Schumer urges Platner to quit Maine Senate race after sex-assault claim

Chuck Schumer doesn't tell candidates to quit races over vibes. When the Democratic leader publicly pushes someone off the ballot, it usually means the party's own vetting turned up something they can't spin their way out of. That's what's happening with Graham Platner in Maine, and it's worth noting this guy was supposed to be the fresh progressive answer to Susan Collins.

This campaign was already a mess before the assault allegation. Platner had spent weeks explaining away a swastika tattoo, old Reddit posts, and a fabricated military record. Democrats stuck with him anyway because they liked the fighter persona and figured Maine voters would look past the rest. Now the party's own leadership is the one pulling the plug.

There's a lesson here that has nothing to do with party labels. When you recruit candidates for their online energy instead of their record, you end up finding out who they are in real time, in public, during a general election. Maine voters deserve better than a candidate whose own backers can't vouch for him a month before the vote.