Google Gemini was used to research this piece. This Essay was posted on 6/14/2026.
Maine’s Democratic candidate for the Senate, Graham Platner has been in the news lately. The news mostly covers Platner’s troubled relationships with women early in his life and when he was first married. Critics assert that his troubled relations with women reveal character flaws that disqualify him as a political candidate. The history of US Presidents doesn’t support such a harsh judgment.
Presidents have often struggled with moral issues. Grover Cleveland fathered a child out of wedlock. Warren Harding had a long-term affair with his friend’s wife. Dwight Eisenhower allegedly had an affair with his female driver during World War II. Franklin Roosevelt had a long-time affair, while married to Eleanor. John Kennedy had many extra-marital affairs. Bill Clinton apparently had affairs before he was President and had an affair that led to his impeachment trial. Donald Trump was accused of raping a woman and of having extra-marital affairs. Andrew Jackson wedded a married woman. And Thomas Jefferson fathered children with one of his slaves. How did these moral lapses affect their jobs as President?
Roosevelt, Eisenhower, and Jefferson are ranked in the elite tier. Kennedy and Clinton are ranked rated as near great. Cleveland and Jackson are ranked in the middle. Harding and Trump are ranked in the bottom tier. There is no clear correlation between morality and effectiveness. So, why do people criticize Platner?
Platner, who is not wealthy, actively supports working poor people. The current administration is making huge cuts in programs directed at the working poor who are facing rising costs with little income relief. The emphasis on Platner’s past makes political sense only if you are benefitting from the working poor.
In this election, the richest 1% want to control the other 99%, and that is why Graham Platner’s message resonates.
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