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  Why Graham Platner’s progressive supporters ignored glaring warning signs
There are painful but necessary lessons to be learned from the Maine Democratic Senate candidate’s rise and fall.


The first lesson is don’t fall in love with an unvetted political outsider — or, for that matter, any politician. When he announced his candidacy, Platner told a compelling story. He was a political outsider with no experience in electoral politics, a Marine combat veteran and an oyster fisherman in a state where working on the water is a badge of honor.

It was obvious that Platner was allergic to the truth and would say anything to keep his candidacy alive. But it also couldn’t have been clearer that, despite Platner’s protestations, there were more shoes to drop. Yet again, plenty of Democrats ignored the clear warning signs and continued to support him.

 Democratic Party establishment is not so dumb when it comes to politics. Last Fall, when Platner was emerging as a candidate, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer recruited Maine’s two-term Democratic governor Janet Mills to challenge for the seat. And while Mills was a lackluster, ineffectual campaign, Schumer’s instinct was that a vetted, known quantity was a better bet to defeat Collins than an untested political neophyte.   

Over the past several weeks, the Democratic establishment has taken it on the chin from angry and frustrated Democratic voters. But the fact is, Democrats are in a prime position to potentially win the Senate next fall because Schumer and the establishment have put the right pieces in place.