Graham Platner, the Democratic Nominee: A Reflection of America's Imperfections?
In a stunning display of brutal honesty, Bill Maher, host of HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher, told his audience ahead of the primary that "we need to restore balance in our government, and a Democratic Senate would help a lot with that." But what he said next sent shockwaves throughout the nation: "Get used to it, America is a country filled with a lot of broken, horribly educated, phone-addicted, sort of nutty people. And as long as we live in a representative democracy, we are always electing our reflection in the mirror."
Was Maher being serious? Maybe not. But he's someone who encourages free speech and open debate more than your typical talking head. So, one has to wonder whether this view is more common among the American populace than they'd like to think.
Let's face it, Americans are far from perfect. We're a nation of imperfections, and our politicians are no exception. Graham Platner, the Democratic nominee, is a prime example. His solution to a home invasion? Rape the home invader. It's frightening, even for those who find his Nazi tattoo more disturbing.
But is he representative of America? Are we all broken, horribly educated, phone-addicted, and nutty? Do we elect our reflection in the mirror? The answer lies in a recent report from the U.S. Department of Education: 1 in 4 young adults are functionally illiterate. That's horribly educated. And with the average American spending more than five hours a day on their phones, it's safe to say that phone addiction is a real issue.
But are we nutty? Let's just say the headlines aren't encouraging. There are plenty of reasons why Americans might be attracted to politicians who reflect our imperfections. We want our leaders to be relatable, to be like us. The saying goes: is this a person you'd want to have a beer with? It's not that we demand perfection; we just expect decency.
Graham Platner's behavior is disgusting, and it's not what America is all about. But can we blame the voters for electing someone who reflects their own imperfections? Maybe. After all, as Maher said, "we are always electing our reflection in the mirror." But that's not what representative democracy means.
This isn't a new struggle. Remember Donald Trump's defenders saying his thoughts on "grabbing women" were just "locker room talk"? Yeah, because nothing says "good behavior" like a president who thinks it's okay to grab women without consent. It's hypocritical to expect people to behave differently in public than they do in private.
And then there was the case of Bob Packwood, the senator from Oregon who was forced to resign after allegations of years of sexual misconduct with over 20 women surfaced. This is not a new struggle; it's a reminder that we've been dealing with this issue for decades.
So what does it mean when voters weigh the possibility of "winning" against a record of disgusting behavior? Even feminist groups were torn about whether to push for Packwood's ouster because he was a liberal Republican and a staunch ally of abortion rights. It's a difficult question, but one that we must answer if we want to hold our politicians accountable.
In the end, Americans haven't given up hope that it's still possible to elect decent human beings to political office. Maybe our standards for behavior (as well as education and general nuttiness) have declined in recent years. But many of us are willing to take a chance on someone who might not be perfect but is still worthy of respect.
Graham Platner may be a reflection of America's imperfections, but that doesn't mean we have to accept his behavior or the behaviors of other politicians like him. It's time for Americans to demand more from our leaders and from ourselves. We deserve better, and it's up to us to make sure we get it.
Written by: Anchor Swaggerbee | The Citizen Edition
“Stay classy, folks!”