The MeidasTouch Podcast
Episode: Graham Platner Discusses his Senate Race in Maine with MeidasTouch
Date: September 16, 2025
Episode Overview
This episode features a candid and energetic conversation with Graham Platner, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Maine. Platner, an oysterman, veteran, and harbor master, discusses his grassroots campaign to unseat Susan Collins, his vision for representing working Mainers, and his outspoken critique of both political and economic elites. The Meiselas brothers press into why Platner's anti-oligarchy message is resonating, the state’s economic struggles, and the state of American democracy.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Graham Platner’s Background & Campaign Launch
[02:17 – 05:55]
- Platner introduces himself as a military veteran with four infantry tours, an oysterman, and a family man.
- He criticizes the current system as one designed for “billionaires and corrupt politicians.”
- Platner’s campaign is grounded in fighting for universal healthcare, veterans’ rights, economic justice, and environmental stewardship.
- “I'm not afraid to name an enemy. And the enemy is the oligarchy.” — Graham Platner [04:23]
Notable Quote:
“The difference between Susan Collins and Ted Cruz is at least Ted Cruz is honest about selling us out and not giving a damn.” — Graham Platner [04:35]
Memorable Moment:
Platner’s campaign launch video is played, highlighting his direct, no-nonsense style and deep frustration with the status quo.
2. The Economic Struggles in Maine and the Country
[05:55 – 08:13]
- Host addresses surging inflation and jobless rates, asking Platner what he’s hearing on the campaign trail.
- Platner asserts the system is designed to enrich few at the expense of the many, noting “health care is a disaster... Hospitals are closing.”
- “As I go around the state... if you ask everybody who works for a living in the state of Maine, if they think they live within a system that is built to benefit and support them, they're all going to tell you no.” — Graham Platner [06:33]
- Critiques Republican-driven Medicaid and Medicare cuts devastating rural healthcare.
- Emphasizes that Mainers, regardless of political affiliation, see through the system’s failures.
3. Trump, Populism, and Political Disillusionment
[08:13 – 12:02]
- Hosts discuss how Trump appeals to working-class grievances while living as part of the economic elite—building “Club Rose Garden” for oligarchs.
- Platner’s analysis: Trump correctly tells people the system is rigged, but instead of solutions, he offers scapegoats.
- “Donald Trump told people that the thing that they knew was true was in fact true... and then he gave them a whole bunch of scapegoats to blame.” — Graham Platner [09:29]
- Platner calls for Democrats to reclaim their role as the party for working people, not the ultra-rich.
Notable Quote:
“The only one I don't think we have any room for [in the Democratic Party] are billionaires who simply want to maintain their billionaire status.” — Graham Platner [11:32]
4. Susan Collins’ “Fake Moderation”
[12:02 – 14:47]
- The hosts and Platner dissect Collins’ centrist public image, exposing what they call a “charade” and her alignment with right-wing interests behind closed doors.
- “She allows [the budget bill] to move onto the floor... then when it's on the floor, she votes against it. And that way she can come back to Maine and say, see, I was against it. Like you weren't against it.” — Graham Platner [13:13]
- Platner argues Mainers see through Collins' performance, echoing a hunger for authenticity in politics.
5. Accountability, Epstein, and Political Corruption
[14:47 – 17:29]
- The discussion turns to accountability, referencing the Jeffrey Epstein scandal and Trump’s connections.
- Platner doesn’t mince words, blasting both Trump and Collins for protecting elites:
- “Trump and Epstein are sick fucks... Why is Senator Collins protecting pedophiles and abusers like Jeffrey Epstein and his associates? Whose bidding is she doing? It's time for answers.” — Host quoting Platner’s social post [15:39]
- Platner: “...that's just protecting people in power, which is really what Susan Collins has been doing the entire time... It honestly doesn't matter (party); when you go out there... are you seeing an establishment that is just protecting those who are already wealthy and powerful?” [16:06]
- Argues the political establishment, across party lines, is failing to protect ordinary people.
6. Building Grassroots Power & The Volunteer Surge
[17:47 – 19:08]
- Platner describes overwhelming volunteer support: over 6,000 have signed up in ~1 month.
- He attributes this to a growing realization that “only by organizing as Americans... as working people... that is where their power lies.”
- “People are realizing that they need to put skin in the game.” — Graham Platner [17:56]
- Platner gives a call to action: volunteers and donors can join at “gram4senate.com.”
- He closes with a bold goal: not just to beat, but “trounce” Susan Collins and make a statement to the Republican Party.
Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments
- “The enemy is the oligarchy. It's the billionaires who pay for it, the politicians who sell us out.” — Graham Platner [04:23]
- “Everybody can see that we have watched all of that get ripped away from us, and everyone's just trying to keep it all together.” — Graham Platner [04:55]
- “The Democratic Party, there's no place for [billionaires].” — Graham Platner [11:32]
- “It's extremism masquerading as moderation because she's rubber stamped. Everything that's happening.” — Host [12:12]
- “I want to give the Republican Party a battering here in the state of Maine.” — Graham Platner [18:38]
Timestamps for Important Segments
- Platner campaign launch and philosophy: 02:17 – 05:55
- Economic situation and Mainers’ grievances: 05:55 – 08:13
- Trump, oligarchy, and Democratic Party critique: 08:13 – 12:02
- Susan Collins analysis: 12:02 – 14:47
- Epstein, accountability, and political corruption: 14:47 – 17:29
- Volunteer movement and closing: 17:47 – 19:08
Final Takeaways
This episode spotlights Graham Platner as a blunt, anti-establishment Senate candidate mobilizing a populist movement in Maine. Platner pulls no punches in critiquing both Republican and Democratic complicity in upholding a system he sees as rigged for the wealthy, while laying out a vision for grassroots power, organizing, and direct truth-telling politics. The conversation’s tone is urgent, raw, and direct, matching Platner’s campaign style and the concerns of Mainers and broader American working people.