JENNIFER SEY: The Graham Platner Saga.

Maine Democrats now scramble to replace him via a convention process with no direct voter input — echoing their handling of Biden: prop up the flawed candidate until politically untenable, then override primaries for the “right” choice. They preach “democracy” while sidelining the voters who picked Platner.

My thoughts: He’s the nominee. They nominated him. Own it. Live with it. (I know this isn’t happening but I’m just telling you what I think should have happened.) I think they should be stuck with this loser.

But when the optics finally collapsed, the party operatives pushed him out.

But what was the line, really? That he lied about his background didn’t do it. That he trolled teens online didn’t do it. That he twisted Lindsay Fifield’s arm behind her back and locked her in the bathroom didn’t do it. Those were all fine, seemingly. Just a real working class dude! Only when Racicot detailed the rape, did anyone seem to care. Did voters seem to care. Not sure why that was the straw that broke the camel’s back but voters finally started to question if he was fit for office and his numbers started falling and the Dems said you need to drop out.

And he did.

But he went out with a bang: Graham Platner, Classy to the Last.

Particularly because the real Graham Platner – the anti-social, privileged, communist failson mouthing slogans – finally emerges from behind all that professionally crafted guff right at the end. Platner’s final sign-off:

“F*ck ICE. Free Palestine. Up the hearts.”

Ah, now that’s more like the scumbag I know. Of course, because this is Platner, my first thought is: when he said “f*ck ICE” did he mean that in a gay way, or more like a viking? And I don’t even want to know what “up the hearts” even means – no offense, but it sounds like some kind of commie gobbledygook to me*. But as for “free Palestine” being Platner’s final sign-off? That’s a tell. That explains why he was recruited by his handlers in the first place. The Democratic Socialists of America may talk its programmatic game about fully automated luxury communism and whatnot, but what ultimately animates this movement, putting the steel in its spine, is the emotional charge of an enemy to unite against.

Earlier: Graham Platner: The Left’s Caricature of the American Everyman.

* It apparently is commie gobbledygook: “‘Up the Hearts’ is a rallying cry for Portland Hearts of Pine, Maine’s first professional soccer club.”