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Steven Koltai of Lincolnville was a non-resident senior fellow in the Governance Studies Program at the Brookings Institution, a research affiliate at the MIT Center for International Studies, and had a 40-year career roughly evenly divided between the private and not-for-profit sectors. He is the author of a Substack: Thoughts from a Lake in Maine.
Some of us in Maine are very sad today. Of course, Graham Platner must end his candidacy. And of course, there will be a new Democratic nominee. And, while less certain, it is highly likely that Susan Collins will remain in office for yet another round of confirmations of appointments that rank among the worst certainly in my more than 70-year lifetime. What have we (I) learned?
First, it must be said that despite the obviously inadequate vetting of this candidate, Graham Platner was an exceptional, natural politician. He had a once-in-a-generation gift for relating to an extremely broad spectrum of voters. Few could seize and hold a crowd like Graham.
Maine is small (in population but not geography) but very purple. To win statewide, most of the time (Paul LePage’s election as governor was a recent exception), you must appeal to a wide range of voters, really a microcosm of America. It goes from crunchy granola blue to assault rifle red. Sen. Angus King, Gov. Janet Mills and yes, Sen. Collins are all examples of the ability to appeal across a wide spectrum.
Second, people are genuinely fed up with the political status quo. I believe they are looking for a “street fighter” who can descend to the subterranean levels of Donald Trump. Ironically, though it sounds good, the strategy that is required seems not to be exactly what Michelle Obama famously espoused: “when they go low, we go high.” You can go “low” in some ways (tough talk, strong street fighting vibe) but at least to run as a Democrat, you have to be a morally and ethically decent person.
For Democrats, character does matter. Indeed, it is flawed character that has incinerated the Platner campaign. People like me, however, have seen that while one can be of strong moral character (namely the “other candidate du jour” of the same political consultants who promoted Platner, Zohran Mamdani), you need to be clearly, resolutely, unequivocally and persuasively against Trumpism. Tepid politicians are not going to be successful in this moment.
Third, PTSD is a real thing. It is unimaginable to me what it must have been like to see and do the things American servicemen were compelled to do in Iraq and Afghanistan (and Vietnam). Unholy wars are just that. We have scarred a generation by subjecting them to this. I believe Platner is a profound casualty of this destructive policy. I genuinely wish him a successful, continued recovery.
Finally, I have certainly learned that all politicians are … politicians. Anyone who is willing to put themselves through the meat grinder that our multi-billion dollar, multi-year election system has created has to be a little bit unhinged. And, they have to be a very good politician. This means they do have to have a clear message (again, no being tepid) they can communicate to a diverse audience. They must be tenacious in the extreme. And yes, in my opinion, they must really want it.
None of this reduces the sadness I feel in the moment. I held the first house party for Graham (the day after he announced). I co-led a community seder with Graham (which I loved doing and that I will always be proud of and grateful for). I spent countless hours writing and talking about his candidacy. I fielded enough highly emotional in-bound texts, calls and emails from friends and strangers to have been re-confirmed in my belief that politics can simultaneously bring out both the best and the worst in people. I and I’m sure many others will try to mitigate the damage and fight onward to Make America America Again.
But today, I am just sad.