The Democratic Depression

The Democratic Party’s allies in the press are going gaga over Graham Platner, a Maine oyster fisherman who looks like a burly Morgan Spurlock and sounds like “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, amid his attempt to block Senator Susan Collins from winning a sixth term in the upper chamber of Congress.

It’s not hard to see why. Platner’s gruff affect, his workingman demeanor, and the degree to which these qualities mask his radical progressive policy preferences, are just what the Democratic consultant class ordered. And yet, Democratic activists are probably more enlivened by the candidate’s rhetoric.

About the Author

Noah Rothman

Noah Rothman is a senior writer at National Review. His third book, Blood and Progress: A Century of Left-Wing Violence, was published by Hachette in May 2026.

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The Democratic Party’s allies in the press are going gaga over Graham Platner, a Maine oyster fisherman who looks like a burly Morgan Spurlock and sounds like “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, amid his attempt to block Senator Susan Collins from winning a sixth term in the upper chamber of Congress.

It’s not hard to see why. Platner’s gruff affect, his workingman demeanor, and the degree to which these qualities mask his radical progressive policy preferences, are just what the Democratic consultant class ordered. And yet, Democratic activists are probably more enlivened by the candidate’s rhetoric.

About the Author

Noah Rothman

Noah Rothman is a senior writer at National Review. His third book, Blood and Progress: A Century of Left-Wing Violence, was published by Hachette in May 2026.