Politics is a dirty business, but sometimes the hypocrisy is too loud to ignore. On Thursday, CBS Evening News anchor Tony Dokoupil pointed out the elephant in the room regarding the sudden fall of Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner. The party of “Believe Women” and social justice stuck by their golden boy through a mountain of red flags. Then, they cut him loose. Why? Simple. He was no longer a winner.
Platner suspended his campaign this week following a devastating rape allegation from an ex-girlfriend. Before this final blow, the candidate was a walking PR disaster. He had a history of racially charged Reddit comments questioning why Black people don’t tip. He sported a chest tattoo with Nazi ties. He faced prior accusations of abusing women. Yet, the Democratic establishment, including big-name progressives, looked the other way. They wanted Susan Collins’ Senate seat, and Platner looked like the guy who could grab it.
Dokoupil didn’t pull his punches. He openly questioned how a party built on progressive identity politics could champion a man whose record directly spat in the face of those values. The anchor noted that Platner had easily crushed the sitting governor in the primary, making him a darling of the national party. Progressive strategist Daniel Moraff even defended Platner’s rough edges to the Wall Street Journal, suggesting voters wanted “real” people rather than polished career politicians.
But reality caught up. Once the rape allegation surfaced, the house of cards collapsed. Big names, including Bernie Sanders, demanded he step down. Dokoupil noted the sudden shift wasn’t a sudden moral awakening. It was panic. Platner denied the rape claim, but the damage was done. He had committed the ultimate political sin. He became dead weight.
Platner says he is suspending the campaign, but the clock is ticking. He has until Monday to officially pull his name from the ballot so the party can scramble to find a replacement before the July 27 deadline. If he drags his feet, the Democrats are stuck with the mess they helped create.
