A dry Graham cracker (sic) gets stuck in one’s throat, causing choking, and is mostly made of sugar. So it was, recently, at Graham Platner’s speech at the Chocolate Church. Quick, off-the-cuff one-liners and generic sound bites win votes — even when issuing from empty laborer’s outfits.

Women cheered the loudest and got to ask long questions because he mostly called on them, ignoring my front-row questions written on paper provided, whilst my hands were raised the entire time. He glanced down at me taking notes, almost called on me, then scanned elsewhere. What did Platner have to fear? 

We don’t know enough about this new kid on the block. His alternately right-wing switching to left-wing pronouncements are an attempt to sway the electorate. What were labeled as “indiscretions of youth” could become indiscretions of adulthood. Is he not still a youth compared to me? He talks a good line and has the masses already convinced he will do the right thing. But does anyone really know what he will do once in office?

That is the ultimate question that wise village elders like myself, of any gender, gnawingly ask now. If he prevails, we promise to keep close tabulations as we follow his nascent trajectories. Until then, we perch upon uneasiness in the balance as we weigh he may win by default just to depose Sen. Susan Collins as we desire her demise — meaning we will vote for just about anyone to unseat her!

These are the quandaries of our times.

George Joel Stanley
Greene