On July 6, Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner was accused of sexual assault by his ex-girlfriend. Platner has denied the allegations, but several prominent Democrats rescinded their endorsements, and many more called on him to drop out of the race.

If only Democrats had some warning signs before they were blindsided by this bombshell. Aside from the cheating scandal, Nazi tattoo, strange Reddit posts and other misconduct allegations from exes, Platner was an impeccable candidate.

In all seriousness, Democrats had every chance to back out on Platner before it was too late. Instead, they stuck with him all the way up until the sexual assault allegations. Democrats have a bad habit of rationalizing bad candidates in the name of defeating Republicans, and that "win at all costs" mentality keeps costing them elections and their reputation.

Democrats are far past the Graham Platner off-ramp

It's hard to overstate how important the Maine Senate race is for Democrats in November. Sen. Susan Collins, a Republican, has been a top target for years, and this political climate was the perfect time to finally oust her. That seat could be the difference between Democrats controlling the Senate and a 50-50 split, with Vice President JD Vance........

© USA TODAY