Cal Thomas: Graham Platner is not Democrats’ only problem
The withdrawal leaves Democrats with two weeks to find a new nominee after Platner’s viral launch drew 2.5 million views in 24 hours.
- On Friday, Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner withdrew from the Maine race after a former girlfriend accused him of rape, leaving Democrats scrambling to find a replacement to challenge Republican Senator Susan Collins.
- Although campaigners marketed Platner as a working-class marine and oyster farmer, reports revealed he relied on tax-free disability benefits rather than farm income; his campaign was plagued by allegations of sexual misconduct and a Nazi tattoo.
- Progressive leaders, including Bernie Sanders, had hailed Platner for "building a movement strong enough to take on the oligarchy," yet ideologues failed to conduct proper vetting before endorsing the candidate.
- Democrats have just a fortnight to find a replacement for the crucial Senate battle, a contest central to their effort to regain control of Congress and restrain Donald Trump's political agenda.
- This saga reveals how populists manufacture authenticity to dupe voters, illustrating chronic factional divisions plaguing liberal-left parties as they struggle to respond to populist reshaping of politics in the United States.
12 Articles
12 Articles
What are they still hiding from you?
The Democratic establishment and the major news media finally admitted last week that their Senate nominee in Maine, a self-described “oysterman” named Graham Platner, is a total dirtbag. It should be unnerving that it took so long for Democrats and the major media to admit this. It was obvious to any close observer what sort of man Platner was. A serial philanderer, s***poster, abuser, drunk with a Nazi tattoo, he was obviously a narcissistic d…
In condemning Platner, GOP ignores the elephant in the White House
This week, Congressional Cowards calls out Republicans of all stripes who condemned Democrats for having once supported now-former Maine Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner, saying Democrats should've walked away from the candidate after the first news reports surfaced in June that found Platner did not treat women well.
The Ghost of Graham Platner Will Haunt Establishment Democrats
Democrats are in the process of exorcising Graham Platner from the party and the Maine Senate race, but Platner’s ghost could haunt Democrats for years to come. Platner’s candidacy was an ambitious experiment led by progressive party outsiders, as self-proclaimed socialists racked up wins from California to New York and plenty of states in between....
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