Will Platner stay or will he go?
Micky Kaus pointed out that Platner “has the leverage. All he has to do to screw the Dem party is… nothing.” And my RedState colleague Bonchie described the Left’s “nuclear levels of cope” over their rapey Nazi: “He’s a mentally disturbed do-nothing who works for his mom. He doesn’t care about the party. Why would he? And there is no mechanism to forcibly remove him.”
You lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas.
Platner seems like the kind of guy who likes to throw his weight around, and not just with women. Right now he’s the nominee, although the Democrats would like to forget that inconvenient truth.
From Devon Murphy-Anderson, the Executive Director of the Maine Democratic Party:
“We have repeatedly reiterated to Graham Platner’s team that they have no role in determining our next Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate, nor in determining what this process looks like,” she noted. “We have also reiterated that Graham Platner must drop out of this race so that Democrats in Maine can focus on defeating Susan Collins this November.”
No, neither Platner nor his “team” has a role in determining the next Democratic nominee from Maine for the US Senate. But he certainly as a role – a big one – in determining who is the present Democratic nominee from Maine for the US Senate, because at present he is that nominee and he can’t be forced out. Murphy-Anderson speaks of the “process” but acts as thought that process is that she will tell Platner what to do. But he’s not a party animal – that is, he’s not a Party animal. So he doesn’t need to do it – unless they make him an offer he doesn’t wish to refuse, whether it be money or status.
… I think there’s at least a decent possibility that he’s such a narcissist, so tremendously full of himself and arrogant, that he might even refuse to drop out at all.
However, Platner doesn’t actually hold all the cards here. The Democrats have one huge card – at least, as far as I can tell – which is the threat of prosecution for rape. I looked up the statute of limitations in Maine for the crime, and although the law is fairly complex in that it depends on certain elements of the crime, it’s pretty clear that – since the incident is alleged to have occurred in 2021 – there is plenty of time to prosecute.
However, because this case rests almost entirely on the testimony of the alleged victim, she would have to agree to testify. That could be a stumbling block.
But he’s not a party animal – that is, he’s not a Party animal.
Funny! I’d say, he is a party animal, just not a Party animal.
However, because this case rests almost entirely on the testimony of the alleged victim, she would have to agree to testify. That could be a stumbling block.
Apparently the woman in question straight up admitted that she was reluctant to come forward due to agreeing with his politics. So I guess being raped is OK as long as the attacker has the same political beliefs as you?
Platner will remain far more famous if he doesn’t drop out. Maybe with a book deal, or movie rights.
40 nights with Graham.
I really don’t know about the laws in Maine over a Party nominee, but suspect once he won the Primary, paid for by the govt, his nomination as a Democrat Party nominee became legally binding, tho allowing him to withdraw.
Don’t you love it when the Democrats get themselves in such a mess? Just a month ago everyone was all for him. Popcorn time.
Devon Murphy-Anderson doesn’t seem to have a very good grasp of negotiating leverage. Moreover, Platner doesn’t strike me as the kind of guy who will take a public spanking by an unelected party functionary well. He may still withdraw, but the price of poker went up when Devon grabbed her 15 minutes of fame.
The Democrat Party of Maine could try to bluff him by saying they will withhold any money, resources, etc from his campaign and even covertly encourage the party faithful to support Collins just to ensure he endures the most humiliating loss possible. Although I don’t see this happening we must remember politics is one of the dirtiest, low down, slimiest endeavors on this planet. Because Collins is center-left the Democrats won’t be losing all that much so it’s at least a possibility. Maybe Platner’s ego might cause him to drop out under this threat. Nah!
By far the greatest lesson in the Platner blow-up is that it further exposes just how virulent this cancer has become. Not so much in the depth of depravity but in the number of democrats who voted in the primary for Platner
Arguably, Platner is an unintentional wake-up-call…