Nice & balanced article about that Joe Biden sexual assault

[msmerymac]

If you can use the words "nice" and "sexual assault" together. 

TL;DR: the lack of mainstream media coverage isn't a conspiracy. The fact is, there is a LOT of research to be done with this type of claim, and a lot of things to be verified. In fairness to both the accuser and the accused, journalists need to do their due diligence in researching this type of story.

(Personally, Amanda Marcotte has said that even after writing this, she doesn't think she knows the "truth" any more than she did going into it.)


www.salon.com/2020/03/31/a-woman-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault-and-all-hell-breaks-loose-online-heres-what-we-know/?fbclid=IwAR3nLyGhoF4OL1SqXngE1CC5fhSG40Etktvi6Qgia17MDTGikYX-aq9ypuo



The story of Reade's allegations against Biden shows what can happen when the rigorous standards espoused by mainstream publications are sidestepped for a more credulous and politicized approach. The failure to vet this story methodically and to preemptively address its odder elements opened the door to a whirlwind of conspiracy theories and misinformation.



Some Sanders supporters are lobbing wild accusations of a cover-up by the mainstream media and Time's Up for not publicizing Reade's story. In turn, some Biden supporters are being reckless — whether by assuming Reade is lying, or by spreading ridiculous conspiracy theories about her, or both. No doubt some folks on either side of the political divide would be reacting the same way no matter what, but the situation has been made significantly worse because of the slipshod manner in which Reade's allegations were reported and released.

...

No matter how it may be interpreted, "believe women" has never been an injunction to publish every allegation of sexual abuse without hesitation or reservation. It's about taking these stories seriously on their own terms, instead of dismissing them as women's attempts to manipulate people and public opinion. For journalists, it means we must take stories of sexual abuse seriously and treat them carefully and thoroughly; as Rebecca Traister said on Twitter in 2017, that means publishing stories that are "reported, investigated, fact checked & backed up by the outlets reporting on them."

[One Girl In All The World]

Is it wrong to say that I just don’t care right now if it’s true or not? I just can’t. It feels like a hit to me, and normally I’d want to know one way or the other if it seemed legit. But he’s what we’ve got, and I just have no time for anything other than getting competence back into the White House. Period.

[whatnext]

I don't think we need to look any further than how he handled the Anita Hill testimony, that people have wanted to ignore or sidetrack from that through the whole of the primaries shows something

[bowies]

Being that she shopped it to both Harris and Warren and they rebuffed her makes my spidey senses tingle. It’s not that I’m saying don’t believe her, but I agree with the advice to vet the hell out of this.

[turnipthebeet]

Seems like this would have come up when Obama vetted him. Admittedly didn’t click the article.

[aurora]

Mar 31, 2020 17:59:07 GMT -5 turnipthebeet said:

Seems like this would have come up when Obama vetted him. Admittedly didn’t click the article.

Eh, I think a lot more women are speaking out now than in 2008. I don't think it's strange that she would have kept quiet then.

I have no idea what the truth is here. I don't think Biden or Sanders are great with women and I'm glad Warren was still on the ticket when I voted.

[msmerymac]

What really eats at me is the fact that there's a pretty big overlap in the Venn diagram of people who screamed about Warren being a lying liar who lies when the story about Bernie telling her a woman couldn't win in 2020 came out (despite the fact that 1) she wasn't the one who leaked it and didn't really want to talk about it and 2) it didn't benefit her in any way) and people who are now shouting that we should always believe woman, and look, conveniently here's a woman claiming Biden is a rapist.

Which doesn't mean I don't believe her story. But there is plenty wrong on both sides of this issue.

[StrawberryBlondie]

Mar 31, 2020 16:27:19 GMT -5 One Girl In All The World said:

Is it wrong to say that I just don’t care right now if it’s true or not? I just can’t. It feels like a hit to me, and normally I’d want to know one way or the other if it seemed legit. But he’s what we’ve got, and I just have no time for anything other than getting competence back into the White House. Period.

This is where I am too. I don't care. In a different time and different circumstances, I would, but I don't have it in me now.

[One Girl In All The World]

Mar 31, 2020 19:41:46 GMT -5 StrawberryBlondie said:

Mar 31, 2020 16:27:19 GMT -5 One Girl In All The World said:

Is it wrong to say that I just don’t care right now if it’s true or not? I just can’t. It feels like a hit to me, and normally I’d want to know one way or the other if it seemed legit. But he’s what we’ve got, and I just have no time for anything other than getting competence back into the White House. Period.

This is where I am too. I don't care. In a different time and different circumstances, I would, but I don't have it in me now.

I mean there's no shortage of quotes from me on this very forum that Joe was not my first choice for a number of reasons. But like I said, he's what we have. And his administration will be of Obama/Clinton caliber in terms of talent and ability and PLEASE GOD MAKE HIM PRESIDENT NOW. That's where I am.

[kershnic]

At this point I’d like a president who does not think that sacrificing 100,000 people is doing a great job, regardless of the other allegations against them. 🤷‍♀️

[Velar Fricative]

I admittedly haven’t been paying attention. Did she or some media outlet just come out and share this now during a global pandemic? Because I find such timing to be quite odd. Okay I’ll go read now.

[Velar Fricative]

Okay, I read it. I don’t know what to think. I still think the timing of this is odd.

[StrawberryBlondie]

Mar 31, 2020 20:20:48 GMT -5 Velar Fricative said:

I admittedly haven’t been paying attention. Did she or some media outlet just come out and share this now during a global pandemic? Because I find such timing to be quite odd. Okay I’ll go read now.

Shaun King has been hitting it pretty hard.

Interpret that how you will.

[aurora]

Mar 31, 2020 20:04:17 GMT -5 kershnic said:

At this point I’d like a president who does not think that sacrificing 100,000 people is doing a great job, regardless of the other allegations against them. 🤷‍♀️

On top of being a serial rapist himself.

[wildrice]

I don't NOT care about this, but I don't feel like it's going to change my mind about voting for him either way. We are not left with great choices and I still think he's the best remaining choice. If we have to pick between two potential rapists for president, that totally sucks, but he's done a lot less harm to a lot less people than Trump so I don't really see another option.

ETA: and I don't believe Bernie will win if he's the nominee, so unless I want Trump to be reelected I think Biden is our only hope.

[downtoearth]

This does make me sick and pissed - changes how I see Biden even more. It's not okay to be handsy, assault, Anita Hill non-believer Biden or to be shouty, bro-riffic, wrote rape-fantasy, less gun control Sanders. These are both terrible choices for women. But are they worse than Trump... nope. But both still not what I want to canvas for. I'll do my part for either, but I'm not excited about it.

[jigsy]

Whatever. We have who we have. I think it is disgusting that this is where we are and we have lost the moral authority on these issues.

I couldn't believe anyone would vote for Roy Moore. But, I guess I get it now. If the other person is worse in your eyes, then you suck it up and vote for someone who disgusts you because it is better for the greater good.

(I am not saying that roy moore = biden. Only if I were a republican and believed the shit that comes out of that party, then I kind of get it now why you'd vote for rapey man as long as the rapey man was going to push the agenda that you want)

[AllieHound]

I mean...either we vote for Dumpster Fire who has had multiple reputable accusations made against him, has exactly zero redeeming qualities and surrounded himself with people as inept or more so than he is, who believes the economy is worth more than countless lives...

Or we vote for Joe, who is dotty and has verified moments of inappropriate behavior and one semi-reputable rape allegation...who has had very troubling votes in the past and who is definitely a middling candidate to many....but who has empathy foremost among his normal human emotions, will put actual experts into important positions and who has flat out stated he just wants to bridge the gap between Trump and next-gen Democrats.

While I hate that our choice is between Narcissist Racist Definite Rapist and Creepy-Uncle Maybe-Rapist...that’s where we are, and I know who I’ll vote for, with the hope that in 4 years, I’m actually excited again.