Pictured is Graham Platner (born September 1, 1984). Platner is, among other things, an American oyster farmer, harbormaster, and military veteran. He is also a candidate for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in Maine, aiming to unseat incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins. I have commented on Platner before. Click this link to read that earlier blog posting.
My comment today is on something that Platner said in an article that appeared in the Sunday, February 1, 2026, edition of The New York Times:
The day after federal immigration agents killed Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, a U.S. Senate candidate in Maine spoke with his supporters about resisting the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
Graham Platner, a Democrat and Marine combat veteran, urged them to join “watch groups,” “rapid response teams” and “intelligence collection networks” to alert citizens and potential targets to the presence of federal immigration agents in their communities.
“Don’t just join a Signal thread and monitor it,” Mr. Platner told the audience in the coastal town of Kittery, referring to the encrypted texting app. “You’ve got to get in a room with people. You’ve got to develop relationships and trust.”
This is good advice. It is the advice I provide, too - and that I almost routinely provide in my various blog postings. If you want to be politically effective - and I urge you to understand that this ought to be your objective, if you care about democratic "self-government" - here is the formula that works:
- Get together in a small group with others who share your concerns, values, and objectives.
- Meet frequently (I suggest weekly), and ....
- Meet in person.
Don't try to do it (all) online, by Zoom, or on Signal.
Face to face. That is how to "develop relationships and trust."
This formula works. I speak from personal experience. Small groups of friends helped me get elected to the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors five times.
The stakes were pretty high, too, for Santa Cruz County.
Now, the stakes are even higher - and not just for Santa Cruz County. For the entire nation; for the entire world!
https://www.instagram.com/p/DQAVzJ3koxS/
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