This strikes me as a brave and necessary comment about the current state of our politics. I know Democrats who would vote for a pit viper if it were nominated on the Democratic ticket. (This is also true of Republicans in reverse, but to a lesser degree; the saner ones seem to have more discrimination, while there are few "saner" Democrats -- except for Joe Klein and Jake Auchincloss.) There is a mania that has gripped the party -- and has even extended to people I used to respect and admire like Frank Bruni who has now said he'll just vote for Platner -- anyone -- and hold his nose. I admire Klein's ability to find fault not just with the candidates he's critiquing but with the system that found them, groomed them, and nominated them. For what it's worth, Platner reminds me of no one more than Martin Sheen's character in The Dead Zone.
Platner is terrible, but if Maine voters make him the Democratic nominee, of course all Democrats (including Joe and Jake Auchincloss in the end) are going to support him against Collins, and they will obviously be 100% right to do so.
All that ultimately matters in politics at this point is stopping the degradation of American political culture, values, and standing in the world that Trump's Presidency has inflicted upon the country and ending Republican control of the Senate is a key part of that. Having to endure six years of Platner in the Senate (where he will have almost no real power) is certainly a price worth paying for that.
So your theory is that electing a dude with a Nazi tattoo will be "stopping the degradation of American political culture, values, and standing in the world"?
Yes. Would certainly prefer that Maine voters choose someone else next week, but if the choice in November is between Platner or more years of Susan Collins propping up a Republican majority in the Senate to enable Trump unfettered control over foreign policy and the judiciary, it's not even a difficult choice.
Moreover, I think Josh Barros gets it right about Platner. I don't think he's Nazi; I do think he's a loser:
The rest of the nation has yet to be introduced to Talarico's most interesting policies.
Enraged by Dobbs, Talarico a sitting member of the Texas State House, did not seek to persuade his fellow Texans to support a new abortion law with wider access. Instead, James penned a letter begging Biden and the Federal Government to openly defy a SCOTUS decision and valid Texas state law, by installing and operating abortion facilities within Texas Federal Courthouses. King James, literally, requested a modern twist on 1957 Little Rock.
No one should misunderstand. Talarico's actions were the equivalent of a CA Rep State legislator begging Trump to federally shutter every CA abortion facility, because they endanger women's health. Not even AOC or Mamdani are that nuts.
Mr. Talarico also notes prisons are "violence", which must go the way of the cassette tape, into the dustbin of history. Evidently murder and rape victims should turn the other cheek, as they are being killed and/or sexually assaulted, and then extend forgiveness.
Talarico seeks to end prisons, but insists on restoring trans girls into Texas female bathrooms and athletic fields. Worse yet, Talarico insists on the reprisal of child transition surgeries, that remove healthy body parts from kids not nearly old enough to legally purchase beer.
After the above, seeking to curtail meat consumption and fossil fuels in Texas seems rather tame. All, before we arrive at the issue of the Border. Talarico, residing 5 hours away from the border had a front row seat for years of Texas chaos, but didn't notice until 2025.
James resides minutes away from a now defunct Austin NGO that is facing criminal investigations and a plethora of civil suits, for handing out unaccompanied migrant kids to people with fewer background checks than required to adopt a dog in Austin. The abuse is too gruesome to be detailed, but Talarico has no concern for the Open Border child victims a few minutes away, even as he remains obsessed with Texas trans kids.
As a Texan , could never imagine a world where I would vote for Paxton, but Dems have made it easy. There is corrupt and then there is dangerously deluded.
"Talarico seeks to end prisons, but insists on restoring trans girls into Texas female bathrooms and athletic fields. Worse yet, Talarico insists on the reprisal of child transition surgeries, that remove healthy body parts from kids not nearly old enough to legally purchase beer."
All true, but EVERY Democrat in office, or running for office, holds the exact same positions.
I think that hits the nail on the head. Platner does a great job at working class cosplay. He is adored by all the same young white well educated affluent professionals in my Commie Corridor Brooklyn neighborhood who sported camouflage Tim Waltz hats in while stuffing $15 bunches of organic ramps into their NPR totes at the local farmers market.
My guess is Platner looses by 4-5 points, immediately blames it on "the establishment" and launches his presidential campaign two months later. The guys just reeks of astroturfing (and worth remembering that his campaign is propped up by media consultants like Morris Katz who are all New Yorkers).
I do however disagree with you strongly about Janet Mills. Her candidacy was a huge mistake and a serious misreading of the electorates obvious desire for new faces (and perferably ones born after the Truman administration). If the establishment can't come up with some new faces than we just cede the field to the Platners of the world.
And why the mainstream Dem media is so excited about Texas I can't understand. Texans just two years ago voted overwhelmingly for a twice divorced six time bankrupt serial philandering felon...but we think they're going to draw the moral line at Paxton's messy divorce and shady stock trades?
Still it will be an interesting race if only as a test case for both parties. Does re-running Trump's 2024 playbook focusing on Dems silly out of touch social positions still work? And is there any validity to the progressive's belief that an economic populist campaign can attract voters despite those deeply unpopular social positions?
"If the Democrats are ever to regain Lone Star traction they need ... someone who doesn’t favor boys playing in girls sports"
Allowing boys in girls sports is an absolute purity test for the Democrats. EVERY Democrat in Congress, both House and Senate, is a co-sponsor of a bill that would make gender self-ID instantaneous and unquestionable nationwide. Most blue states already have such laws.
This complete obliteration by the Democrats of the rights of women and girls to privacy, dignity, security, and free assocation is why I, a registered Democrat for over 50 years, now vote straight Republican, and will continue to do so unless and until the Party stops this batshit insanity. That may begin to happen sometime near the end of the second Vance term in 2036.
Joe: As usual, generally agree with your takes, with one big exception in this case. You continue to be dismissive of Mamdani in a way that I think lacks your usual insight. I feel like you're always criticizing an image of him you've constructed from his bio without actually engaging with who he actually is.
If you haven't done so (and I think you almost certainly haven't), read this Ross Barkan piece about Mamdani:
- Mamdani being good at table tennis and what it suggests about him as a person.
- How he relishes the opportunities to engage with people who disagree with him.
- The combination of ambition and work ethic.
Now to be upfront, I don't know anything about Mamdani beyond what I've read about him, so I can't promise that the caricature you have created of him is wrong. Perhaps, he's nothing more than left wing son of lefty, intellectual parents with no real substance to him.
But it's certainly possible to be the son of lefty, intellectual parents while also being an authentically interesting, empathetic, hard working, and ambitious politician who is worth paying attention to. Doesn't make his reflexive anti-Zionism any less wrong or less unhelpful, but it means he could be a genuinely great mayor of New York who has the potential to grow into something more.
Wish you would engage with that possibility more rather than being so casually dismissive.
I believe he calls himself a "Democratic Socialist", which is certainly not my cup of tea either but isn't the same thing. Also Joe, he is 45 years younger than you (and 25 years younger than me) and entered politics at a time when another self proclaimed Democratic Socialist came close to winning the Democratic nomination and possibly the Presidency. That word just doesn't mean the same thing to him as it does to you.
More importantly, here else is what I think. I believe if Mamdani had grown up in Texas, he would have been the kind of person that would have won the Democratic primary there and then go on to thrash Paxton in the way he did Cuomo. I think he is authentic and personable and has the ability to relate and connect with folks in a way that someone like Talarico, who I'm sure is sincere but comes across as having been grown in a lab to try to be what left wing Democrats think would be a successful politician in Texas, simply can't. Here's another good example of why I feel that way: https://x.com/RedWavePress/status/1993298259314405482
And I suspect if you actually spent a little time with or around Mamdani, you might come to the same conclusion Joe.
Now I certainly could be wrong about all of this. Again, I don't really know Mamdani at all; these are just the vibes I get from what I've read about him. But I generally find your judgement about folks in politics really matches mine (Talarico is a great example) but your Zohran takes have been a big exception. So I wish you'd spend enough time with him or covering him to make an informed judgement. If you still feel the same way after doing so, I'd find that much more convincing than your posts about him so far.
Thank you, for the article, Mr. Klein. I agree with you, on part of this matter. I saw Senator Sanders tonight voicing his opinion for Platner. Most people in Maine want to see , Senator Collins go bye 👋.
Edward Luce actually had a reasonable column in today's FT about the fashion for socialism among Gen Z. While the frustration about still living with one's parents or not getting a cost of living raise while your CEO is pulling down nine figures is real and really motivating in both positive and negative ways, where are the non-insane voices who are going to advocate effectively for something more humane and sustainable? I'll take my answer off the air.
Socialism is the answer to none of those things, unless you haven't read very much. In America, it is a scar that enables Republicans to win. But I think Ed is great, and will, of course, read the column.
This strikes me as a brave and necessary comment about the current state of our politics. I know Democrats who would vote for a pit viper if it were nominated on the Democratic ticket. (This is also true of Republicans in reverse, but to a lesser degree; the saner ones seem to have more discrimination, while there are few "saner" Democrats -- except for Joe Klein and Jake Auchincloss.) There is a mania that has gripped the party -- and has even extended to people I used to respect and admire like Frank Bruni who has now said he'll just vote for Platner -- anyone -- and hold his nose. I admire Klein's ability to find fault not just with the candidates he's critiquing but with the system that found them, groomed them, and nominated them. For what it's worth, Platner reminds me of no one more than Martin Sheen's character in The Dead Zone.
Platner is terrible, but if Maine voters make him the Democratic nominee, of course all Democrats (including Joe and Jake Auchincloss in the end) are going to support him against Collins, and they will obviously be 100% right to do so.
All that ultimately matters in politics at this point is stopping the degradation of American political culture, values, and standing in the world that Trump's Presidency has inflicted upon the country and ending Republican control of the Senate is a key part of that. Having to endure six years of Platner in the Senate (where he will have almost no real power) is certainly a price worth paying for that.
So your theory is that electing a dude with a Nazi tattoo will be "stopping the degradation of American political culture, values, and standing in the world"?
Yes. Would certainly prefer that Maine voters choose someone else next week, but if the choice in November is between Platner or more years of Susan Collins propping up a Republican majority in the Senate to enable Trump unfettered control over foreign policy and the judiciary, it's not even a difficult choice.
Moreover, I think Josh Barros gets it right about Platner. I don't think he's Nazi; I do think he's a loser:
https://www.joshbarro.com/p/low-conscientiousness-losers-are
The rest of the nation has yet to be introduced to Talarico's most interesting policies.
Enraged by Dobbs, Talarico a sitting member of the Texas State House, did not seek to persuade his fellow Texans to support a new abortion law with wider access. Instead, James penned a letter begging Biden and the Federal Government to openly defy a SCOTUS decision and valid Texas state law, by installing and operating abortion facilities within Texas Federal Courthouses. King James, literally, requested a modern twist on 1957 Little Rock.
No one should misunderstand. Talarico's actions were the equivalent of a CA Rep State legislator begging Trump to federally shutter every CA abortion facility, because they endanger women's health. Not even AOC or Mamdani are that nuts.
Mr. Talarico also notes prisons are "violence", which must go the way of the cassette tape, into the dustbin of history. Evidently murder and rape victims should turn the other cheek, as they are being killed and/or sexually assaulted, and then extend forgiveness.
Talarico seeks to end prisons, but insists on restoring trans girls into Texas female bathrooms and athletic fields. Worse yet, Talarico insists on the reprisal of child transition surgeries, that remove healthy body parts from kids not nearly old enough to legally purchase beer.
After the above, seeking to curtail meat consumption and fossil fuels in Texas seems rather tame. All, before we arrive at the issue of the Border. Talarico, residing 5 hours away from the border had a front row seat for years of Texas chaos, but didn't notice until 2025.
James resides minutes away from a now defunct Austin NGO that is facing criminal investigations and a plethora of civil suits, for handing out unaccompanied migrant kids to people with fewer background checks than required to adopt a dog in Austin. The abuse is too gruesome to be detailed, but Talarico has no concern for the Open Border child victims a few minutes away, even as he remains obsessed with Texas trans kids.
As a Texan , could never imagine a world where I would vote for Paxton, but Dems have made it easy. There is corrupt and then there is dangerously deluded.
"Talarico seeks to end prisons, but insists on restoring trans girls into Texas female bathrooms and athletic fields. Worse yet, Talarico insists on the reprisal of child transition surgeries, that remove healthy body parts from kids not nearly old enough to legally purchase beer."
All true, but EVERY Democrat in office, or running for office, holds the exact same positions.
"Authenticity has slipped into affect..."
I think that hits the nail on the head. Platner does a great job at working class cosplay. He is adored by all the same young white well educated affluent professionals in my Commie Corridor Brooklyn neighborhood who sported camouflage Tim Waltz hats in while stuffing $15 bunches of organic ramps into their NPR totes at the local farmers market.
My guess is Platner looses by 4-5 points, immediately blames it on "the establishment" and launches his presidential campaign two months later. The guys just reeks of astroturfing (and worth remembering that his campaign is propped up by media consultants like Morris Katz who are all New Yorkers).
I do however disagree with you strongly about Janet Mills. Her candidacy was a huge mistake and a serious misreading of the electorates obvious desire for new faces (and perferably ones born after the Truman administration). If the establishment can't come up with some new faces than we just cede the field to the Platners of the world.
And why the mainstream Dem media is so excited about Texas I can't understand. Texans just two years ago voted overwhelmingly for a twice divorced six time bankrupt serial philandering felon...but we think they're going to draw the moral line at Paxton's messy divorce and shady stock trades?
Still it will be an interesting race if only as a test case for both parties. Does re-running Trump's 2024 playbook focusing on Dems silly out of touch social positions still work? And is there any validity to the progressive's belief that an economic populist campaign can attract voters despite those deeply unpopular social positions?
"If the Democrats are ever to regain Lone Star traction they need ... someone who doesn’t favor boys playing in girls sports"
Allowing boys in girls sports is an absolute purity test for the Democrats. EVERY Democrat in Congress, both House and Senate, is a co-sponsor of a bill that would make gender self-ID instantaneous and unquestionable nationwide. Most blue states already have such laws.
This complete obliteration by the Democrats of the rights of women and girls to privacy, dignity, security, and free assocation is why I, a registered Democrat for over 50 years, now vote straight Republican, and will continue to do so unless and until the Party stops this batshit insanity. That may begin to happen sometime near the end of the second Vance term in 2036.
Thank you for the humor, some of the best laughs about politics I have had for a while.
That they are accurate is sort of incidental.
So many outwardly horrible people in politics today running for important offices.
I have come to despise all of them.
Joe: As usual, generally agree with your takes, with one big exception in this case. You continue to be dismissive of Mamdani in a way that I think lacks your usual insight. I feel like you're always criticizing an image of him you've constructed from his bio without actually engaging with who he actually is.
If you haven't done so (and I think you almost certainly haven't), read this Ross Barkan piece about Mamdani:
https://rosselliotbarkan.com/p/life-with-zohran
Three things struck me from that piece:
- Mamdani being good at table tennis and what it suggests about him as a person.
- How he relishes the opportunities to engage with people who disagree with him.
- The combination of ambition and work ethic.
Now to be upfront, I don't know anything about Mamdani beyond what I've read about him, so I can't promise that the caricature you have created of him is wrong. Perhaps, he's nothing more than left wing son of lefty, intellectual parents with no real substance to him.
But it's certainly possible to be the son of lefty, intellectual parents while also being an authentically interesting, empathetic, hard working, and ambitious politician who is worth paying attention to. Doesn't make his reflexive anti-Zionism any less wrong or less unhelpful, but it means he could be a genuinely great mayor of New York who has the potential to grow into something more.
Wish you would engage with that possibility more rather than being so casually dismissive.
He claims to be a socialist. That is showbiz. It is ridiculous in the 21st century.
I believe he calls himself a "Democratic Socialist", which is certainly not my cup of tea either but isn't the same thing. Also Joe, he is 45 years younger than you (and 25 years younger than me) and entered politics at a time when another self proclaimed Democratic Socialist came close to winning the Democratic nomination and possibly the Presidency. That word just doesn't mean the same thing to him as it does to you.
More importantly, here else is what I think. I believe if Mamdani had grown up in Texas, he would have been the kind of person that would have won the Democratic primary there and then go on to thrash Paxton in the way he did Cuomo. I think he is authentic and personable and has the ability to relate and connect with folks in a way that someone like Talarico, who I'm sure is sincere but comes across as having been grown in a lab to try to be what left wing Democrats think would be a successful politician in Texas, simply can't. Here's another good example of why I feel that way: https://x.com/RedWavePress/status/1993298259314405482
And I suspect if you actually spent a little time with or around Mamdani, you might come to the same conclusion Joe.
Now I certainly could be wrong about all of this. Again, I don't really know Mamdani at all; these are just the vibes I get from what I've read about him. But I generally find your judgement about folks in politics really matches mine (Talarico is a great example) but your Zohran takes have been a big exception. So I wish you'd spend enough time with him or covering him to make an informed judgement. If you still feel the same way after doing so, I'd find that much more convincing than your posts about him so far.
I think you misspelled "Too" as "Two" in your title, Joe.
Thank you, for the article, Mr. Klein. I agree with you, on part of this matter. I saw Senator Sanders tonight voicing his opinion for Platner. Most people in Maine want to see , Senator Collins go bye 👋.
Edward Luce actually had a reasonable column in today's FT about the fashion for socialism among Gen Z. While the frustration about still living with one's parents or not getting a cost of living raise while your CEO is pulling down nine figures is real and really motivating in both positive and negative ways, where are the non-insane voices who are going to advocate effectively for something more humane and sustainable? I'll take my answer off the air.
Socialism is the answer to none of those things, unless you haven't read very much. In America, it is a scar that enables Republicans to win. But I think Ed is great, and will, of course, read the column.