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Before I get to the most extreme Republican candidate…

By now you’re probably sick of hearing about Graham Platner and the debacle in Maine. Last week, the allegation from a former girlfriend that he had once raped her—a charge he denied—ended the Senate campaign of this Marine vet and oysterman who had been embraced by some Democrats and progressives as the Great Blue-Collar Hope of the party. That credible accusation led to much debate over whether Platner’s advocates had been wrong to stick with him through earlier scandals about his Nazi tattoo, extramarital sexting, assorted online remarks, and allegations that he had mistreated girlfriends, with some folks suggesting Platner had been cut slack because he was a white guy. Three hundred members of the Democratic Socialists of America angrily urged DSA candidates to cut ties with Morris Katz, a key consultant to Platner’s campaign; New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is a DSA member who has a close relationship with Katz.

No one’s asking me for advice. But with so much at stake in the coming midterms, such post-Platner squabbling is not useful. Donald Trump and the GOP have been implementing authoritarian measures, and American democracy is at risk. Democrats looking to counter this threat need to succeed in November. Those elections should be their sole focus—be they DSAers or centrists. This truly is not the time for intraparty score-settling.

Okay, one more thing about the Platner disaster. I hate to come across as an institutionalist, particularly when our political institutions, including the Democratic Party, are frequently failing to serve the best values of the nation. But there’s often good reason for traditional practices.

It’s generally good to develop experience as a politician. There’s a reason why virtually all major league baseball players start in the minor leagues. That’s where they learn the ropes.

Platner was a political novice. As has been widely noted, he........

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