Graham Platner is the Democratic candidate for the US Senate in Maine. How much longer that will be true is unclear. Platner won 72% of the Democratic primary vote. However, Platner has been plagued by one scandal after another. The NYTimes noted on Monday that Platner could be “Bidened” out of the race if he voluntarily withdraws by Monday, July 13 at 5 PM.
Why would Platner withdraw? Most of the scandals, Nazi tattoos, a fake oyster business, and credible accusations by half a dozen women of sexual assault, were known to the Democratic elite. Senator Lie-a-watha Warren called Platner “my kind of man.” Platner has been endorsed by many elite Democrats. Just what was this candidacy all about?
One of the post mortems coming out of the 2024 election was that the Democrats were losing the male vote. This was actually more striking among younger male voters. So, there is little doubt that a rugged, physical man arriving on the scene was looked on very favorably. Platner is an ex-Marine and supposedly was engaged in the physically demanding occupation of oyster farming. Of course, that has now been debunked.
Initial polling showed Platner doing very well against Republican Senator Susan Collins. Collins trailed in all polls a while back. The Democrats were apparently willing to overlook and downplay Platner’s obvious negatives if it gave them a chance to win a Senate seat.
So, what changed? Platner’s polling numbers have cratered. All of a sudden, the Democratic leadership has discovered that they have a moral standard that must be met. The orders probably came from the top. Throw Platner under the bus.
Let’s be reminded that much of what has come out recently was known to Democratic leadership. These accusations were not he said, she said. There were dates, times, witnesses, contemporaneous notes, and communications including social media posts and text messages from Platner himself. The Democrats were trying to sell a piece of sludge to the voters in Maine. And keep in mind, there are things we have not seen as yet.
There’s more in what we do know. The Democrats, who supposedly deeply vetted this man, had nominated a man the federal government officially considers totally disabled to perform substantial gainful employment. What does that say about the rigors of being a Senator?
Platner’s candidacy is being swamped by a tsunami of bad press. Politico’s interviews are detailed and sure sound like legal rape. Platner is denying each and every accusation. Platner said, “We are taking the time to reflect on the path forward.”
Jeff Childers notes:
In normal circumstances, if a popular Democrat candidate were being pressured by the establishment to step down for the good of the party, they would let him reach deep into the party’s consolation-prize bag and scoop out as much as he could. They’d just bribe him out of sight.
And publicly waffling about dropping out till the last minute could be a keen strategic maneuver designed to pressure the party into making his prize-bag winnings as big as possible.
So, yes this could be it. Platner is haggling over the size of his prize money for dropping out. But there is another aspect of this that needs some sunlight. We will not get this from Big Media.
Platner is a hard-core socialist, more likely a communist. His biggest backers were Senators Warren and Sanders as well as Rep. Ro Khanna. Is Platner part of the growing civil war inside the Democratic Party? The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) (yes, they used to be a fringe party in Minnesota) are fighting for control of the Democratic Party.
Jeff Childers:
A DSA-style candidate might gamble. He might resist party establishment calls to step down. He might chart his own course across Bar Harbor. “I was chosen by the people in a democratic primary,” he might insist. “I’m innocent, and I won’t let unelected insiders and oligarchs strip voters of their choice.”
DSA voters do not care about Platner’s political problems.
This may not be a story about a badly flawed Democratic candidate getting the heave-ho. It may actually be a story about Democrats trying to purge the DSA’s most significant candidate in 2026.
Jeff Childers:
It’s not Democrats v. Platner. It’s establishment Democrats v. Democrats’ DSA wing. The drama in Maine isn’t about one flawed candidate being thrown under the bus; it’s about whether the Democrat establishment can drive the bus over the DSA’s most ambitious 2026 experiment, even at the cost of a Senate seat.
How will this end? It is certainly not clear now. My money is on Platner taking the money and running away. But in this election season there have already been many surprises.