It’s impossible for me to back Platner - he’s out of the race. If I had a choice, I’d pick him over Collins, but I’d prefer a candidate with a more marginalized identity and substantially more experience in successful “leftist” political work.

The Democrats spent roughly a third as much promoting Platner as the GOP spent trying to take him down (I don’t have exact numbers), so I agree that propaganda is everywhere. Perhaps the GOP is more desperate, while (as you say) the Democrats have other avenues to power, so they’re allowing this one to slip by.

Regarding the rape allegations, I sincerely hope the victims receive justice and healing, even though I don’t expect much from the system - that’s a whole different conversation.

My only point here is that the massive amount of propaganda aimed at demonizing political candidates gives us a very distorted view of who they really are, mostly on the side of “wow they’re so eeeevil”, so we all need to be wary of that. (Unless they’re a billionaire of course; at a certain level of power evil seems to be compulsory)

All I know is that Republican-aligned groups spent a ridiculous amount of money to get him out of the race.

If he was a bad candidate, they would have had to do that.

It’s all but the worst phrase and we need to all but stop using it! All but most of the time the actual all but intended meaning can all but be found by just all but removing “all but”. Switzerland is all but all all but but surrounded == Switzerland is all but surrounded