Jim Geraghty has a theory about Graham Platner. He's far from some political upstart who burst on the scene. He's a plant.
So… it was, and is, “an op.” The right Democratic political consulting and media firm created an artificial buzz and persuaded all of these publications that Grähäm Plätner was The Next Big Thing™.
— Jim Geraghty (@jimgeraghty) May 26, 2026
You see, that company is called “Good Influence” because it helps Democrats.…
The phrase “it’s an op” – meaning an influence operation – is often, though not always, a marker of paranoia, a tendency towards conspiracy theories, or a belief in forces that are unseen and cannot yet be proven to exist.
Still, from the very start of SS-tattooed Democrat Graham Platner’s campaign for Senate, something seemed odd. The New York Times is not in the habit of writing a largely glowing profile of every long-shot, little-known Democrat who announces a bid for Senate. Platner was the harbormaster of Sullivan, Maine, population 1,246.
The Democrats created him in a lab.
Yet the Times wrote its profile of Platner before he officially announced his campaign, in August.
In September, The New Yorker wrote its own 3,400-word profile of Platner, emphasizing how he “devoured books on military history.” (But remember, he insists he never recognized the tattoo on his chest as a symbol of the Nazi SS.) Again, The New Yorker almost never writes long-detailed profiles of little-known Democratic Senate candidates one month after they announce their bid.
Kind of weird for the NYT to run a profile about a nobody oyster farmer in Maine who hadn't even filed to run yet. It's almost like the DNC was pitching stories about him.
This is a really valuable read to understand how Graham Platner rose - it wasn't some organic populist surge.
— Matt Whitlock (@MattWhitlock) May 26, 2026
It was a well-funded op - including glowing NYT and GQ profiles BEFORE he even announced, promoting a very specific curated message intended to get libs online buzzing. https://t.co/4zR0Kf9gzU
They desperately needed to reconnect with white working-class men after bombing with them for several election cycles.
So the strategy was simple: find a guy who 'works outside.' Bonus points if Mom has to buy him an oyster farm right before he launches his political career and then pose as his only customer. It helps that he served in the military — instant rugged cred. Grow out the beard, slap him in some blue jeans, and have him rail against 'the oligarchy' and 'fighting the man' at every stop. Never mind that he bought his house with a gift from his parents and went to a ritzy private school.
Recommended
Authenticity is all about the costume and the script.
Totally normal for a publication like GQ to hand a toe sucking 4-pager to a guy literally nobody outside of his immediate family had ever heard of prior to 6 months ago, with an SS tattoo. https://t.co/DjIDLBQJpx
— Jon Lustig (@jonlustig) May 26, 2026
Smart stuff from @jimgeraghty -
— Matt Whitlock (@MattWhitlock) May 26, 2026
It’s not populism - it’s cosplay populism - not intended to actually appeal to men - but to get liberal donors to BELIEVE you can appeal to men to get small dollars, create short-term enthusiasm (nationally, not locally).
The Beto playbook. pic.twitter.com/2g2rJIy9y4
It's Beto 2.0, but Graham is polling much better than Beto. Even with the Nazi tattoo, he could pull it out. That's the most terrifying part.
