Saturday was a big day for Maine Democrats, who gathered together to select a replacement for Graham Platner, their Senate candidate who spectacularly self-destructed after people discovered his Nazi tattoos and rape accusations. And how did they kick off this totally normal exercise in voter representation? With a land acknowledgement, naturally. Not a moment of reflection about the absolute dumpster fire they created for voters. Nope. A land acknowledgement for the unceded homeland of the Penobscot nation at a gathering where party insiders were about to choose a nominee that precisely zero actual Maine voters selected. As USA Journal reported, things only got more ridiculous from there.
Maine Democratic Vice Chair Imke Schessler surveyed this room of roughly 17,000 delegate voters, a closed selection process that cut out the 200,000 plus people who actually showed up for the real primary, and with absolute conviction called it "grassroots democracy in action." The crowd laughed at her. AT HER. Which honestly might be the most encouraging sign the Maine Democratic Party has shown in months.
Let's talk numbers, because they're chef's kiss perfect. The person who finished third in the Democratic primary, pulling just 8% of the vote, received 17,560 votes. That is MORE than the total number of people who participated in this delegate process that will now determine who challenges Susan Collins. So the bronze medal loser of the actual election got more support than the entire room of people now playing kingmaker. Incredible work, everyone.
Party Chair Charlie Dingman looked around and proudly declared "look at what Maine Democrats did." He was technically correct, just probably not in the inspiring way he imagined. One attendee shouted "this is what democracy looks like" and the room burst into laughter again. Even the architects of this coronation know exactly how absurd it appears. They proceeded anyway because the calendar and voters gave them no alternatives.
But wait, there's more! Troy Jackson, the Bernie Sanders-backed former state Senate president and frontrunner for this handpicked nomination, might not even be legally allowed on the ballot. Maine has a "sore loser" law that prevents failed primary candidates from finding a back door onto the same ballot. Jackson already finished third in the gubernatorial primary. Republican state Rep. James White has publicly raised this eligibility question, and the GOP is reportedly ready to haul Jackson into court the second he gets nominated.
So let's recap this masterpiece of political strategy. Maine Democrats have engineered a selection process that their own participants openly mock. Their likely nominee might be legally ineligible to run. Fewer people voted in their replacement process than voted for the third place primary finisher. And all of this is unfolding in a Senate race they were supposedly positioned to win.
Susan Collins has been fending off whatever Maine Democrats throw at her for three decades. This time around, they appear to have simply thrown themselves.
Read more conservative news commentary at: USA Journal News
