Democrats' Great White Hope

"Graham Platner once appeared as the answer to Democrats' electoral woes. The Maine Senate candidate boasted a biography and persona that oozed blue collar machismo, something clearly lacking in the modern Democratic Party. He was a veteran with multiple combat tours. He currently works as an oysterman, giving his assertive populism an authenticity Democrats long for. This was a man who could supposedly take on MAGA on its own terms by arguing that left-wing populism, not Trumpism, was the real solution to the heartland's troubles."

"Now, Platner embarrasses the liberals who once championed him. It was recently uncovered that he declared himself a communist and a zealous supporter of Antifa violence in online posts. It also turns out he had a Totenkopf ("death's head") skull-and-crossbones tattoo, an image associated with the Nazis' paramilitary wing. It's unlikely a candidate with an SS tattoo can survive in a Democratic primary, but who knows? There are new rules for American politics."

"Whether Platner's political career is over or not, his elevation illustrates the left's desire for masculine, white, working-class candidates. The party is insecure about its lack of appeal to the demographic that made Trump president. This deficiency makes Democrats worry they're out of touch and wimpy. Platner seemed like the perfect rebuttal to criticism that the Blue Party is too elitist and woke, until the discovery of the very non-woke tattoo."

Graham Platner cultivated a blue-collar, veteran persona as a Maine Senate candidate, working as an oysterman and presenting assertive left-wing populism aimed at heartland voters. Online material revealed Platner declared himself a communist and expressed support for Antifa violence, and images showed a Totenkopf ("death's head") skull-and-crossbones tattoo linked to the Nazis' paramilitary wing. Those revelations damaged his appeal to Democratic primary voters and exposed tensions within the party over nominating masculine, white, working-class figures. Richard Ojeda and John Fetterman are cited as earlier examples of similar Democratic efforts to attract that demographic.

Read at The American Conservative