I wrote an endorsement of Graham Platner last week and scheduled it for release this morning (Tuesday) on Substack. As I sat down with my coffee and newspaper, I learned that a woman has accused Platner of a drunken sexual assault.
Her accusation is deeply troubling. We don’t know what happened. A woman dating Platner five years ago described an attack and Platner has denied it. Combining this accusation with past behavior puts Platner in a difficult position: he must prove his moral fitness for office, while standing in a pool of doubt. By the time this piece reaches you he may have quit his campaign.
His situation tells us much about where we are as a state and a country. There’s huge fear here in Maine that without a fresh voice like Platner we won’t be able to beat incumbent Sen. Susan Collins. And if we can’t beat her, she will keep on supporting Trump’s Project 2025 agenda. This is intolerable to many of us.
Then there’s the fear of women’s voices being silenced. Women’s voices have been denied—especially about violence--too many times. This is one reason why many haven’t bothered to ask for the details before insisting on Platner’s departure.
Then there’s the timing of the woman’s story. Platner has been campaigning for a year. But this woman did not come forward until one week before the deadline for the Democratic party to withdraw a candidate. The accuser claims to be a progressive democrat who supports Platner’s policies.
Did she want to shut down his campaign while there’s still time for the party to nominate someone else? Was she pressured by the media or political operatives to come forward? Did she have a personal axe to grind? Or was this truly the moment she felt compelled to speak? As of this writing, we don’t know.
Then there’s the message of transformation. Platner presents himself as a flawed human being who has made many mistakes in the past. As I said in my earlier piece, his willingness to take responsibility for his past behavior, apologize and work to be a better person is admirable. His campaign focus on authenticity and truth is compelling—and not politics as usual. But, by endorsing centrist Janet Mills in the primary, the Democratic party has shown it may not be ready for this big a change.
Then there’s the need for healing and transformation in our country. Many believe in a hierarchy of humanity---meaning some people are more worthy than others. Based on this belief, power has consolidated in the hands of the wealthy and well connected—the top 5%--while others are struggling to get by. If our country is to survive, this must change.
Platner has spoken clearly that government must stand for equality and meet the needs of working people. This is a message we urgently need to keep.
There’s huge pressure on Platner to withdraw. He’s surrounded by smart people. They know what the facts are, and I’m sure are weighing their options. I would love to see him meet his attackers and win. But I don’t know if this is possible.
I do know that the Platner campaign and his supporters all want a progressive candidate to win in November. Let’s envision the campaign leaders creating a winning strategy that gets us there.
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