For a party that constantly lectures about character and accountability, Democrats seem remarkably committed to standing by Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner no matter what fresh controversy lands in the headlines.

The latest problem came from a New York Times report detailing allegations from former partners describing “unsettling” behavior, including one account involving allegedly threatening conduct. Platner denied any allegations involving physical violence.

Of course, this is hardly Platner’s first scandal. He has already spent much of his campaign explaining a Nazi-linked Totenkopf skull tattoo, apologizing for offensive Reddit posts, and answering questions about reports of sexually explicit messages exchanged with multiple women while married.

Yet Democratic leaders largely remain in his corner because defeating Republican Sen. Susan Collins remains a top priority.

Some Democrats are now reaching for the redemption argument. Rep. Ro Khanna called the reported behavior “wrong and toxic” but said Platner has acknowledged past mistakes and deserves a chance to move forward. Khanna continues to campaign alongside him, as do other prominent Democrats.

Others on the left have taken a different approach: blaming fellow liberals for publicizing the story at all. Apparently the bigger concern isn’t the allegations – it’s that someone might hurt the party’s chances of flipping a Senate seat.

The strangest part? Despite months of damaging headlines, Platner is reportedly tied and sometimes leading with Collins in recent polling. That’s either a sign of remarkably forgiving voters or proof that modern politics has become completely detached from reality. Or it’s proof that Democratic voters are as sick as the politicians who represent them.

Regardless of reality, Democrats appear determined to find out just how much baggage a candidate can carry before sane voters decide that enough is enough. Come November, it may fall to independent voters in Maine to deliver that verdict – and to show the party just how sick and detached this behavior looks to normal people. One can only hope.