Graham Platner debacle puts Democrats in grave danger of blowing it in the midterms

The meltdown in Maine’s Senate race risks the Democrats’ opportunity to turn Trump into a lame duck president. Two years ago Democrats had one job: stop Donald Trump from returning to the White House. It was the only thing that mattered, but with breathtaking political malpractice, they imploded. This November Democrats have two jobs: win the House of Representatives and win the Senate to turn Trump into a lame duck president for his final two years. But once again the party, fond of warning that the stakes are existential, is in grave danger of blowing it. On Wednesday the Democratic candidate Graham Platner said he was withdrawing from the Senate race in Maine after a woman who dated him said he drunkenly forced her to have sex despite her telling him to stop. Platner denies the allegation reported by Politico. This is a disaster because every seat counts in the Senate, where Republicans currently hold a narrow 53-47 majority. The electoral map is not favourable to Democrats this time but, riding anti-Trump sentiment, it’s just possible they could pull it off and become a vital check on the president’s power. Who is to blame for this debacle? The list is long. First there is Plat