Jul.08

electoral-vote.com

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Platner's Cookie Continues to Crumble

In case you are writing a movie script about a U.S. Senate candidate's campaign collapsing, all you'll have to do is read this week's news to see what that looks like. Wannabe Democratic U.S. Senator from Maine Graham Platner has not withdrawn yet, but the writing on the wall continues to get bigger and bolder.

To start, the woman who previously accused Platner of violence against her sat for an interview yesterday and sharpened her claims, asserting that the candidate-for-now removed condoms during sexual intercourse without getting consent to do so. She (and again, we don't see a need to include names, and make these women slightly more google-able) also expressed unhappiness that her initial claims were taken less seriously because she is a Republican operative.

Meanwhile, Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) also sat for an interview. The Representative is not known for making unfounded claims, and she has a history of working with victims of sexual violence. She says that, without getting into details because she does not want to pressure anyone before they are ready to share their stories, she has reason to believe that there are more stories of sexual violence that have yet to be revealed.

Platner also lost his last, and most important, endorsement from a sitting U.S. Senator, that of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT). Sanders fired up the old computing machine yesterday and, as expected, jumped ship: "I have spoken with Graham Platner about the best path forward for Maine. In light of these very serious allegations, I have recommended that he step aside."

Politico has counted noses among the 47 folks in the Senate Democratic Caucus, and has found that 39 of them have called on him to end his campaign. Nobody in the Caucus is urging him to continue; the seven Democrats and one independent who are not among the 39 have simply remained silent. Here's the list of non-commenters, in case it is of interest:

• Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)
• Dick Durbin (D-IL)
• John Hickenlooper (D-CO)
• Mazie Hirono (D-HI)
• Tim Kaine (D-VA)
• Angus King (I-ME)
• Mark Warner (D-VA)
• Ron Wyden (D-OR)

We are not sure what they are waiting for. Maybe they forgot to charge their cell phones, and so can't post to eX-Twitter until they get some juice.

The only people who are actively urging Platner to stay in the race are—and you surely didn't see this coming—Republicans. For example, Scott Jennings, who is paid by CNN to be their MAGA heel, decreed that it is imperative that Platner remain the candidate, because to do otherwise would "subvert" the will of the people. His concern for voters—in particular Democratic primary voters—is touching. The Republicans' desire to keep Platner on the ballot may be the loudest statement of all when it comes to judging his post-rape-accusation electability.

Platner's campaign has canceled a bunch of fundraisers scheduled for this week, and has also halted all advertising for the campaign. These are things that tend to happen pretty close to the end of the death spiral. In particular, you can't run a campaign without at least some money. The DNC and DSCC have already made clear that their wallets are closed, most of the ActBlue pages that were raising money for Platner have been shut down, and now the candidate is not holding fundraisers. That's pretty much all the potential money spigots, all shut down.

Oh, and the sharks in Maine are already circling. Former state Sen. Troy Jackson (D) has already filed paperwork with the FEC, establishing an exploratory committee for a potential Senate run. Nirav Shah, who finished slightly ahead of Jackson in this year's Maine gubernatorial primary, is considering getting back in the game. State Rep. Valli Geiger (D) may also be in the mix. Platner has said that if he drops out, it will only be in favor of someone who can carry his torch, and not an "establishment" candidate. Geiger has been a close ally of Platner's, and it's not impossible that he conditions his withdrawal on her being chosen as his replacement. Geiger is pretty lefty and populist, as you might imagine, though not as young as Platner. We can't find her date of birth anywhere on the Internet, but she graduated college in 1977, so she must be around 70.

Yesterday, we asked readers for their thoughts on the Platner meltdown; here are some of those:

• D.E. in Lancaster, PA: I really don't want to write this letter, but feel I must since I have weighed in on past accusations against Graham Platner. I will admit that when I heard the accusations on Monday, my feelings and opinions swung back and forth. I think all accusations of rape should be taken seriously, but I also know that an accusation is not always proof or even actual fact. Unlike (Z), I did not find Platner's accuser to be without concerns, but then (Z) is being way more impartial than I.
  
  What changed my opinion is the reporting in The Washington Post—I still don't visit their site but read things from there second hand—that another ex-girlfriend accused Platner of sneakily taking off condoms while they were engaged in sex. That is a move of power and dominance and that made up my mind that Platner should quit ASAP.
  
  Let me explain why that was a deciding factor. When I started listening to Platner's speeches, one of the ideas that I became enamored of was his belief that the modern Democratic party has stopped using the tools of politics to get things done. He said repeatedly that our Democratic leaders have continued to cede ground to the Republican extremists. His main pitch was that if he was elected he would wield that political power to get things accomplished. Every one of his scandals has had power and dominance at its core. Even if all those events are things that he now regrets, they still make his being a spokesperson for brandishing said power completely wrong and highly ineffective. We need the power of authenticity and not power for power's sake.
  
  My biggest worry is that what Platner did in the past will negate what he has said in the present. He is right in his philosophy, but horribly wrong in his execution. I worry that the lessons taken from this that it is better to be a focus-group-to-death Democrat who has little in the way of original thought and who wants to make a career of ceding as little ground as possible to MAGA—our very own versions of Sen. Susan "I'm deeply concerned (but will do nothing about it)" Collins (R-ME). If that happens then we will just repeat our current cycle of the Republicans destroying our government and then when things go to hell, as they always do, the Democrats try to patch things up but unable or willing to live up to their rhetoric, disillusioned Americans go back to voting for the party that put them into their current predicament. And so it goes round and round.
  
  We need fighters and we need new ideas but what we don't need is fighters for their own dominance. I hope whoever becomes the substitute candidate at least listens to Platner's speeches, tries to absorb some of his ideas that made him so popular, adopts what they can and tries to speak to those they can't. What I fear is that instead we will get another Democrat too timid for their own shadow.
  
  
• B.W.S. in Livingston, NJ: I had supported Platner since the primary race was him against Gov. Janet Mills (D-ME), and defended him from all sorts of allegations, from the Nazi tattoo to the first set of allegations made by the ex-girlfriends. But this new allegation is too well-corroborated and too not from a "Lady for Kavanaugh" to dismiss in that way. It's over. He's not a good person, and if he doesn't drop out, he harms progressivism. I hope Troy Jackson can right the ship.
  
  
• P.S. in Portland, ME: Just last week my wife and I traveled down east to Sullivan, ME, and had a private dinner with Graham Platner and his wife Amy Gertner. It was a wonderful discussion with wonderful people. A school teacher and an ex-marine and now oysterman who found themselves in a totally surreal situation. I think they were totally unprepared for what lay ahead when they made the decision to run. Graham is intelligent, a Star Trek:TNG fan, and a woods/bump skier who loves Saddleback Mountain (my home mountain). We both agreed Bernie Sanders and Gene Roddenberry would have been best of friends. In fact, we were in violent agreement on everything.
  
  What has now happened to Graham is wrong from the standpoint of, as you pointed out, there never would be a rape conviction if prosecuted. The timing was planned by the opposition, no doubt. But the political bar is set differently and he will succumb to the forces and step aside. To those of us here in Maine that can almost touch and feel that new Progressive Era, this is a deep loss.
  
  On the other hand, thanks to Graham, significant progress been made and the message has been spread. We want and need that new Progressive Era and have Troy Jackson waiting in the wings. From what I hear, he will almost certainly, and appropriately, get the nod. He is simply the most like Platner politically, and the most likely to attract and excite Platner's voters. Jackson will have the progressive left and unions fully behind him. His campaign team is already back together and plotting the path forward. Troy was always the best of the Democratic gubernatorial candidates to help Graham win the Senate. As the actual candidate, he will beat Susan Collins. Also keep in mind that Janet Mills and Troy Jackson are not exactly the best of friends. Troy has the dubious honor of having the most bills vetoed of any Maine Senate president, by Mills and by former governor Paul LePage (R-ME). One thing to watch is whether and when Janet Mills endorses Troy Jackson. It will be significant, as that will represent the establishment Democrats yielding to the Progressive left here in Maine. And yeah—you know it is coming—as goes Maine, so goes the nation.
  
  
• M.K. in Wilmington, DE: While I completely agree that Platner's long-term prospects for this election are basically nonexistent, I also think it's prudent for him to stay the course for the next couple of days.
  
  Obviously, if these allegations are accurate, then bowing out is the right thing to do, but I think there are broader considerations in play. My concern is that an immediate withdrawal not only makes him look guilty, but also makes the next accusation of any less-than-total-consent behavior against the next candidate that much more effective.
  
  It's a difficult needle to thread, as I want victims to come forward and have their voices heard. But I also don't want us to reach the point where any suggestion of sexual misconduct whatsoever leads to rash, unthinking reaction. We saw this happen with Al Franken and I'd prefer it didn't happen again.
  
  
• C.J. in Lowell, MA: I have very mixed feelings about the developments in the Maine Senate race which are both strong and contradictory. On the one hand, I never got the appeal of Platner. Even without any baggage he never gave off the Senate-material vibe, certainly nowhere close to a sitting governor. To me ,it's quite obvious which one's résumé makes the most sense for the Senate. There was also another candidate, David Costello, who never got traction, but had both a progressive issue profile and some political experience.
  
  On the other hand, it bugs me no end that all it takes is an accusation, which the candidate swears is false, for the Democratic pooh-bahs to turn on him. Without any investigation or a chance to tell his side, endorsements are withdrawn like they have touched a hot stove. The lesson seems to be that if you want to ruin a Democratic man's political career all you have to do is make a sexual accusation and the Party will be happy to do your dirty work for you. Maybe not to the level required by a court, but to me "innocent until proven guilty" is an ethical maxim, not just a legal one.
  
  This brings me to my other source of cognitive dissonance, because part of me says if he's innocent he should fight for his reputation and stay in the race, but, as you note a deadline is coming up and with so much on the line he may need to fall on his sword for the party and maybe try again another time after he's had a chance to really clear himself.
  
  
• A.R. in Los Angeles, CA: I thought I'd offer my thoughts in case it's helpful to have a female perspective.
  
  When the New York Times story, quoting all the ex-girlfriends, first came out, I dismissed the Republican operative's account because it seemed like she was stretching the truth and reaching for a story that wasn't there. The only part of the article that gave me pause was a different woman's recounting of a drunk Platner showing up at her door uninvited. That was disturbing, but she didn't indicate at the time that there was any more to the story.
  
  Now, of course, we know there is and it's absolutely disqualifying. Not surprisingly, women's rights groups, including Planned Parenthood and Reproductive Rights for All, are pulling their endorsement of Platner. Reading the rape accusation published this week just sounds eerily familiar to me. I recognize that feeling of fear and helplessness in having a large, drunk man in your home whose mind is on one thing and who isn't interested in what you want. There's an awareness that things could get violent quickly, so you negotiate, change locations, change the subject, try to talk and talk until he either sobers up or falls asleep. It's about harm reduction because you know it will be bad—it's just a question of how bad. In a situation like this, suddenly you don't feel like an equal human but a weaker animal trying to survive. Women aren't really trained for this—date rape has so many more layers to it. At the heart of it is a fundamental betrayal of trust, which doesn't trigger the same fight-or-flight response as an attack by a stranger. This is someone you have a relationship with, so you think you there's a way to reach the person you thought you knew.
  
  The woman who came forward this week had dated this man off and on for 2 years and they'd probably exchanged many intimate texts that didn't result in this behavior. Reports are that Cheyenne Hunt facilitated the interview with Politico. She is with the group Reckoning Action, which also connected, to the media, women who credibly accused Eric Swalwell of sexual assault. The Platner accuser warned another woman about Platner before his Senate run and also told a boyfriend about it, including naming Platner when he declared his candidacy. And unlike the NYT accuser, this one is not involved in politics and is a registered Democrat.
  
  Platner has since said he's taking time off from his campaign to "reflect" but otherwise denied the allegation. More disturbingly is his campaign's response that this is the work of "establishment" operatives. That is not the way to address this most recent revelation. If he really wanted to refute the accusation, then he needs to explain whether any of it is true. Does he deny dating the accuser? Does he deny showing up at her house uninvited and drunk? When the NYT piece came out, he said he wasn't always a great boyfriend. What exactly did that mean? Does he, or does he not, consider forcing himself on his girlfriend not being a "great boyfriend"?
  
  Electoral-Vote.com wrote a few times that if no other shoes dropped, perhaps Platner could survive. And we do need to allow some room for redemption and contrition. But sadly, there was more to the story after all. This was the one we thought could drop, and now that it has, he needs to be dropped as well. Also, note again the hypocrisy of the Republican outrage, all while the man found liable in court for sexual assault remains in the Oval Office with their full support. Democrats are still the only major party that takes these allegations seriously and will withdraw support from candidates credibly accused of sex crimes.
  
  
• A.G. in Scranton, PA: I knew this guy was an a**hole a long time ago, but I genuinely did not believe he was whatever this makes him... I guess an attempted rapist?
  
  Yay. Governor Mills. The status quo for the Democratic Party it is.
  
  I want my money (and faith) back.

Thanks to all of you. We also have a bunch of reader thoughts on who should replace Platner if and when he drops out; we'll run those later this week. (Z)