This is The New Yorker Radio Hour, a co-production of WNYC Studios and The New Yorker.

Welcome to The New Yorker Radio Hour. I'm David Remnick.

Since Donald Trump's populist rhetoric first began to resonate with voters, particularly disaffected white voters,

the Democratic Party has been

looking for candidates who could talk more convincingly about economic insecurity and other

related issues. There's been an emphasis on people who seem to be outside the party establishment,

particularly working people, and military veterans too.

Graham Platner checked a lot of those boxes.

He had served in the Marines and in the Army,

and coming home to Maine, he took over a small oyster farming business.

Platner was recruited to run for the Senate seat that's been held for a long time by Susan Collins.

But early in his campaign, the picture got a little

complicated. Comments that Platner had made over the years on Reddit and elsewhere began to

surface, and you probably heard about this. He called police officers bastards and said

victims of sexual assault should, quote, take some responsibility for themselves.

He used homophobic slurs, and he made remarks about black people, rural whites, kind of everybody.

And one of his tattoos was said to resemble a Nazi symbol, though he points out that he didn't quite realize that when he got it.

Platner apologized, and he apologized repeatedly.

He covered up the tattoo.

But some progressive groups have said,

maybe this guy is just not cut out for the job.

Grand Platner's campaign will be, among other things,

...