SouthernWorldwide.com – A prominent Democratic congressman from New Jersey has called for Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner to withdraw from the race, suggesting that if such a scandal-plagued candidate were running in New Jersey, he would be decisively defeated.
Rep. Josh Gottheimer, who was recently profiled for his role as a potential counterweight to progressive elements within the Democratic Party, stated that Platner has no place on the party’s midterm election ticket.
When questioned by CNN about whether his opposition to Platner indicated support for Republican Senator Susan Collins, Gottheimer proposed an alternative path for Democrats.
“No, what I would suggest is that Graham Platner get off if he wins today, which I assume he will because there’s no one actively campaigning against him, that he get off the ballot and let another Democrat step in,” Gottheimer said.
Platner is currently the leading candidate in Tuesday’s primary election. Other potential candidates, such as Governor Janet Mills who has suspended her campaign, and David Costello, have not gained significant traction.
“If this were Jersey and you had a candidate who abused women, obviously has a Nazi tattoo that — now it’s clear that he knew was a Nazi tattoo: not to mention many of his other lies and his comments and extremist comments; pro Hamas — a terrorist organization — other things of that nature. He should get off the ballot.”
Gottheimer, whose district includes both liberal suburban areas and conservative rural regions of New Jersey, asserted that in his home state, a candidate like Platner would either be removed from the ballot or face overwhelming defeat.
This comparison alludes to a past anecdote about the purported burial of former Teamsters President James Hoffa Sr. under Giants Stadium following his disappearance decades ago.
Gottheimer reiterated his stance that Platner should withdraw from the race after his primary victory, allowing a more suitable Democratic candidate to take his place.
He also expressed his view that individuals with socialist ideologies should not be considered mainstream members of the Democratic Party, emphasizing that the far-left does not represent the broader American electorate.
“I think it’s really important that we speak out when we see some of these issues that are a challenge,” he commented, referring again to the situation with Platner.
Gottheimer indicated that he does not anticipate Platner will be the eventual Democratic nominee to face off against Senator Collins in November.
He referenced Governor Mills’ statement that her campaign has been suspended, not concluded, suggesting a potential return.
“Hopefully today you’ll see Janet Mills, even though she is the governor, left the race, her name is still on the ballot. We’ll see how well she does. And I think that’s going to be a sign of the frustration,” he stated, while also questioning how female voters could support a candidate facing allegations of violence against women.
In a separate remark, Gottheimer humorously attributed the New York Knicks’ recent close loss to the San Antonio Spurs to the presence of former President Donald Trump at the game.
Trump was met with boos from the predominantly liberal audience at Madison Square Garden, despite a welcome from team owner James Dolan and some supportive chants.
“[Trump] brought in some bad mojo into the Garden last night and p—ed off a lot of people — but don’t worry,” he said regarding the Knicks’ prospects in the finals.
While Gottheimer’s criticism of Platner echoes that of Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman, a different perspective has been offered by James Carville, a strategist from the 1992 Clinton campaign. Carville, speaking on his podcast, suggested that Platner’s background in oyster farming implies a certain toughness and that voters should be more understanding of his potential post-traumatic stress disorder.
“Maybe we need a combat veteran right on that Senate floor who is [expletive] up, who every time these [expletives] go to vote for another war … Maybe they need to look at this guy before they start sending young people off to fight wars and see what the consequence of it is,” Carville was quoted as saying by RCP.
