With the nomination of in Maine on June 9, the Democratic Partys record of advancing extreme, left-wing progressive candidates for Congress has begun to take full form.
Indeed, Democrats are set to enter the midterm general election cycle potentially with a slate of nominees whose positions and backgrounds may do more to help rescue the GOP than anything Republicans have done or will be able to do for themselves.
Despite an arguably favorable political environment for the Democrats â who lead the generic congressional vote by five points â a divided Republican majority in both chambers, and an extremely angry electorate who now give President a job approval rating of 40% â about four points below what it was at this point in the 2018 cycle â the Democratic Party has yet again taken steps to shoot itself in the foot before what may have been emerging as a 2018-style landslide.
Platner, who has been scandal, just became the new Democratic standard-bearer in Maine, securing slightly more than 70% of the vote â and in turn, risking Democrats chances of flipping a crucial seat needed to win control of the Senate come November.
Indeed, Platner is both so extreme and so compromised that his with other extremist candidates, could well become a deciding issue in the midterms.
Between allegations of abusive behavior in past relationships, reports that he engaged in inappropriate communication with women while married and at least one of his girlfriends said he acknowledged proudly was a Nazi symbol, Platner seems to possess every liability imaginable for a Democratic candidate in todays climate. And he has support from the Democratic Socialists of America â the same organization that supports massive tax increases and transgender rights, attacks capitalism and calls for the complete abolition of ICE.
Yet, by primary night earlier this week, Platner had not only appeared to weather the controversies but had also secured the nomination â all while nationally offered little to no resistance, for reasons clearly related to taking back control of the upper chamber.
Critically, the consequences of Platners win for the Democratic Party are likely to impact his Senate campaign and the campaign for governor of Maine, and will indeed reverberate throughout the whole country.
A Tavern Research poll completed two days before the primary showed a generic Democrat ahead of 10 points (55% to 45%), yet Platners actual lead over Collins was much lower (+2, 51% to 49%).
Further, as my firm, Schoen Cooperman Research, was involved in the Democratic gubernatorial primary, we have seen the impact Platner has had on the once-leading progressive Troy Dale Jackson, who currently sits in third with 21% of the vote, trailing Nirav Shah (27%) and Hannah Pingree (23%).
In other words, its clear that, while Platners primary bid, they are more than capable of damaging Democratic electability up and down the ballot, as well as nationally in the fall, at precisely the moment the party should be expanding its appeal.
And, luckily for the Republicans, the Democrats candidate-quality problem extends well beyond Maine.
In , far-left Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed â who is supported by extreme radical and antisemite podcaster Hasan Piker â has emerged as the frontrunner in the race for the Democratic nomination against two incumbent members of the House, even as his uber-progressive record â including hi
