Jacob Posik is the political director of Maine Civic Action and the director of legislative affairs of Maine Policy Institute.

The Maine and national political worlds were rocked last week when new sexual assault allegations against Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner came to light. Within days, Platner suspended his campaign, leaving the Maine Democratic Party scrambling to devise a process for selecting his replacement.

Good riddance, Graham.

It’s difficult for me to muster much sympathy for the activists, operatives and commentators who’ve spent months insisting Platner was the future of Maine politics. Sadly, the same people who purport to fight against Nazism, misogyny and racism are the same ones who cheered Platner on from the beginning. 

The old proverb “you reap what you sow” comes to mind. 

When you enthusiastically rally behind someone whose conduct and character are plainly unbecoming of a U.S. senator, don’t be surprised when the collapse arrives. The downfall of Graham Platner was predictable from the beginning. 

The remarkable part of this story isn’t that Platner’s campaign imploded. It’s that it took so long.

If there had only been warning signs that this guy was monstrous. Oh wait, there were.

Last October, Platner faced questions about his skull-and-crossbones chest tattoo resembling the “Totenkopf” emblem historically associated with the Nazi SS. Platner initially claimed he had no idea it was a Nazi symbol until reporters and insiders pointed it out during the campaign. 

That explanation unraveled when former girlfriend Lyndsey Fifield told CNN that Platner himself referred to the tattoo as his “Totenkopf” years earlier, contradicting his account.

The tattoo controversy alone should have prompted serious reflection among his supporters — especially those who call everyone they disagree with “Nazis.” Instead, most dismissed it as a distraction or partisan attack and pressed forward as though nothing happened.

That same month, old posts surfaced from Platner’s Reddit account. Although he attempted to laugh them off as “stupid joke comments,” they revealed something far more troubling than immature humor. 

The posts included racist remarks about Black people not tipping waitstaff, all cops being bastards and rural white Mainers being stupid and racist. He also said sexual assault victims should “take responsibility for themselves” and made repeated references to political violence. 

These weren’t harmless jokes. They reflected extraordinarily poor judgment from someone who wants to represent us in the U.S. Senate. 

Then the pattern became even harder to ignore.

In May, reports emerged that Platner’s campaign knew he had been using the anonymous messaging app Kik to exchange sexually explicit messages with other women while married. Campaign operatives worked hard to keep the information from becoming public. 

Another red flag was waved away.

Then last month, former partners (including Fifield) described abusive, intimidating and disturbing behavior during their relationships with Platner. 

Sadly, many didn’t take these accusations as seriously as they should’ve — simply because Fifield identifies as conservative. Other women shared similar accounts with the New York Times, painting a picture of Platner that was becoming increasingly difficult to dismiss. 

Still, many supporters remained firmly in Platner’s corner.

The house of cards finally came crashing down this week when Jenny Racicot, who previously dated Platner, publicly accused him of sexual assault.

Allegations of rape ultimately proved too much for even his most loyal defenders. One by one, Democratic politicians and organizations began disavowing Platner, eventually forcing him to suspend his campaign.

Why did it take all this? How many controversies, contradictions and demonstrable character failures does it take before supporters concluded Platner had no business representing Maine? 

Imagine the mental gymnastics required to dismiss every warning sign along the way while continuing to pretend Platner was an everyday Mainer fighting for everyday Mainers. 

We’re frequently lectured about the importance of character, decency and moral leadership in our politics. If that’s true, those standards should apply consistently. 

The tragedy here is not that Platner’s campaign ended in disgrace. The tragedy is that so many people ignored the warning signs because acknowledging reality would have required abandoning a candidate they wanted so desperately to win simply because he stood a chance of beating Susan Collins.

That’s the lesson in all of this. When you excuse unacceptable conduct because it advances your political goals, you shouldn’t be shocked when that same conduct eventually consumes the very movement you worked hard to build.

You reap what you sow. Good riddance, Graham.