To the Editor:
Re “Lessons From the Platner Disaster,” by Michelle Goldberg (column, July 8), and “Maine Democratic Party Says Platner Will Have ‘No Role’ in Picking Next Nominee” (news article, nytimes.com, July 8):
In recent years, the quality of our public officials has noticeably declined. Graham Platner, a man with dubious credentials and questionable character, is just the latest example.
It seems reasonable to ask why the people of Maine can’t do better. Perhaps the better question to ask is why any reputable, qualified, rational individual would bother to seek public office. A successful political campaign takes months if not years to plan and execute.
The cost of running a competitive race is extraordinary — an estimated $400 million for political ad spending alone in the small state of Maine. Once in office, a senator or a representative can look forward to endless debates and very little in the way of tangible accomplishments.
And in this age of social media, threats to high-profile public officials and their families are increasingly common. Is it any wonder that many highly talented people of character choose not to run for office? Is it any wonder why Maine finds itself with Graham Platner?
Henry Von Kohorn
Princeton, N.J.
To the Editor:
The issue is not what lessons can be learned from the rank candidacy of Graham Platner for the Senate but the sheer incompetence of the Democratic Party in allowing him to get this far. With so much at stake and with the signals of a problem candidate apparent, how did this guy even get through the process?
We are at a dangerous point in American politics. Corruption abounds, as do moral issues that are seriously testing what kind of nation we are. Our aspirations have unfortunately often been vastly exceeded by the reality of our actions since our founding; what was a steady trajectory upward in our more recent history has all but evaporated. Comparisons can now be drawn to other failed states.
The Platner candidacy represents the most recent example of where we now stand. We look pathetic.
Bruce Neuman
Water Mill, N.Y.
To the Editor:
I am both frustrated and confused that progressive leaders, including my own U.S. senators, Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren, have withdrawn their support for the Senate candidate Graham Platner of Maine.
A credible rape allegation against Mr. Platner seems to have been the last straw for these leaders. But I wonder: Why were the allegations against Mr. Platner reported in early June not enough? This paper described an accusation by one woman who said Mr. Platner “twisted her arm behind her back, shoved her into a bedroom and held the door closed from the other side,” trapping her there.
I urge Democrats, including those who represent me in Washington, to set the bar higher for endorsements. I propose that we start with no Nazi tattoos and no domestic violence.
Emily Gold Boutilier
Amherst, Mass.
To the Editor:
This entire Graham Platner episode reveals the extraordinary lengths to which women must go to have allegations of sexual assault, harassment, intrusive sexualization and even rape taken seriously by the voting public. It is also a reminder that many do not take a strong stand against sexual assault and the continuum of behaviors that define it.
Many women colluded in minimizing Mr. Platner’s behavior. Minimizing atrocities against women (or any person) is a universal moral problem of human indifference, not political ineptitude.
Susan Cook
Brunswick, Maine
The writer is a licensed psychologist.
I Won’t Let Trump Destroy My Happiness
To the Editor:
Like most days, I awoke this morning and immediately turned on the news and read several newspaper stories. As usual, the news was disturbing and evoked anger and frustration — feelings that are unhealthy.
It was at that moment I made a promise to myself: I will not allow the evil of one man and his sycophants who are threatening our democracy to destroy my happiness. These are my golden years, and I refuse to grant the president the license to intrude into my personal life and outlook.
Be assured that I will continue to be a witness to history and write opinion essays and letters to the editor decrying what’s happening to our country and discussing how we are obliged to resist — how we must stand up and speak out before it’s too late.
However, while the president has many powers to influence others, he does not and cannot control me and my happiness.
Richard Cherwitz
Camas, Wash.
The writer is a professor emeritus in the Moody College of Communication, University of Texas at Austin.
