Maine Senate Candidate Graham Plattner Withdraws After Nazi Tattoo and Misconduct Revelations
"There was a guy with a Nazi tattoo who is a major alcoholic who sexually accosted a bunch of women. He liked to masturbate in porta-potties, which frankly seems like the worst of all of them. His name is Graham Plattner. He is no longer the nominee from Maine."
About this episode
The episode discusses the abrupt withdrawal of Graham Plattner, the Democratic nominee challenging Senator Susan Collins in Maine, following revelations about his Nazi tattoo, history of sexual misconduct, and inappropriate public behavior. The hosts examine how Democratic Party operatives recruited Plattner as part of a calculated strategy to appeal to male voters, who polling shows support Democrats at only 30% nationally compared to 70% who do not. Despite having no significant track record beyond military service and oyster farming, Plattner received enthusiastic support from prominent media figures and Democratic supporters who championed his redemption narrative. The discussion reveals that party leadership only withdrew support after poll numbers declined, not immediately upon learning of the misconduct allegations. The hosts draw parallels to other Democratic recruitment efforts, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, arguing that the party prioritizes interchangeable candidates who toe the ideological line over substantive qualifications. Larry Elder and other commentators frame the incident as exposing Democratic hypocrisy on Me Too standards, noting the contrast with how allegations against Republican figures are treated. The conversation touches on historical examples of Democratic tolerance for misconduct, including references to Ted Kennedy and Christopher Dodd. The hosts argue this represents a cautionary tale about supporting parties over individual candidates and demonstrates what they characterize as Trump Derangement Syndrome leading to poor vetting decisions.
Key takeaways
- Democratic Maine Senate candidate Graham Plattner withdrew after revelations of Nazi tattoo, sexual misconduct allegations, and inappropriate public behavior emerged.
- Party operatives recruited Plattner specifically to appeal to male voters, as polling shows only 30% of American men support Democrats.
- Prominent Democratic supporters including media figures enthusiastically backed Plattner before abandoning him only after poll numbers declined.
- Hosts argue Democrats prioritize ideologically compliant candidates over substantive qualifications, citing AOC recruitment as parallel example.
- Larry Elder contends party leadership would have maintained support for Plattner if polling had remained favorable despite misconduct allegations.
- Discussion frames incident as exposing Democratic double standards on Me Too movement and selective application of candidate vetting.
- Hosts reference historical Democratic tolerance for misconduct by figures like Ted Kennedy to argue pattern of hypocrisy.