Episode One: Shuck the Oligarchy (featuring political scientist Amy Fried of the University of Maine)

Welcome to Gramerica, a new series following the high-stakes Senate campaign of Graham Platner. In our premiere episode, Pip and Adrian unpack the improbable rise of this Maine oyster farmer and Marine veteran as he takes on the Titan of the Senate, Susan Collins.From launching a viral July video to quickly dispatching Democratic primary opponent Governor Janet Mills, Platner has completely upended the status quo. To his supporters, he is the long-awaited antidote to a calcified political system that has abandoned everyday people. To his critics—who weaponize his offensive, decade-old social media posts and a covered-over Nazi tattoo from his youth—he is a walking paradox, drawing contradictory barbs like “communist,” “Nazi,” “racist,” and “homophobe.” Yet through it all, he keeps on rolling.The Two Broke Woke Blokes are not Platner “fanboys,” nor do we pretend to be political experts. But like so many in Maine, we are energized by this race and ready to grapple with its many questions and contradictions. To help us set the table and make sense of it all, we’re joined by University of Maine Professor Emerita of Political Science, Amy Fried.For a full list of sources, video clips, and reading materials cited in this episode, visit our show notes at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LArCxINrHuKCh6OZHjCBB18NrS1XiBNqsFn_CVGQ_HM/edit?usp=sharing