The Platner Test: Trauma vs. Accountability

In this episode, we focus on how we judge political candidates using evidence rather than instinct. We look at the Graham Platner controversy in Maine, and how prior trauma, PTSD, alcoholism, and harmful behavior can shape a person’s life while still not removing the need for accountability.There are limits of certainty in politics. We say that we are not clairvoyant, that we should give people the benefit of the doubt until credible information changes our view, and that our own life experiences can affect how we interpret allegations. Recent political history and campaign reporting explains why corroborated evidence matters.The other big story is local. We discuss Ohio House Bill 347 and the continuing effort by Christian nationalist groups to restrict abortion despite our state’s reproductive rights amendment. Following a public records requests, we show who was involved in shaping the bill, and how the documentation revealed coordination behind the proposal between a state anti-abortion lawyer and the two representatives that introduced his copy and pasted bill.Full Show Notes & Links UsedSubscribe to Our Free NewsletterCheck out our merch