Democrats keep making the same excuse
Graham Platner just won Maine’s Democrat Senate primary, and that has not stopped the bad headlines from rolling in. The most glaring problem is not hard to spot: Platner had a Nazi tattoo on his chest for years, and he says he did not know what it meant. Sure, and I also once “didn’t know” the last cookie in the jar was reserved. People who knew Platner before his political rise have pushed back on his explanation, saying he would joke about the tattoo being Nazi-related. That leaves Democrats in a familiar and deeply embarrassing position, trying to defend the candidate because he carries the right label and opposes the right people, not because he is a model of public conduct.
Old Louisiana politics meets modern Maine
The article points back to Louisiana’s 1991 governor’s race, when a supporter of Buddy Roemer put out a now-famous bumper sticker that read, “VOTE FOR THE CROOK: IT’S IMPORTANT.” That election pitted former Gov. Edwin Edwards, who was widely seen as corrupt, against David Duke, the Klan founder with neo-Nazi ties. Roemer backer Kirby Newburger’s slogan captured the ugly choice voters faced, and Edwards won in a landslide. The point of the comparison is plain: political parties sometimes convince themselves that any opponent of the other side is worth defending, even when the person is clearly unfit. That kind of moral gymnastics is not new, but it is always ugly.
Supporters say beating Collins matters more
The defense of Platner has been jaw-dropping in its honesty. Some Democrats and donors have essentially admitted that they do not care about the tattoo, or about reports of abusive behavior toward women, because Platner is a Democrat and he can beat Republican Sen. Susan Collins. One quote laid it out bluntly: “Anybody who beats Susan Collins will do.” Another tried to wave away the scandal by calling Platner “a mean boyfriend” after military service and drinking, as if that somehow wipes the slate clean. Then Sen. Bernie Sanders jumped in and said Platner is the one candidate who can fight President Trump’s “oligarchic and authoritarian agenda.” So the message is clear enough for anyone paying attention: character is optional, as long as the party line is intact.
What this says about the party
This whole mess says a lot about where Democrat priorities are right now. If the goal is to stop Donald Trump at any cost, then apparently almost any flaw can be forgiven, including a Nazi tattoo and a trail of ugly behavior. That is not courage. That is panic dressed up as principle. Voters should not need a translator to figure out whether a candidate is decent enough to represent them. They should not have to squint at the fine print and hope the worst parts were just misunderstandings. Public office deserves better than excuses, and Maine voters deserve better than being told to hold their nose and cheer for the “lesser evil” while party elites pretend not to notice the stink.
https://x.com/BernieSanders/status/2063351893548524010?s=20
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