Tessa Anable lives in Portland.

In a Feb. 17 front-page report, Randy Billings writes that “a contrast of styles in Maine’s Democratic U.S. Senate primary could hardly be more stark.”

Respectfully, I disagree. There is substantial overlap.

For a start, every supporter of Graham Platner I’ve met shares their admiration for Gov. Janet Mills’ work and her stalwart rebuke of President Trump, “I’ll see you in court” — in defense of constitutional checks and balances and our U.S. democracy. Despite abundant respect for the governor, a good number of moderate Mainers want Platner to win Collins’ Senate seat.

The article claims that Platner supporters are focused on either youth or “proven winners” (hopefully not an underhanded reference to Trumpism) and are simply “frustrated and disaffected.” Sure, many feel disheartened by the current political situation, but we are also inspired — by authenticity and the possibility of long-lost unity.

In Platner’s audiences, I see Mainers who prioritize someone who will listen to (and can hear) all sorts of people, someone who speaks plainly and intelligently, has the courage to be straightforward and the thick skin to stand alone (unlike Collins). Platner’s campaign unifies.

Mills is magnificent yet modest, smart, tough, experienced and qualified for a role in the Senate. So was Hilary Clinton, for president. Like Clinton, sadly, Mills is less electable. Too many “F— Mills” bumper stickers still float around parts of Maine. Awful, but true.

In his 40s, Platner is indeed young by comparison to others. Yet many of us (even us fogies) see people “only” in their 40s as fully intelligent and capable adults. It will be important for our next senator from Maine to strive for more than one term, to achieve seniority. Sens. Collins and King have both shown us that power and a strong voice in the Senate are achieved through seniority. That takes time.

The article builds contrast by diminishing the campaign as a “roadshow” focused on “disruption.” Alternatively, many of us call it a broad-based grassroots campaign, driven by ordinary people and collective action. It’s true that a lot of people seem drawn to most Platner events, and it’s best to arrive early.

Last fall, large crowds unexpectedly overwhelmed a local brewery, turning the event into another one of those “large rallies.” From our car, we saw lines of people patiently waiting in the drizzle to get indoors. A few had umbrellas; some wore Bean boots, some expensive rain gear (think Stio, Patagonia), some wore shorts (Mainahs wear shorts all year), ball caps, some wore biker jackets and some blaze orange and camo.

When we couldn’t find parking, my husband and I left, had dinner and returned later
when the crowds were mostly gone and we could talk directly with Platner. In a small group, Platner turned out to be fairly soft-spoken, serious, focused and pleasantly lacking in self-consciousness. He engaged a number of us in conversation before withdrawing to circle up and thank his team.

With growing interest and curiosity, I attended a couple more Platner meetings. While it might surprising to detractors, both were “small and curated audiences.” At the local VFW, attendees at my table (one of several) shared personal backgrounds indicating a high level of community involvement, education, employment, travel, global awareness and dedication to family. One, a retired attorney, was attending from another state. Some were Democrats and some identified as moderates and/or independents.

Another “small and curated audience” included students and guests of all ages gathered at USM for a conversation with Platner and four female panelists, of diverse ages and background, who shared a broad range of perspectives on current issues faced by Maine women.

We all know that Platner has made good choices, and mistakes — like most of us who have lived at least 40 years. Or, at least those of us who have stuck their neck out to do something meaningful, valuable and risky. Doing something important takes courage, as it does to publicly acknowledge a mistake, take responsibility and keep showing up.

Now is not the moment for amplifying “internal division” between Democrats. Mischaracterizing the two Democratic candidates as polar opposites is a strategy that perhaps serves the Mills campaign, but probably better serves Republicans.