As many expect Maine Democratic Senate Graham Platner to withdraw from the race after a rape accusation by Jenny Raciot, many Jews are wondering: Why wasn鈥檛 his Nazi tattoo (that he had changed after nearly 20 years) enough for people to not want him to win, in looking at not only Maine residents but Democrats at-large?
Are they all antisemites?
No.
Whether you think President Donald Trump is the messiah, a maniac or anything in between, throw that out the window. Enter the mind of a Democrat in Maine who voted for him in the primary.
Imagine if you waited for a movie to come out for many years. The hero, (Hillary Clinton) was surely going to win at the end, and everything leading up to the climax were obstacles she鈥檇 overcome, with the toughest one being the e-mail scandal. Surely, Trump, the villain, could not win.
But he did. Many cried. It would have been like if Darth Vader was the last standing in 鈥淪tar Wars鈥 or The Night King took the Iron Throne at the end of 鈥淕ame of Thrones.鈥
But, have no fear, there would be a sequel!
And the good guy (President Joe Biden) won. All鈥檚 well, that ends well.
This won鈥檛 be a trilogy. Right? There is no way the nomination will go to a felon, and someone who was found liable for sexual assault in a civil case involving defamation, as well as other court cases, right?
Ok, so he鈥檚 the nominee, but this will have a happy ending with our heroine, Kamala Harris making history and sending Trump home, right? Surely after January 6, there would be no way he could win, right?
So, the nightmare has returned, and he somehow did win! How could it be? How could voters have done this? Then you are told ICE is the new Gestapo. When two citizens who are protestors die at the hands of ICE/CBP, there is no formal investigation shown or criminal charges against law enforcement.
You need revenge.
You need justice.
You need a fourth movie.
And that one involves Trump getting impeached and thrown out or at least impeached to where he is weakened to make sure a Democrat wins the White House in 2028.
For you to be eating that popcorn and smiling, you were told you needed Platner to win, because Republican incumbent Susan Collins would protect Trump. Forget that she was one of seven Republicans to vote to impeach him. Why let a fact like that get in the way?
Collins is pro-Israel! Well, even though you don鈥檛 know much about Israel, if Trump is a friend of a country, you must be an enemy of it and vice versa! You never heard of AIPAC before, but you see some candidates win after bashing it, so why not do what works? You don鈥檛 know much about the war in Iran, but if Trump is going to battle, he must be wrong and a tyrant. Nuclear weapons? We should wait until Iran has them full made and ready to fire! No imminent threat yet.
But you were also told Ukraine鈥檚 freedom was important. We sent a crazy amount of tax dollars there for Ukraine win, and now they are finally winning! You鈥檙e jumping for joy, right? No, because you never actually cared and it was all performative.
Focus–fourth movie–make Trump pay!
What鈥檚 that? What鈥檚 my opinion on 40-50,000 Iranians slaughtered by their own government? Can鈥檛 be bothered! 20,000 Ukrainian children kidnapped? Can鈥檛 be bothered.
What鈥檚 that? Platner asked why Black people don鈥檛 leave tips? He鈥檚 not racist-just edgy. Come on, nobody is perfect.
He was accused by a woman of ill-treatment that was aggressive. She must be a Republican, and I wouldn鈥檛 trust a Republican or vote for one if Hell froze over.
And well, Platner might be bad, but Trump is worse. We need victory! Nobody stopped him!
THIS is the mindset of many who were cool with Platner. There is logic to it, whether you agree or disagree. And that is that politics are war. All that matters is winning. Whatever or whoever you have to throw under the bus, that鈥檚 fine, as long as you are on the bus and the driver is not Trump.
I asked someone online the following question: If you were a kindergarten teacher and a student did something bad and dangerous, and when you went to rebuke the child, the student pointed to another who did the same thing and got away with it, would you tell them then what they did was okay?
I got no answer because no teacher in their right mind would say this as it would be a terrible example.
But in a zero-sum game, where people are brainwashed to believe Trump is Hitler, what鈥檚 so bad about teaming up with Stalin?
Of course, neither Trump nor Platner ordered any mass-executions, but the analogy holds–in life, we often want the lesser of two evils.
The difference here, though, is there was a choice to not allow Platner to be picked and stories that he was not properly vetted seem highly dubious and unreliable. Both political parties need to learn that in looking at candidates, if we don鈥檛 want the American flag to be stomped on, we shouldn鈥檛 ignore red flags.
The harrowing truth is that antisemitism and antizionism have become more and more acceptable.
And those who follow politics understand that neither party is usually involved in morality policing.
Top Democrats like Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders were willing to ignore Platner鈥檚 many faults because they thought he could win, and that was that mattered.
Once they believed he could no longer win, Platner didn鈥檛 matter.
He is expected to formally withdraw by July 13. He will then likely go on the podcasts of Tucker Carlson, Candace Owens and become rich, as a podcaster bashing Israel, until he perhaps runs again. In Florida, anti-Isreal Republican James Fishback and antisemite Dan Bilzerian (who will call himself Republican to run against a prominent Jew) have no chance to win, but their goal is to gain notoriety on the 鈥渘o Jews, no news,鈥 platform.
Jews in America should no longer say there is a gathering storm.
The storm is here and we are searching for an umbrella that is strong enough. We haven鈥檛 found one yet.
Why Was Platner鈥檚 Nazi Tattoo Tolerable?
Alan Zeitlin
As many expect Maine Democratic Senate Graham Platner to withdraw from the race after a rape accusation by Jenny Raciot, many Jews are wondering: Why wasn鈥檛 his Nazi tattoo (that he had changed after nearly 20 years) enough for people to not want him to win, in looking at not only Maine residents but Democrats at-large?
Are they all antisemites?
No.
Whether you think President Donald Trump is the messiah, a maniac or anything in between, throw that out the window. Enter the mind of a Democrat in Maine who voted for him in the primary.
Imagine if you waited for a movie to come out for many years. The hero, (Hillary Clinton) was surely going to win at the end, and everything leading up to the climax were obstacles she鈥檇 overcome, with the toughest one being the e-mail scandal. Surely, Trump, the villain, could not win.
But he did. Many cried. It would have been like if Darth Vader was the last standing in 鈥淪tar Wars鈥 or The Night King took the Iron Throne at the end of 鈥淕ame of Thrones.鈥
But, have no fear, there would be a sequel!
And the good guy (President Joe Biden) won. All鈥檚 well, that ends well.
This won鈥檛 be a trilogy. Right? There is no way the nomination will go to a felon, and someone who was found liable for sexual assault in a civil case involving defamation, as well as other court cases, right?
Ok, so he鈥檚 the nominee, but this will have a happy ending with our heroine, Kamala Harris making history and sending Trump home, right? Surely after January 6, there would be no way he could win, right?
So, the nightmare has returned, and he somehow did win! How could it be? How could voters have done this? Then you are told ICE is the new Gestapo. When two citizens who are protestors die at the hands of ICE/CBP, there is no formal investigation shown or criminal charges against law enforcement.
You need revenge.
You need justice.
You need a fourth movie.
And that one involves Trump getting impeached and thrown out or at least impeached to where he is weakened to make sure a Democrat wins the White House in 2028.
For you to be eating that popcorn and smiling, you were told you needed Platner to win, because Republican incumbent Susan Collins would protect Trump. Forget that she was one of seven Republicans to vote to impeach him. Why let a fact like that get in the way?
Collins is pro-Israel! Well, even though you don鈥檛 know much about Israel, if Trump is a friend of a country, you must be an enemy of it and vice versa! You never heard of AIPAC before, but you see some candidates win after bashing it, so why not do what works? You don鈥檛 know much about the war in Iran, but if Trump is going to battle, he must be wrong and a tyrant. Nuclear weapons? We should wait until Iran has them full made and ready to fire! No imminent threat yet.
But you were also told Ukraine鈥檚 freedom was important. We sent a crazy amount of tax dollars there for Ukraine win, and now they are finally winning! You鈥檙e jumping for joy, right? No, because you never actually cared and it was all performative.
Focus–fourth movie–make Trump pay!
What鈥檚 that? What鈥檚 my opinion on 40-50,000 Iranians slaughtered by their own government? Can鈥檛 be bothered! 20,000 Ukrainian children kidnapped? Can鈥檛 be bothered.
What鈥檚 that? Platner asked why Black people don鈥檛 leave tips? He鈥檚 not racist-just edgy. Come on, nobody is perfect.
He was accused by a woman of ill-treatment that was aggressive. She must be a Republican, and I wouldn鈥檛 trust a Republican or vote for one if Hell froze over.
And well, Platner might be bad, but Trump is worse. We need victory! Nobody stopped him!
THIS is the mindset of many who were cool with Platner. There is logic to it, whether you agree or disagree. And that is that politics are war. All that matters is winning. Whatever or whoever you have to throw under the bus, that鈥檚 fine, as long as you are on the bus and the driver is not Trump.
I asked someone online the following question: If you were a kindergarten teacher and a student did something bad and dangerous, and when you went to rebuke the child, the student pointed to another who did the same thing and got away with it, would you tell them then what they did was okay?
I got no answer because no teacher in their right mind would say this as it would be a terrible example.
But in a zero-sum game, where people are brainwashed to believe Trump is Hitler, what鈥檚 so bad about teaming up with Stalin?
Of course, neither Trump nor Platner ordered any mass-executions, but the analogy holds–in life, we often want the lesser of two evils.
The difference here, though, is there was a choice to not allow Platner to be picked and stories that he was not properly vetted seem highly dubious and unreliable. Both political parties need to learn that in looking at candidates, if we don鈥檛 want the American flag to be stomped on, we shouldn鈥檛 ignore red flags.
The harrowing truth is that antisemitism and antizionism have become more and more acceptable.
And those who follow politics understand that neither party is usually involved in morality policing.
Top Democrats like Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders were willing to ignore Platner鈥檚 many faults because they thought he could win, and that was that mattered.
Once they believed he could no longer win, Platner didn鈥檛 matter.
He is expected to formally withdraw by July 13. He will then likely go on the podcasts of Tucker Carlson, Candace Owens and become rich, as a podcaster bashing Israel, until he perhaps runs again. In Florida, anti-Isreal Republican James Fishback and antisemite Dan Bilzerian (who will call himself Republican to run against a prominent Jew) have no chance to win, but their goal is to gain notoriety on the 鈥渘o Jews, no news,鈥 platform.
Jews in America should no longer say there is a gathering storm.
The storm is here and we are searching for an umbrella that is strong enough. We haven鈥檛 found one yet.
Did you enjoy this article?
You'll love our roundtable.
Editor's Picks
Israel and the Internet Wars – A Professional Social Media Review
The Invisible Student: A Tale of Homelessness at UCLA and USC
What Ever Happened to the LA Times?
Who Are the Jews On Joe Biden’s Cabinet?
You鈥檙e Not a Bad 91传媒 Mom If Your Kid Wants Santa Claus to Come to Your House
No Labels: The Group Fighting for the Political Center
Latest Articles
Hope in Faith, Faith in Hope
Finding Communal Comfort
Leaving Behind a Better World
Boy George Releases Song Calling Out Israel鈥檚 Critics
Was Our Golden Age Fool鈥檚 Gold?
Genocide Shmenocide
Bibi鈥檚 Visit: Spin in the Air, Facts on the Ground
From Trump鈥檚 standpoint, the nuclear issue has been overtaken by the bedeviling problem of the Strait of Hormuz. What Trump sees now in Iran is a mess, not a victory.
The Obsession with Israel Is Becoming Creepy
The world鈥檚 fanatical fixation with a group that is less that 0.2 percent of the world鈥檚 population has crossed the boundaries of moral vocabulary and into creepiness.
What Will It Take?
An open revolt for 91传媒 rights and protections is going to have to come from Jews finally making demands and fighting back鈥攐r not at all.
Mamdani Needs to Pay a Price for Harming Jews
It鈥檇 be one thing if Mamdani were a lowly Israelophobe with a few hundred followers. But he鈥檚 not. He鈥檚 mayor of the city with the world鈥檚 largest 91传媒 population.
Rabbis of LA | Rabbi Geller鈥檚 Feminist Education
Third of three parts
Rabbi Artson Honored by WLCJ, Mem Global鈥檚 Embark Names Executive Director
Notable people and events in the 91传媒 LA community.
I Can鈥檛 Always 鈥 A poem for Parsha Va鈥檈tchanan
You Can鈥檛 Always Get What You Want came out the year after I was born.
A Bisl Torah 鈥 Senseless versus Sensible
The 9th of Av is an annual reminder to look inward and ask if any hatred has taken root within our hearts.
Moment in Time: Tisha B鈥橝v – A Time to Comfort
Poussin鈥檚 Menorah Chimes Without Jews at Midnight
Print Issue: Haredim at War | July 24, 2026
The Haredim who break out of their bubbles to join the IDF are often caught between faith, family and country. Here are some of their stories.
The Inversion of History
Molly Crabapple has written a work of great inversion and of ultimate betrayal.
From 鈥楾he Chosen鈥 to 鈥業maging Torah鈥: Jeremy Kagan鈥檚 Journey to Bring Torah to Life
For the director/artist, creating images inspired by Torah is a way of engaging with the stories, ideas and interpretations that have shaped 91传媒 life for thousands of years.
Three Dates to Dataland
I took three different dates, ages 6, 72 and 35, to see Dataland, the unusual digital art experience in downtown Los Angeles.
Hakol Shalom, All Is Shalom
This is the transcript of the speech Rabbi Dr. Bradley Shavit Artson gave at the 2026 AJU Gala on May 19, 2026.
A Slice of Aussie Heaven for the 91传媒 Day of Love
A classic Australian dessert chocolate coconut slice features a rich, dense, fudgy chocolate base packed with dried coconut, finished with a thick cocoa frosting and generously dusted with even more coconut.
Recipes that Celebrate Love for Tu b鈥橝v
This roundup has recipes from two matchmakers: one is perfect for a special date night, the other is the perfect representative of lasting love.
Table for Five: Va鈥檈tchanan
Secret Sauce
The Haredi Soldiers Caught Between Faith, Family and Country
For decades, the question of Haredi enlistment has remained one of Israel鈥檚 most sensitive and unresolved conflicts.
Why Are Jews Not Suing Mamdani for Slander and Defamation?
At the very least, the case would provide a global stage to debunk the genocide lie that is devastating world Jewry.
More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.