Asked how the bivalve biz had been treating him since dropping out of the Senate race in July over a slew of sexual assault and misconduct accusations, Platner said: “It goes the way it always goes, friend.”
asserted
it → ask → accusations
“People from away have no idea what it is we do for a living,” he added, before driving off in his truck and refusing to answer questions about predictions for the Nov. 3 election.
asserted
he → have → election
And with that, he clammed up and drove off.
asserted
he → clam → that
Platner, of course, made his campaign about his awe-shucks working-class image — although it was later revealed he was a son of privilege who attended one of New England’s most prestigious prep schools.
And even the oyster farming bit turned out to be less than it appeared — his only client was his mother’s restaurant.
asserted
client → make → schools
One ex even said that he claimed he would rape a male intruder breaking into his apartment — to show dominance.
asserted
he → say → dominance
The Democrat — who was soaring in the polls and beloved by leading leftists in Washington — copped to sexting, but denied all the rest.
asserted
who → soar → rest
He claimed it was a grand conspiracy to bring him down because his message was just too powerful.
asserted
message → claim → him
And his neighbors in Sullivan said he seemed to be doing better for it — with the owner of a deli Platner frequents saying he was “just a regular person again.”
asserted
he → say → deli
“He looks a whole lot more healthy than he did,” said Dunbar Store owner Josh Winer, whose deli menu features a roast beef sandwich named after Platner.
asserted
menu → look → Platner
“Now it’s just him again.
asserted
it → ’ → ?
He gets a sandwich on his own.
asserted
He → get → own
We talk about oysters.
asserted
We → talk → oysters
It’s back to normal,” Winer said.
asserted
Winer → ’ → ?
Then he ran for office and still came in when he could, or he’d send his people in for lunch.”
uncertain
he → run → lunch
But not everyone had such a neighborly view of the ex-candidate, whose office downtown was emptied out and shuttered.
asserted
office → have → candidate
“He’s not a favorite around here.
asserted
He → ’ → ?
,” one local fruit seller said.
asserted
seller → say → ?
Start your day with all you need to know
Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.
asserted
Report → start → news
Others said they’d been excited to vote for Platner — until the misconduct claims came out against him.
uncertain
claims → say → him
“I heard all the negativity, and it was a turn-off for me,” 59-year-old maintenance worker Allan Flye said.
asserted
Flye → hear → me
“I might have voted for him if there was less negativity about him.”
uncertain
I → vote → him
Platner’s sex misconduct claims were just the straw that broke the camel’s back — he was also outed for having a Nazi Death’s Head tattoo on his chest, and for writing alarming screeds about rape and cops on internet forums from about 2013 to 2021.
uncertain
he → break → 2021
He later got the tattoo covered and claimed he’d gotten it while drunk with fellow Marines — insisting he had no idea about the symbol’s dark history — and that his online comments came while he was suffering from PTSD.
asserted
he → get → PTSD
“He probably tarnished himself more than anything,” Flye added.
asserted
Flye → tarnish → anything
“I don’t think the town was really affected by it.”
asserted
town → think → it
Platner at one point was polling 7 points ahead of Collins, a moderate Republican who has been in office since 1997.
asserted
who → poll → 1997
“I was going to vote for [Platner] until they kicked him out, so I’ll vote for his replacement,” said Mary, a local voter.
asserted
Mary → go → replacement
“I’m not voting Republican.”
asserted
I → vote → Republican
However, Jackson has had a much harder road after he was picked by the party to fill Platner’s shoes.
asserted
he → have → shoes
Polls show him leading Collins by less than 2 points, according to RealClearPolitics.
uncertain
him → show → RealClearPolitics
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