Alleged sexual harassment or assault aside, Biden does inarguably have a very long and public history of putting his hands on women or girls to whom he is not married and with whom he presumably has not had consensual intimacy. Biden has behaved in a way that in today's corporate world could see a man of lesser status reprimanded or even terminated. Does the existence of smoke mean that there's fire?
Biden partisans or those who just want control of the Presidency will be less likely to believe that Biden sexually assaulted Tara Reade. They will scream about Republican dirty tricks, say that Trump's gotta go no matter what, claim that Reade is a (insert contemptuous word for woman of low morals), or simply say that the Biden they know would never have done anything like that.
For too many people across the political spectrum, due process, proof, and skeptical inquiry (especially) for sexual crimes have become concepts that are ONLY to be granted to people that agree with you or look like you. They are NEVER basic human rights guaranteed to people who differ from you politically or have the "wrong" set of chromosomes.
In fact even asking for proof when one of THEM is accused of some dastardly deed will make some people on your "side" question your bona fides. We all know that the only thing worse than one of THEM is somebody who sympathizes with or loves one of THEM.
Tara Reade's story shows the hypocrisy and moral emptiness of many associated with the #Metoo, #Timesup, #Believewomen and other similar movements. We should always believe women, except when they accuse Democratic Presidential candidates? How does that work exactly?
You can't state that accusations dating back to 1993 are too old to consider when just yesterday you were preaching that Christine Blasey Ford's 1980s accusations against Kavanaugh were believable testimony that justified keeping Kavanaugh off the Supreme Court or impeaching him when Democrats retook the Senate.
If Biden supporters are okay with turning a blind eye to these accusations because beating Trump is so important then how are they any different than the Trump supporters who famously claimed that Trump could grab them by their ****** any time? After all to them it was critically important to keep Clinton out of the White House.
It's not about holding Democrats to a higher standard. It's about holding everyone to the same standard. It's about recognizing that men from every political background are capable of boorish, harassing, or criminal behavior AND that women from every background are capable of mistakes, lies, or half-truths. If if is okay to question Tara Reade's story, search for inconsistencies, question her honesty, politics or clothing choices then it is okay for people to do that to other alleged victims. This is really an important point.
It's difficult for anyone to know immediately just who's telling the truth. Biden had better address these allegations directly. I don't think reducing the 2020 election to the cynical question of which alleged pervert you prefer for President is good for the Democrats in any aspect. But that is what's going to happen.
Right now many people who frothed at the mouth about Trump's alleged sexual crimes are quiet as church mice about Biden's.
That's wrong.
