He was never what he presented himself to be - a blue-collar good ol' boy, only progressive. He was recruited by a few operatives out of New York, nothing to do with Maine, with little or no vetting, because he's a good, convincing speaker with a posh background that could be easily turned into that of a humble oysterman (he's not; his only customer is his mother's restaurant), and an eloquent spokesperson for the white working man so often neglected by mainstream Democrats. Since I'm not a resident of Maine I didn't pay a whole lot of attention when some of the skeletons in his closet started rattling, but I figured that Maine voters would take a good, hard look and decide whether, utilizing a sort of realpolitik, the skeletons could be overlooked if that was necessary to rid themselves of Susan Collins.
But then the rape allegations came out, with a name attached. The allegations are credible, and it was a bridge too far. But the question remains, how bad does one's past behavior have to be in order to make a politician unelectable? For Republicans, it appears that there is no unforgivable sin. It's obvious that GOPers are interested in power, not character - Trump being Exhibit A. But Democrats nearly went in the same direction by failing to take a good, hard look at Platner's past or demanding further vetting because they found a candidate who they thought could take out an opponent. Clearly he should not have been allowed to have gotten as far as he did. Was Platner sincere about his political positions? Would he have done a good job despite his deplorable behavior toward women (thinking here of Ted Kennedy, Eric Swalwell)?
Maybe, but that isn't the point. Men like Platner, Swalwell, Cuomo, Kavanaugh and others should be excluded from public service despite any other talents they might have, because allowing them to become our representatives despite their predatory behavior signifies a total disregard for women. We need to send a clear message that sexual harassment and assault are always disqualifying, and we need to vet candidates with a metaphorical fine-tooth comb. If you want a career in politics - to become a judge or run for the Senate or Mayor or your local park board - keep it in your pants, beginning as soon as you have anything to keep in your pants. Can you have a normal love life? Of course, but that doesn't mean harassing, groping, raping or otherwise being a predatory asshole. Truly good men don't do that shit.
His withdrawal speech provided more evidence that he wasn't such a great guy - it was just an extended whine about how he was crushed by the Democratic Establishment, no thanks to his supporters, no promise to endorse another candidate or work to defeat Collins. Just whining. So fuck him.
And that's all I have to say about Graham Platner.
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