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CBS Evening News anchor Tony Dokoupil delivered what appeared to be a harsh word on the Democratic Party Thursday about its longtime support for Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner.
Dokoupil reported on Maine Democrats’ effort to put Platner on the ballot after he suspended his campaign over recent rape allegations from an ex-girlfriend. During his report, Dokoupil pointed out that many Democrats continued to support Platner after several scandals before that.
“The Big Question tonight is why so many in the Democratic Party, the Black Lives Matter party and the Believe Women party, continue to see Graham Platner as the star of tomorrow?” Dokoupil said. “Despite insult after insult that seemed to undermine those principles and more? Despite his old Reddit comments about, among other things, why Platner thinks black people don’t counsel? Despite his chest tattoo of Nazi history? And despite accusations of abuse against women? With all these principles and more, Platner played down or denied the claims and was defended by the largest group of people in his other words.”
BERNIE-BACKED MAINE SENATE DEMOCRATIC HOPE FOR LAST TERM BACKED BY GRAHAM PLATNER
CBS Evening News anchor Tony Dokoupil reported on former Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner suspending his campaign. (Michael Tessier/CBS)
He asked, “So what’s behind all that support for him so far? Could he have won? That he’d upset the incumbent Democratic primary? It certainly seems like the Democrats’ best chance to beat Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins. In political circles, the answer, it seems, is yes.”
Dokoupil pointed to comments made by progressive strategist Daniel Moraff, who was among the early liberal activists behind Platner’s campaign.
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“I think we’re looking for people who didn’t run for student council, right? We’re looking for people who don’t spend their whole lives planning to rise to political power,” said Moraff in an interview with the Wall Street Journal published last month.
US Senate Democrat Graham Platner announced he will suspend his campaign on Wednesday. (CJ Gunther/Getty Images)
After the recent allegations against Platner, almost every Democratic Alliance politician supported the candidate. Dokoupil concluded that the biggest change was not the scandal itself but the fear that Platner would no longer be able to beat Collins.
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“But after Platner was accused of rape this week, it turned out that the theory has its limits. Character is important. Platner denied that, but for some Democrats, he made one case that no political party can tolerate. He started to look like a loser,” said Dokoupil.
Platner announced he was suspending his Senate campaign on Wednesday after several key Democratic candidates, including Sen. Bernie Sanders, Vt., calling for him to resign. However, other reports indicated that he does not intend to file formal paperwork to remove his name from the ballot until Monday, which is the last day to withdraw if Democrats hope to replace him.
Graham Platner previously received Democratic support before his latest scandal. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
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If Platner steps down before the deadline, the state’s Democratic Party will have until July 27 to choose a successor.
