The Democrat Party has a Graham Platner problem, and nobody seems to know what to do about it.
Platner is the man Maine Democrats have staked their Senate hopes on, their designated weapon to finally unseat Republican Sen. Susan Collins. He is even polling ahead of her right now.
How long that’s the case, who knows? But he was the plan. Now their plan is unraveling in ways that are forcing Democrats to ask themselves some uncomfortable questions, and they are furious about it.
As we previously reported, the New York Times dropped a story on Thursday detailing accounts from multiple ex-girlfriends, including allegations that Platner grabbed one woman hard enough to leave marks and once locked her in a room. One of those ex-girlfriends, Lyndsey Fifield, told the Times that Platner knew his tattoo resembled a Nazi symbol when he got it, directly contradicting his previous denials about understanding its meaning. Fifield also disclosed on X something the Times chose not to include in its story: two other women had made sexual assault allegations that the paper sat on entirely.
These revelations came just over a day after he met with Senate Democrats and assured them there were no new revelations that would come out.
Yeah, that would make me cranky, too.
This follows earlier reporting that Platner sent sexual messages to women other than his wife, after their marriage, on an app commonly used by predators targeting children. Any one of the scandals that have come out so far should have ended his political ambitions, but Democrats are in a bind right now. Flipping this Maine Senate seat is that important to them, and Platner is polling well enough right now that enough Democrats think it’s worth the risk.
But that doesn’t mean they aren’t angry.
"There is dramatically higher concern about losing Maine now across the caucus than there was before the stories broke," a senior Democrat Senate aide told Politico. "Everyone realizes that without Maine, the path to taking back the Senate is impossible." The same aide added one more word to summarize the internal mood: "Everyone is apoplectic."
In fact, a national donor adviser who previously backed Platner said some money is now moving elsewhere, explaining that Platner is "now below the bar for my client group."
That sounds about right. But here is where things get truly revealing. While national Democrats are angry, there are plenty who simply don’t care. That donor advisor who is distancing himself from Platner appears to be in the minority. Apparently, Trump derangement syndrome is so bad that despite everything we know about Platner so far (the Nazi tattoo, the physical abuse allegations, the sexual assault allegations, the sexting on a predator's app), a significant portion of the Democrat donor class simply does not care.
Related: NYT Deliberately Withheld the Most Explosive Graham Platner Allegations From Its Own Story
"We don't care. I think that's the case for many donors. Anybody who beats Susan Collins will do," said a Democratic consultant close to major party donors.
Abandoning Platner does have risks. The base wants him, and if the party forces him out, there will be backlash. But Democrats do have a legal escape hatch. Maine law allows the state party to replace a primary winner who steps down before mid-July. No candidate in Maine history has ever triggered that process. Given that Platner has ruled out dropping out, watch for the most damaging material still in reporters' files to surface after the replacement window closes.
I’m sure that’s what Democrats are worried about right now, and I’m sure that’s why they are so angry.
Editor’s Note: Every single day, here at PJ Media, we will stand up and FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT against the radical Left and deliver the conservative reporting our readers deserve.
Help us continue to tell the truth about the Trump administration and its successes. Join PJ Media VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member