Following a scandal-ridden campaign that culminated with shocking rape allegations this week, Maine Democrat Senate nominee Graham Platner suspended his campaign on Wednesday and announced his intention to drop out of the race.
As the chaos unfolds to decide who will be on the Democrat ticket on November 3, Americans shouldn’t forget how we got here in the first place; namely, that radical socialist politicians, led by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), backed Platner’s insurgent campaign and stood by him despite a mounting pile of evidence that he is totally unfit to serve in the U.S. Senate. They excused his Nazi tattoo, disturbing and violent internet posts, smearing of rural Americans, and alarming behavior on an app commonly used for child exploitation, only pulling their endorsements when it became politically infeasible to continue backing him.
Platner claims that his campaign was about fighting the establishment – and indeed, he did force Maine Governor Janet Mills, who had the backing of establishment figures like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, out of the Democrat primary. But the reality is that his candidacy was only made possible thanks to early backing from high-profile left-wing leaders like Sanders, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, and California Rep. Ro Khanna.
The socialist wing of the Democrat Party is no longer some downtrodden back-bench faction. It is increasingly the center of gravity in the party. Platner had the backing of his own establishment that may now be more powerful than the Democrat “establishment” of old. He had access to the enormously powerful fundraising apparatus of figures like Sanders and Warren who have spent decades in the Washington swamp building deep-pocketed donor networks. Were it not for Sanders and his socialist allies giving Platner the spotlight, he would’ve stood no chance against Mills.
And when the scandals began, it was their continued support that allowed Platner to remain a viable candidate for as long as he did. After it was revealed that Platner had stepped out on his marriage, Warren lauded him as showing “courage and determination,” while Sanders scolded anyone who questioned Platner’s fitness for office, saying that the country should focus on “issues more important than the Platner marriage.”
Even now, it is clear that the socialist left isn’t pulling its support for Platner because they are appalled by his conduct. If that were the case, they would have called on Platner to drop out of the race after it was revealed that he mocked a Purple Heart recipient, called Army soldiers “fat, lazy trash,” referred to himself as a “communist,” blamed women victims of sexual assault, or any of the other myriad scandals that marred his candidacy.
No, Sanders and the socialists are abandoning him now because they recognize that there is no longer a viable path for Platner to beat Republican incumbent Susan Collins. They may have been able to spin Platner’s Nazi tattoo and repulsive online comments, but the very serious rape allegations that surfaced this week are something that voters simply won’t stomach (Platner has said the accusations are false).
Khanna’s X post calling on Platner to drop out is indicative of this cynical mindset.
“I’ve been very clear that sexual assault or violence against women is a red line,” Khanna wrote. “These allegations are very serious and credible. Graham Platner should drop out from the race. I am withdrawing my endorsement.”
In other words, Khanna is saying, getting a Nazi tattoo, being allegedly emotionally and physically abusive toward multiple past girlfriends, and making racist and misogynistic comments on Reddit weren’t a “red line.” All of that was apparently perfectly acceptable in a U.S. Senate candidate.
Thus far, neither Khanna nor any of Platner’s backers has shown any sort of contrition for attempting to foist a deeply disturbed individual on the American people. At least one Democrat, Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman, has demanded that Sanders apologize. But don’t hold your breath. Khanna and Sanders aren’t sorry for excusing Platner’s repugnant behavior – they’re just sorry that they couldn’t hide it until after November 3.
Democrats will now pick a new nominee in this critical race that could well decide which party wields the majority in the Senate come January. Platner has called for a “transparent” and “democratic” process. But with the deadline for Maine Democrats to replace him on the ballot coming up on July 27, the decision will almost certainly be made behind closed doors by state party leaders – undoubtedly in consultation with national Democrats.
Whoever replaces Platner, however, voters shouldn’t forget what they just witnessed. Democrats, and particularly Bernie Sanders and the socialist left, have proven that they are totally unmoored from any sort of moral or ethical standards. So long as Platner repeated the progressive slogans and stood a chance of winning in November, they were willing to stick with him.
That sort of cold partisan calculus reveals just how obsessed the socialist left is with power – and why Americans should never give it to them.
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