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She expected Platner to burn out and be coronated. When it became clear she'd have to fight for the seat, she opted out. This is why she'd be a weak candidate against Collins.

I want people willing to fight. Not people willing to accept a path from other politicians and serve in a lukewarm capacity.

I want fire.

I often disagreed with her positions, she can come across as arrogant, and her speaking style is unappealing, but she worked at the job with heart and responsibility. I never had cause to doubt her ethics.

I take issue with the negative comments of some others here. Mills is a hard worker. Coasting was never her way.

If he can defeat Collins, he will have earned it

Susan Collins isn't going to survive this one.

Platner will win easily

almost 30 anyway

We don't know what Mills was or wasn't thinking, but no one can blame her for dropping out.

Because she was getting beaten handily.

She was a weak candidate when she, on paper, should have been strong.

That is evidence to me of a candidate that is going through the motions and doesn't really care or understand the gravity of the moment. She wanted to cruise and she isn't willing to fight.

I watched her town halls. She was contemptuous of the people there, and it was a bad look.

It is entirely on her for not fighting harder, messaging better, and responding to the voters.

You're not wrong at all. She's run a horrible primary campaign.

But did she think it mattered? When news broke of Platner's tattoos and social media, everybody freaked out. Schumer approached Mills right away, and off we go

It looks like no one expected Platner to survive. And it looks like Mills would have run a horrible campaign against Collins.

And Collins would stay. As she has for almost 30 yrs

The breadcrumbs are there.

Platner got the left-flank endorsement from Sanders. His scandals came out, and the Dem leadership found a cromulent candidate in Mills who won statewide and looked to be steady and winnable.

Mills wasnt going to run for reelection which also indicates, to me, that this is about HER winning and not her state winning.

She was tired, uninspired and running AGAINST things rather than FOR things. This was a fatal miscalculation in this election cycle.

She was a bad candidate - demonstrably.

I'm not worried about Platner's ideology in the Democratic caucus. I just think he's a bit dumb.

even if platner does not pass every question on the purity test.

but platner's tattoo might represent deeper commitments and we need to observe

Which is the first step.

His feet need to be held to the fire, but as the Democratic nominee presumptive he is allowed grace.

She has intelligence and integrity and believes in public service. She was a steady leader through covid. I worked in state government under 5 governors, and she was the best, better even than the sainted Angus. I believe she ran because she thought she had a chance to beat Collins, who is a disgrace to our state. Public service.

She is ceding the field to Platner because he has the numbers, and there's no point in weakening him by fighting on, since getting rid of Collins is the goal.

will turn out to be another Fetterman/Sinema.

Just as, admittedly, there is very little evidence to the contrary.

However, there is SOME evidence that he won't be (i.e. his campaign). And even if he were to be like Fetterman or Sinema, they voted for Democratic leadership so they are objectively better than Collins.

Based on his rhetoric, which I will again admit is only words not actions, Platner is more likely to be a Sanders or Warren than a Fetterman or Manchin.

Name recognition, been there forever, no “real” competition equals automatic nomination.

Times are changing.

we will get primary candidate winners with problematic reddit posts and Nazi tattoos.

Platner was not ordained on high to win. He did the foot work, had a message, and answered questions. He campaigned and connected.

He is going to be the face of the Democratic party in Maine. For better or worse.