Political Hypocrisy on Display in MaineI have spent years listening to Democrats criticize Republicans for abandoning principle in the name of power. They weren’t wrong. Donald Trump is the best case in point in American history.
For nearly a decade, Republicans have excused behavior from Trump that would have disqualified any other candidate. They overlooked ethical lapses, conflicts of interest, inflammatory rhetoric, attacks on democratic institutions, criminal behavior, jury verdicts on fraud and rape, criminal indictments, felony convictions, incredible narcissism, and conduct that should be disqualifying in any president, Republican or Democratic.
The message is simple for the GOP: winning matters more than character.
In the race for Senate in Maine, Democrats had a chance to distinguish themselves from this shameful display of partisanship over quality. But, shame on them—they are proving they are as disgustingly partisan as the GOP.
Following Tuesday night’s Democratic Primary in Maine, Graham Platner is now the Democratic nominee for Susan Collins’ Senate seat in Maine. He enjoys the support of prominent progressive leaders, including Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. Yet his candidacy arrives carrying a mountain of baggage: allegations involving former partners, controversy surrounding a tattoo associated with Nazi imagery, offensive online comments, and a series of explanations, apologies, denials, and clarifications that seem to grow by the day.
Some of these allegations are disputed. Some may ultimately prove exaggerated. Some may be false.
But that’s not really the point.
The point is that Democrats know about them and have decided they don’t care.
Why?
Because Graham Platner is not running against an ideal candidate. He’s running against Susan Collins.
I disagree with Susan Collins on almost everything. She has enabled Donald Trump’s agenda, and I wish she had shown more independence. She was the 50th Senate supporter of the SAVE America Act — Trump’s massive voter suppression bill. She votes for his agenda the vast majority of the time.
Insiders once called her a moderate, a label she does not deserve. On the other hand, she had the guts to find him guilty in his second impeachment trial.
When I compare the two candidates, I find myself asking a simple question:
Who appears to be the better human being?
That should matter, shouldn’t it? In a healthier political environment, it would matter a lot. But instead, both parties increasingly ask voters to ignore character, ethics, temperament, and judgment so long as “their” candidate plays for the correct team.
Republicans told us character didn’t matter when Donald Trump was their nominee. Now Democrats tell us character doesn’t matter when Graham Platner is theirs. The rationalizations sound remarkably familiar.
“He apologized.”
“That was years ago.”
“He’s grown.”
“The allegations are politically motivated.”
“The other side is worse.”
“We can’t risk losing the seat.”
Different party—same deplorable script. And the most depressing part? Neither party is embarrassed anymore.
America has reached a point where voters no longer ask whether a candidate is worthy of public office. They ask only whether electing that candidate helps their team defeat the other team. That’s how someone as morally and ethically challenged as Donald Trump gets elected President.
Twice.
It’s how standards die. How politics becomes a race to the bottom. And how the few citizens who still care about integrity end up politically homeless.
Republicans dare to lecture Democrats about character after spending years defending Donald Trump. No credibility—none whatsoever. But a candidate like Platner emerges, and Democrats fall all over themselves to support him? What would they say if an “R” appeared after Platner’s name?
The hypocrisy is alarming. Our political culture is now so tribal that personal integrity is completely irrelevant.
I have no hope that politicians on either side will ever, in my lifetime, redeem their integrity. But there is a small sliver of hope that the American voter will once again decide that quality matters.
Because if character only matters when the other party’s candidate lacks it, then character doesn’t matter at all.
And that’s the most troubling scandal of all.
Editor’s Note: This article was first published in Mark Bello’s And Justice For All Substack and is reprinted here with his permission.
Mark M. Bello is an attorney and award-winning author of the Zachary Blake Legal Thriller Series, ripped-from-the-headlines, realistic fiction that speaks truth to power and champions the rights of citizens in our justice system. These novels are dedicated to the social justice movement. They educate, spark discussion, and inspire readers to action. One of these was “Betrayal of Justice, a blistering novel about presidential misconduct and hypocrisy” For more information, please visit www.markmbello.com.
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