Caffeinated Politics

I strongly lament that the guardrails of common sense and decency have eroded in our nation when it comes to our political institutions. It is from that starting point, when the political winds have shifted and Donald Trump has treated norms as disposable and accountability as optional, that I implore the Democratic Party to seek higher ground in the Maine Senate race.

The new allegations of sexual assault against Platner present a profound and unavoidable moral challenge. Let me be very clear where I stand and where the Democratic Party must stand. Sexual assault is not a matter to be weighed against electoral strategy. It is a violation of human dignity. It is an abuse of power in a relationship. And it is precisely the kind of conduct our party has insisted must never be tolerated.

It saddens me to write that Donald Trump’s conduct has undeniably shifted the guardrails of American politics, normalizing behavior that once would have ended careers. The comment about grabbing women, the fact that Judge Lewis Kaplan wrote that Trump ‘raped’ E. Jean Carroll, as many people commonly understand the word ‘rape’. We do not need to be ‘older’ to know that this behavior must never be considered allowable when considering a person for elected office. The Democratic Party cannot and must not allow those lowered standards to become our own. If we surrender our values simply because the opposition has abandoned theirs, then we are not defending democracy, but simply imitating its horrific erosion.

The race against Senator Susan Collins is one of the most consequential contests of November. Maine deserves a nominee who can prosecute a strong case for Democratic leadership, someone who can speak credibly about protecting women’s rights, strengthening institutions, and restoring trust in public service. (I often hear about Maine’s politics, as my husband, James, hails from that beautiful state.) The control of the Senate, the future of reproductive freedom, and the direction of national policy all hinge on races like this one.

But here is my bottom line.

Winning cannot come at the cost of our integrity.

A nominee facing credible allegations of sexual assault cannot effectively champion the rights of women, cannot serve as a moral counterweight to the right-wing extremism we oppose, and cannot lead a campaign that reflects the values we claim to uphold. The Democratic Party must be able to say without hesitation that we believe women who step forward to speak about what happened to them, and will not compromise our standards for political expediency.

Therefore, I am calling for Graham Platner to withdraw from the race for the United States Senate in Maine. I know our party and the voters seek a nominee who embodies our ideals without qualification.

As I conclude this column, I know what I am to write will sound old-fashioned. It aligns, however, with what I said about how Democrats needed to fight against apartheid in South Africa in the 1980s and how they needed to fight for marriage equality for gay couples this century. We must remain the Party that stands up for what is right, even when it is difficult. And this is where it sounds like the Boy Scouts have arrived, but I know it’s true. With such a foundation, we not only win elections but also the trust of the American people.