It took the emergence of one Senate candidate to expose the ultimate hypocrisy of the modern American progressive left – and the absence of principles. Graham Platner, the Democrat Senate candidate from Maine, now poised to challenge Republican Senator Susan Collins, is everything the “woke” left has claimed for at least the past 10 years to despise. Still, on June 9, Platner romped to victory in the Maine US Senate Democratic primary, because political power trumps character and honesty, it seems, for those who claim the opposite should always be the case.
Graham Platner was born into money, attended private school, and joined the Marines despite a documented history of having nothing but contempt for the military. His social media record, along with the statements made by a former girlfriend, a former campaign manager, and even Platner’s current wife, reveal a pattern of misogyny, homophobia, an intense dislike of rural America, infidelity, and verbal and physical abuse of women – including a disturbing preoccupation with rape.
Then there’s the Nazi tattoo, which the Senate hopeful claimed to not understand, despite having it inked onto his chest – which, by any realistic and rational standard, is laughable. The “Totenkopf” death’s head skull, the symbol of the Waffen SS – or the military wing of Hitler’s brutal Schutzstaffel – is familiar to everyone who has spent more than an hour studying 1930s and 1940s Europe.
Democrats Saddled With an Inconvenient Candidate
So, aside from the general dislike of Americans who live outside the largest metropolitan areas, which appears to be common among those on the far left of the party, Graham Platner couldn’t be less aligned with what the progressive left claims to value if he tried.
Still, he will be one of the Democratic Party’s key hopes in November, as they seek to gain control of Congress.
The best outcome for Democrats would have been Platner’s defeat in the June 9 primary. In that event, they could – and would – have memory-holed this man and quickly returned to touting their devotion to decency, honesty, integrity, and a healthy dislike of “fascists.” Instead, they now face five months of defending and making excuses for a man who has displayed all the characteristics they previously claimed to abhor.
More than that, the left could have pointed to Platner’s primary loss as proof that they would not tolerate moral turpitude and possible Nazi sympathies even within their own ranks – that winning an extra Senate seat was less important than sending decent human beings to Congress.
Graham Platner Exposes the Real Left
Should Graham Platner prevail in November and unseat Sen. Collins, Democrats will have at least six years of this man’s past transgressions – real or alleged – thrown in their faces every time they label their political opponents Nazis, homophobes, or misogynists, or complain about lack of civility or morals.
Platner’s greatest achievement is already accomplished. He unwittingly forced the political left to publicly concede that any character flaw, repulsive comment, or even alleged abusive behavior can be overlooked if doing so means gaining more power.
What will Democrats acquire, should Graham Platner win in November? They will have taken a Senate seat from a Republican who, on most of the biggest policy issues, voted with them anyway. Realistically, they may well have been better served by leaving Susan Collins to win reelection. But, of course, it’s more than the votes on bills in the Senate. Gaining a majority means having one of your own as Senate leader and picking up those coveted committee chairs.
At what price, though? The left’s entire “good guy” charade dissipated when Platner became their candidate for the Senate. Their credibility, such as it was, has been sacrificed on the altar of political power.
Rumors abound that, due to a provision in Maine election law, the Democrats can still replace Graham Platner on the November ticket. They would have to persuade him to withdraw his candidacy, though, and what are the chances that he would do so? The new reality is that those in the party who decided not to speak out, and those on the progressive fringes who actively campaigned for his victory, now have a credibility crisis when it comes to claiming the moral high ground.
