Last week, Graham Platner, the Maine Democrat candidate for U.S. Senate who is stirring controversy because of his Nazi symbol tattoo, hired one of his friends to be his new campaign manager. He lasted four days before quitting, claiming his wife was expecting a new baby.
He is literally playing the ‘spend more time with family’ card.
The Washington Free Beacon reports:
‘Baby on the Way’: Platner’s New Campaign Manager Quits 3 Days Into Job, Citing Pregnant WifeMaine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner’s campaign manager resigned after just three days on the job, citing his wife’s pregnancy and his desire to “lean into this new experience as a family.”Platner hired “longtime friend” Kevin Brown as campaign manager just last Tuesday, around the same time that reports broke that Platner had a tattoo of a Nazi “Totenkopf” on his chest, Politico reported at the time. Brown is now stepping down from the position, Axios reported Monday.”Graham is a dear friend,” Brown told Axios. “I started this campaign Tuesday but found out Friday we have a baby on the way. Graham deserves someone who is 100% in on his race and we want to lean into this new experience as a family, so it was best we step back sooner than later so Graham can get the manager he deserves.”Platner’s campaign been mired in nonstop controversy since reports broke about his Reddit posts, in which he said that “all” cops are bastards, called white rural Americans racist and stupid, called himself a communist, asked why black people “don’t tip,” and advised people concerned about sexual assault to “take some responsibility for themselves and not get so fucked up.”
It’s worth noting that Platner’s former political director quit right after the tattoo controversy broke, claiming he knew exactly what it was.
I think John Sexton of Hot Air has the correct take on this:
This is a version of the candidate (or staffer) who suddenly decides to spend more time with his family, a classic way to exit the political stage which sounds folksy and noble but is in fact almost always cover for something shameful and embarrassing.In this case, four days is just about long enough for Brown to find out that there are a bunch more scandals waiting to be revealed and to decide there’s now way Platner can survive them. Why become the face of a collapsing campaign? Better to bow out before that happens.
Of course, Platner has a year to make all of this go away and let the public forget about it. His fellow Democrats and allies in media will also be happy to help.
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