Ah! It seemed too good to be true. A Marine veteran who was also an oyster-farmer man of the people who, as a Democrat, promised to take down Maine's Republican Senator Susan Collins in the 2026 election. The new Golden Boy of Democrats everywhere as well as an eager media who sung his accolades across the land.
Unfortunately for them, it all came crashing down as you can read in a sad report on Thursday by Benjamin Hart of New York magazine's Intelligencer section which bluntly proclaimed, "Graham Platner’s Honeymoon Is Over."
When Democrat Graham Platner entered the race to unseat incumbent Republican senator Susan Collins in August, he immediately clicked with Maine voters. An oyster farmer and ex-Marine who looks the part of a rugged Downeaster, Platner’s brand of left-wing populism, focused squarely on the state’s cost-of-living crisis, resonated broadly.
Platner has raised an impressive $4-plus million, gotten reams of positive press, drawn large crowds across the state, and received endorsements from Bernie Sanders and several progressive organizations. He has successfully positioned himself as the insurgent alternative against the Democratic establishment’s pick to take on Collins: Maine’s 77-year-old Governor Janet Mills, who finally joined the race this week with the backing of national figures such as Chuck Schumer.
A major part of Platner’s appeal is that he is the opposite of a seasoned politician. But given that he was basically unknown before the summer, it seemed inevitable that his lack of polish would come with a few downsides.
Actually it was way more problematic than a "few downsides." Citing a CNN report by Andrew Kaczynski, Hart reveals Antifa-level disqualifications that hopefully prevent Platner from ever holding any kind of public office:
In one now-deleted Reddit comment from 2021, Platner responded to a thread about people becoming more conservative as they age by saying: “I got older and became a communist.” The comment was made on a subreddit called r/Antiwork, a far-left forum “for those who want to end work.”
In one deleted comment, in a thread about a Black army lieutenant who was held at gunpoint and pepper-sprayed by police during a traffic stop, one Reddit user wrote, “Bastards. Cops are bastards.” Platner replied, “All of them, in fact.”
In another since-removed post from 2020, Platner responded to a thread titled “White people aren’t as racist or stupid as Trump thinks” by writing, “Living in white rural America, I’m afraid to tell you they actually are.”
Hmm... Actually being a communist could help him win Democrat primaries in New York City or San Francisco. Unfortunately for Platner, such an attitude is still taboo in Maine.
Whether Platner can surmount any fallout from the posts may depend on how well he can incorporate them effectively into his regular-guy image — and whether there is more from his past to be exposed. Either way, this is undoubtedly good news for Mills, who faces major electability questions herself, primarily regarding her age.
Why should age be a problem for Janet Mills? Compared to some in the Senate she's just a spring chicken. She's just 77.
It is hard to exaggerate the beloved hype much of the liberal media was bestowing upon Platner until these latest revelations. One such example was provided by Politico this past August with this Golden Boy of the Masses paean: "Maine oyster farmer wants to upend Democratic politics with Senate bid."
However, it might not be too late to resurrect the political career that never was of Graham Platner. After all, proclaiming yourself to be a violence-promoting communist shouldn't be a deal-killer for aspiring Democrat politicians in this bizarre era, perhaps even in Maine. But wait! Stop the presses! This Washington Post story on Friday provides what probably can destroy Platner's political career in the cradle: "Maine Senate candidate downplayed sexual assault concerns in deleted posts."
Yeah, not only is the Honeymoon Over for the Once But Not Future Golden Boy of Democrat Politics but it appears time to play Taps on his brief, heavily-hyped, political career.
