2020 US candidates

[Aroura]

a) adding details about what happened is changing the claims and your desire to claim that she didn't change claims is absurd.
b) that's not the article you linked to and to which I was referring.  Now you're just being borderline dishonest.
c) an article published almost a year later doesn't affect the original arrticle.

You said that I was wrong.  What was I wrong about?

From the earlier article cited:
[emphasis mine]

Um, it is from the same article, I just went and checked.  Here is the link again.

Yes, your quote is in there as well, but so is mine.  It's the 4th paragraph from the bottom.    They are both from the same article.  I'm not being dishonest.  I think you just must have missed this paragraph?  Or perhaps didn't read all the way to the end, which is understandable.  

As I explained earlier, I thought you meant she changed her ORIGINAL claim, as in, changed some aspect of her original story, which she did not do.  Her original claim stands as it was originally made.
I see now you simply meant she added another claim.   So you can drop it now, there was a misunderstanding that was clarified.  Twice.  You are fighting me over nothing at this point.  I agree with you.  She added a claim.

a) That article wasn't linked in the post I was responding to in the post you faulted.
b) Even if it had been, the problem would still remain; her claims appear to have changed.
c) Her original claim was inappropriate behavior; now it's sexual assault.  That seems like a pretty significant difference.

The questions that are relevant are whether she documented the sexual assault at the time, and if not, why is she coming forward now?

(And no offense, but the person appearing to have a kneejerk response to this is you.)

A) Fair enough, I see your response was to a second link I made.  But the articly you quoted and responded to with the 3 points a,b,c was the one I thought you were referencing, since it was the one quoted in your response.  Just a bit of confusion there.

b) and C) Her original claim has not changed from inappropriate behavior TO sexual assault.  They are two separate instances.  One was inappropriate behavior. The second was sexual assault.

I'm still not entirely sure what you are claiming about the change, as it still seems you are saying she changed her initial story from one thing TO another thing.  Adding something is changing, but it's not the same sort of changing as altering the original story entirely.

1. IF you are saying she added a second accusation that took place at a different time and location, fine, I agree with you, and I haven o idea why you are continuing to argue with me when I've said (now 3 times), that I agree.  That does constitute a sort of change.  

2. IF you are saying she changed her initial story from one of inappropriate behavior TO one of assault in the same instance, then that's just incorrect, and not what she is claiming at all.

If you could be clear which one you mean, I think we could have a place to proceed from there.

Edited to add, I never accused anyone in this entire thread of having a knee jerk response, so I'm not quite sure why you felt it necessary to toss that insult in your response, but ok.
I think this is simply miscommunication, you and I, that's why I'm trying to ask for clarification on what you mean.

[Dānu]

Um, it is from the same article, I just went and checked.  Here is the link again.

Yes, your quote is in there as well, but so is mine.  It's the 4th paragraph from the bottom.    They are both from the same article.  I'm not being dishonest.  I think you just must have missed this paragraph?  Or perhaps didn't read all the way to the end, which is understandable.  

As I explained earlier, I thought you meant she changed her ORIGINAL claim, as in, changed some aspect of her original story, which she did not do.  Her original claim stands as it was originally made.
I see now you simply meant she added another claim.   So you can drop it now, there was a misunderstanding that was clarified.  Twice.  You are fighting me over nothing at this point.  I agree with you.  She added a claim.

a) That article wasn't linked in the post I was responding to in the post you faulted.
b) Even if it had been, the problem would still remain; her claims appear to have changed.
c) Her original claim was inappropriate behavior; now it's sexual assault.  That seems like a pretty significant difference.

The questions that are relevant are whether she documented the sexual assault at the time, and if not, why is she coming forward now?

(And no offense, but the person appearing to have a kneejerk response to this is you.)

A) Fair enough, I see your response was to a second link I made.  But the articly you quoted and responded to with the 3 points a,b,c was the one I thought you were referencing, since it was the one quoted in your response.  Just a bit of confusion there.

b) and C) Her original claim has not changed from inappropriate behavior TO sexual assault.  They are two separate instances.  One was inappropriate behavior. The second was sexual assault.

I'm still not entirely sure what you are claiming about the change, as it still seems you are saying she changed her initial story from one thing TO another thing.  Adding something is changing, but it's not the same sort of changing as altering the original story entirely.

1. IF you are saying she added a second accusation that took place at a different time and location, fine, I agree with you, and I haven o idea why you are continuing to argue with me when I've said (now 3 times), that I agree.  That does constitute a sort of change.  

2. IF you are saying she changed her initial story from one of inappropriate behavior TO one of assault in the same instance, then that's just incorrect, and not what she is claiming at all.

If you could be clear which one you mean, I think we could have a place to proceed from there.

The questions remain, Aurora. Did she report a sexual assault in 2019 or before? If not, why was she reporting inappropriate behavior instead of sexual assault? Why is she only now going public with the charge of sexual assault?

[Dānu]

Edited to add, I never accused anyone in this entire thread of having a knee jerk response, so I'm not quite sure why you felt it necessary to toss that insult in your response, but ok.

You're full of shit.

Edited to add, I'm appalled at the fact that this post got two likes without there even being enough time to read the entirety of it, or check the accuracy of the claim made in the post. It's wrong. Not on purpose, I assume, but the automatic disregard for this woman's claims, which have NOT changed, is exactly why woman abused by men in power are afraid to come forward.

[emphasis mine]

[Aroura]

a) That article wasn't linked in the post I was responding to in the post you faulted.
b) Even if it had been, the problem would still remain; her claims appear to have changed.
c) Her original claim was inappropriate behavior; now it's sexual assault.  That seems like a pretty significant difference.

The questions that are relevant are whether she documented the sexual assault at the time, and if not, why is she coming forward now?

(And no offense, but the person appearing to have a kneejerk response to this is you.)

A) Fair enough, I see your response was to a second link I made.  But the articly you quoted and responded to with the 3 points a,b,c was the one I thought you were referencing, since it was the one quoted in your response.  Just a bit of confusion there.

b) and C) Her original claim has not changed from inappropriate behavior TO sexual assault.  They are two separate instances.  One was inappropriate behavior. The second was sexual assault.

I'm still not entirely sure what you are claiming about the change, as it still seems you are saying she changed her initial story from one thing TO another thing.  Adding something is changing, but it's not the same sort of changing as altering the original story entirely.

1. IF you are saying she added a second accusation that took place at a different time and location, fine, I agree with you, and I haven o idea why you are continuing to argue with me when I've said (now 3 times), that I agree.  That does constitute a sort of change.  

2. IF you are saying she changed her initial story from one of inappropriate behavior TO one of assault in the same instance, then that's just incorrect, and not what she is claiming at all.

If you could be clear which one you mean, I think we could have a place to proceed from there.

The questions remain, Aurora.  Did she report a sexual assault in 2019 or before?  If not, why was she reporting inappropriate behavior instead of sexual assault?  Why is she only now going public with the charge of sexual assault?

Did you ask these same questions of Blase-Ford when she accused Kavanaugh?  Because she waited, too.  She waited longer.

Reade actually explains in the article interview (the first I linked, not the second), that there were no witnesses to the assault, so she thought it best to bring up the accusation of which there were witnesses at first, the inappropriate touching and comments.  After being harassed on social media for that alone, she stopped talking about any of it for a while.  She slowly realized that no matter the personal cost, she had to ALSO bring up the more serious instance.  

I thought it was pretty common knowledge that the majority of sexual assault victims don't make the accusations right away.  It often takes years, even decades, to find the courage and support needed to bring them up.  And most don't ever find the courage to make the accusation at all.

Here you go Why women can take years to accuse their assailants

There is a special kind of victim blaming reserved for sexual assault survivors. 

Yes, this doesn't 100% make her story true, but waiting doesn't actually make her story more likely to be false, either.

[mordant]

So vote for Trump if you think you'll do better.  I'm really losing patience with you clowns.

I am not thinking I'll do better under Trump, am not voting for Trump, and at this point I'm not even not voting for Biden. None of that has ANYTHING WHATSOEVER to do with whether Biden is a viable, much less a strong candidate, against Trump. Or whether he's a considered choice for people to be making.

What is substantively different between Trump wishing for the epidemic to be over by Easter and you wishing for Biden to win against Trump?

I mean, it IS true Biden might shamble to a win because Trump might suffer SOME consequences for his objective incompetence and mishandling of things, particularly the Coronavirus, and the general stew of circumstances could hand Biden a victory.

But I'm not counting on it. And even if it happens, I'm not seeing it as a decisive solution for why we had Trump and Trumpism to begin with.

Oh ... and I'm not a clown. Let's not descend into ad hominems here. I haven't said anything like that about you or Alan or anyone else. I'm simply arguing for a candidate people would actually want to vote for, for good and considered and supportable reasons, in even an "ordinary" election. Biden is not, by any measure, that candidate. He is viable only for one reason: Trump is such a shit show.

[Aroura]

Edited to add, I never accused anyone in this entire thread of having a knee jerk response, so I'm not quite sure why you felt it necessary to toss that insult in your response, but ok.

You're full of shit.

Edited to add, I'm appalled at the fact that this post got two likes without there even being enough time to read the entirety of it, or check the accuracy of the claim made in the post.  It's wrong.  Not on purpose, I assume, but the automatic disregard for this woman's claims, which have NOT changed, is exactly why woman abused by men in power are afraid to come forward.

[emphasis mine]

Can conversations happen without insults?   Can't you point out a mistake without it getting personal? 

In that instance, there was evidence of automatic disregard for the claim being made.  I didn't consider that the same as a "knee jerk reaction".  But perhaps you are right, and they are pretty much the same.    So, granted that.

I'm full of shit.  Or mistaken.  Same difference, I suppose.  I will grant you mistakes however, not outright lies (as I did in this very quote, as matter of fact, where I said "not on purpose"!)
It was a mistake, and not made out of malice.  I will, however, admit that I was wrong. 

[Aroura]

Edited.  Don't know why I'm sharing.  My whole point was I often regret it when I do.  Sorry to delete. 

[mordant]

The one time I shared a personal story on this forum of abuse, I was personally attacked for not standing up for myself, and told what a terrible person (and mother) I am.  Now I keep it all to myself, and always will. Even though a few people were kind to me, it doesn't make up for the abuse and blame people who are abused take.  Victim blaming. You know how bullied people tend to get blamed for being bullied. That sort of thing.

That's why women don't share.  That's why they might wait decades, if ever, to talk.

I have also been disabused of a lot of my innocence and optimism over the years for various reasons but it hasn't flirted with outright depression until very recently. These are tough times.

However at least it has not been broad-spectrum gaslighting because of my gender, which for women in my experience and observation takes many forms. My wife is a very strong woman and has never seen herself as a victim but nevertheless it was helpful for me to intervene recently on her behalf with our next door neighbor who is weirdly competitive about his political notions and went after her very aggressively on FB because she had the temerity to make some very mild comments not in favor of his chosen candidate. He has never gone after me for, let's just say, "less mild" comments, and the difference is, I think, that he sees my wife as an "uppity woman" intruding on a man's domain.

Which I mention just to show some solidarity and to validate your experience and feeling about it.

My wife agrees with you that the allegations against Biden are credible and serious, and I certainly do. So you're not alone. But you need look no further than Dr Ford and the price she paid for testifying about her experiences with Beer Boy to see why women are reluctant to go public. This is definitely "no good deed goes unpunished" territory.

As to the philosophical question of the ages, "what's the point" ... the point for me anymore is that I have loved ones who count on me. If my wife and stepson were absent from the picture I would still enjoy the things introverts the world over enjoy, but I would not fight to stay alive in the grip of covid or whatever either. I've lived too long, seen too much and lost too much, and the drama is getting old. So apart from my closest peeps, the value proposition of life here in the upside down is unfortunately in large measure a function of how well I can keep the madness at arm's length. At some point that might involve pulling back from talking in circles with some folks here. Indeed, I'm already drawing back a bit.

Keep your husband and daughter in mind and don't listen to your own fears that you're not that useful to them. You are everything to them. Beyond that, protect yourself and don't allow yourself to take on the whole world if it's pulling you down to do so.

[Dom]

Biden is from a touchy, feely era and family background. Most of today's generations are not, it has disappeared with time, we don't touch each other anymore. He was accused of making several women uncomfortable by touching them or whispering in their ear - usually words of encouragement or appreciation. Even planting a kiss on top of their head. To me, this is normal, friendly behavior, to many others it is not. He did come out and said he understands now that it makes some people uncomfortable, apologized, and stopped doing it.

The woman with the assault complaint is one person making an unsubstantiated claim at the time of an election. To me, that smells bad.

That said, I fully support the me too movement, I wish we had had it when I was young, I encountered some real creeps travelling in a male business world. There is no shortage of men who are pigs.

Maybe I made myself more clear now.

[Aroura]

The one time I shared a personal story on this forum of abuse, I was personally attacked for not standing up for myself, and told what a terrible person (and mother) I am.  Now I keep it all to myself, and always will. Even though a few people were kind to me, it doesn't make up for the abuse and blame people who are abused take.  Victim blaming. You know how bullied people tend to get blamed for being bullied. That sort of thing.

That's why women don't share.  That's why they might wait decades, if ever, to talk.

I have also been disabused of a lot of my innocence and optimism over the years for various reasons but it hasn't flirted with outright depression until very recently. These are tough times.

However at least it has not been broad-spectrum gaslighting because of my gender, which for women in my experience and observation takes many forms. My wife is a very strong woman and has never seen herself as a victim but nevertheless it was helpful for me to intervene recently on her behalf with our next door neighbor who is weirdly competitive about his political notions and went after her very aggressively on FB because she had the temerity to make some very mild comments not in favor of his chosen candidate. He has never gone after me for, let's just say, "less mild" comments, and the difference is, I think, that he sees my wife as an "uppity woman" intruding on a man's domain.

Which I mention just to show some solidarity and to validate your experience and feeling about it.

My wife agrees with you that the allegations against Biden are credible and serious, and I certainly do. So you're not alone. But you need look no further than Dr Ford and the price she paid for testifying about her experiences with Beer Boy to see why women are reluctant to go public. This is definitely "no good deed goes unpunished" territory.

As to the philosophical question of the ages, "what's the point" ... the point for me anymore is that I have loved ones who count on me. If my wife and stepson were absent from the picture I would still enjoy the things introverts the world over enjoy, but I would not fight to stay alive in the grip of covid or whatever either. I've lived too long, seen too much and lost too much, and the drama is getting old. So apart from my closest peeps, the value proposition of life here in the upside down is unfortunately in large measure a function of how well I can keep the madness at arm's length. At some point that might involve pulling back from talking in circles with some folks here. Indeed, I'm already drawing back a bit.

Keep your husband and daughter in mind and don't listen to your own fears that you're not that useful to them. You are everything to them. Beyond that, protect yourself and don't allow yourself to take on the whole world if it's pulling you down to do so.

Thanks Mordant.  Sometimes depression is a pretty dark monster.  Just have to keep a light somewhere in sight.   

I had a good article somewhere I linked earlier about why women are reluctant to go public.  There is indeed a lot to it, and I don't blame them for it.
Well, I've said my piece, so I'll leave it here for now.

 to you and yours

[Alan V]

Can I ask, what was your response when Kavanaugh was accused?  

If I remember correctly, I wasn't paying enough attention to the Kavanaugh hearings to have an informed opinion.  

While I am entirely sympathetic to women coming forward in such cases, I don't see why they should if they can't substantiate their charges in some material way.  Politics, book deals and headlines aside, they don't have much incentive too.

[Dom]

The one time I shared a personal story on this forum of abuse, I was personally attacked for not standing up for myself, and told what a terrible person (and mother) I am.  Now I keep it all to myself, and always will. Even though a few people were kind to me, it doesn't make up for the abuse and blame people who are abused take.  Victim blaming. You know how bullied people tend to get blamed for being bullied. That sort of thing.

That's why women don't share.  That's why they might wait decades, if ever, to talk.

I have also been disabused of a lot of my innocence and optimism over the years for various reasons but it hasn't flirted with outright depression until very recently. These are tough times.

However at least it has not been broad-spectrum gaslighting because of my gender, which for women in my experience and observation takes many forms. My wife is a very strong woman and has never seen herself as a victim but nevertheless it was helpful for me to intervene recently on her behalf with our next door neighbor who is weirdly competitive about his political notions and went after her very aggressively on FB because she had the temerity to make some very mild comments not in favor of his chosen candidate. He has never gone after me for, let's just say, "less mild" comments, and the difference is, I think, that he sees my wife as an "uppity woman" intruding on a man's domain.

Which I mention just to show some solidarity and to validate your experience and feeling about it.

My wife agrees with you that the allegations against Biden are credible and serious, and I certainly do. So you're not alone. But you need look no further than Dr Ford and the price she paid for testifying about her experiences with Beer Boy to see why women are reluctant to go public. This is definitely "no good deed goes unpunished" territory.

As to the philosophical question of the ages, "what's the point" ... the point for me anymore is that I have loved ones who count on me. If my wife and stepson were absent from the picture I would still enjoy the things introverts the world over enjoy, but I would not fight to stay alive in the grip of covid or whatever either. I've lived too long, seen too much and lost too much, and the drama is getting old. So apart from my closest peeps, the value proposition of life here in the upside down is unfortunately in large measure a function of how well I can keep the madness at arm's length. At some point that might involve pulling back from talking in circles with some folks here. Indeed, I'm already drawing back a bit.

Keep your husband and daughter in mind and don't listen to your own fears that you're not that useful to them. You are everything to them. Beyond that, protect yourself and don't allow yourself to take on the whole world if it's pulling you down to do so.

Thanks Mordant.  Sometimes depression is a pretty dark monster.  Just have to keep a light somewhere in sight.   

I had a good article somewhere I linked earlier about why women are reluctant to go public.  There is indeed a lot to it, and I don't blame them for it.
Well, I've said my piece, so I'll leave it here for now.

 to you and yours

I am one of those women who didn't go public, after being raped. Repeatedly. I know exactly why. All you want to do is scrub yourself until you are raw. As if it could be cleaned off. Who wants to stay soiled and go to the cops, knowing they will make lewd comments behind your back, and then you get poked and prodded all over again, just to have your file forgotten and your samples rot? And even if it all ends up in court, who wants to have their reputation dragged through the mud and make a spectacle of the whole thing, all the while looking at your rapist, and being asked to point him out?

Not me, I tell you.

I know exactly what that is like. I never told.

[DLJ]

So vote for Trump if you think you'll do better.  
...

Currently, yes, I think this might be a good tactic.  Or at least, vote with your arse. 

US (and world) history is littered with examples of 'leaders' who can be swayed by popular outrage.  

I can't see much changing if Biden is elected.   

...
I am suspicious of anti Biden propaganda now. I predict there will be a shitstorm of crap, emanating from the White House, Russia and other places. I am going to believe nothing, fake people will penetrate groups and spread crap.

Russia?  Is that still a thing?

Lies became legend.  Legend became myth.

As with christianity, so with Russiagate.

[Alan V]

Russia?  Is that still a thing?

Lies became legend.  Legend became myth.

So our intelligence agencies "made it all up"?  That's a great conspiracy theory you got there.

PBS

The 448-page Mueller report contains copious detail about how Russia interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, both by using social media to influence American voters with misinformation and by hacking into the Clinton campaign’s computers. Russian operatives also connected with WikiLeaks to release the stolen material.

Trump, who never really acknowledged the facts, has not helped to set up any safeguards to prevent it from happening again.

[Thumpalumpacus]

So vote for Trump if you think you'll do better.  
...

Currently, yes, I think this might be a good tactic.  Or at least, vote with your arse. 

US (and world) history is littered with examples of 'leaders' who can be swayed by popular outrage.  

I can't see much changing if Biden is elected.   

...
I am suspicious of anti Biden propaganda now. I predict there will be a shitstorm of crap, emanating from the White House, Russia and other places. I am going to believe nothing, fake people will penetrate groups and spread crap.

Russia?  Is that still a thing?

Lies became legend.  Legend became myth.

As with christianity, so with Russiagate.

When it comes to choosing who to believe, I'll believe Robert Mueller over some guy on-line whom I don't know from a can of paint.

[Aroura]

Well, if anyone wants to make their own judgement, here is a live interview with the woman who has made the accusation.

[SYZ]

I am suspicious of anti Biden propaganda now. I predict there will be a shitstorm of crap, emanating from the White House, Russia and other places. I am going to believe nothing, fake people will penetrate groups and spread crap.

Yep. It struck me as strange that Reade's claims have just surfaced now, nearly thirty years later.
And she's got nothing to lose, but Biden's got a lot to lose. Is she a Trump plant?

[Aroura]

So vote for Trump if you think you'll do better.  
...

Currently, yes, I think this might be a good tactic.  Or at least, vote with your arse. 

US (and world) history is littered with examples of 'leaders' who can be swayed by popular outrage.  

I can't see much changing if Biden is elected.   

...
I am suspicious of anti Biden propaganda now. I predict there will be a shitstorm of crap, emanating from the White House, Russia and other places. I am going to believe nothing, fake people will penetrate groups and spread crap.

Russia?  Is that still a thing?

Lies became legend.  Legend became myth.

As with christianity, so with Russiagate.

When it comes to choosing who to believe, I'll believe Robert Mueller over some guy on-line whom I don't know from a can of paint.

There is no doubt Russia interfered.  But the extent that some people have taken the Russia scare is over the top.  Every person they disagree with might be labeled a Russian troll, Russian bot, and any info they don't like is dismissed as perpetrated by Russians. It's become a massive catch-all for the left, used to blame and dismiss all sorts of people and ideas.  Tulsi Gabbard being a Russian asset, for instance.

That's just taking it to the other extreme.  I know you don't do this, btw.

[Thumpalumpacus]

Currently, yes, I think this might be a good tactic.  Or at least, vote with your arse. 

US (and world) history is littered with examples of 'leaders' who can be swayed by popular outrage.  

I can't see much changing if Biden is elected.   


Russia?  Is that still a thing?

Lies became legend.  Legend became myth.

As with christianity, so with Russiagate.

When it comes to choosing who to believe, I'll believe Robert Mueller over some guy on-line whom I don't know from a can of paint.

There is no doubt Russia interfered.  But the extent that some people have taken the Russia scare is over the top.  Every person they disagree with might be labeled a Russian troll, Russian bot, and any info they don't like is dismissed as perpetrated by Russians. It's become a massive catch-all for the left, used to blame and dismiss all sorts of people and ideas.  Tulsi Gabbard being a Russian asset, for instance.

That's just taking it to the other extreme.  I know you don't do this, btw.

The Gabbard stuff was BS, granted. But I don't know that we know the real extent of the operation. When I see or sense an agenda in play, my antennae go up.

[Chas]

So vote for Trump if you think you'll do better.  
...

Currently, yes, I think this might be a good tactic.  Or at least, vote with your arse. 

US (and world) history is littered with examples of 'leaders' who can be swayed by popular outrage.  

I can't see much changing if Biden is elected.   

If you believe Trump can be swayed by public outrage, you must have been in suspended animation until yesterday.


It will only get worse if Trump is re-elected.

[Thumpalumpacus]

So vote for Trump if you think you'll do better.  
...

Currently, yes, I think this might be a good tactic.  Or at least, vote with your arse. 

US (and world) history is littered with examples of 'leaders' who can be swayed by popular outrage.  

I can't see much changing if Biden is elected.   

If you believe Trump can be swayed by public outrage, you must have been in suspended animation until yesterday.


It will only get worse if Trump is re-elected.

I think @DLJ is arguing that Trump's disregard for public opinion is a selling point.

[Chas]

Currently, yes, I think this might be a good tactic.  Or at least, vote with your arse. 

US (and world) history is littered with examples of 'leaders' who can be swayed by popular outrage.  

I can't see much changing if Biden is elected.   

If you believe Trump can be swayed by public outrage, you must have been in suspended animation until yesterday.


It will only get worse if Trump is re-elected.

I think @DLJ is arguing that Trump's disregard for public opinion is a selling point.

If so, it's to a minority of morons.

[DLJ]

So vote for Trump if you think you'll do better.  
...

Currently, yes, I think this might be a good tactic.  Or at least, vote with your arse. 

US (and world) history is littered with examples of 'leaders' who can be swayed by popular outrage.  

I can't see much changing if Biden is elected.   

If you believe Trump can be swayed by public outrage, you must have been in suspended animation until yesterday.


It will only get worse if Trump is re-elected.

Correction:

Swayed by outrage... nope.  

Swayed by his own pride and insecurity... yup.

Biden, on the other hand, just sways ... physically.

[Thumpalumpacus]

Currently, yes, I think this might be a good tactic.  Or at least, vote with your arse. 

US (and world) history is littered with examples of 'leaders' who can be swayed by popular outrage.  

I can't see much changing if Biden is elected.   

If you believe Trump can be swayed by public outrage, you must have been in suspended animation until yesterday.


It will only get worse if Trump is re-elected.

Correction:

Swayed by outrage... nope.  

Swayed by his own pride and insecurity... yup.

Biden, on the other hand, just sways ... physically.

Given that we're supposed to be a democracy, ruling by feelz doesn't cut it for me.

Your mileage may vary.

[mordant]

I am suspicious of anti Biden propaganda now. I predict there will be a shitstorm of crap, emanating from the White House, Russia and other places. I am going to believe nothing, fake people will penetrate groups and spread crap.

Yep.  It struck me as strange that Reade's claims have just surfaced now, nearly thirty years later.
And she's got nothing to lose, but Biden's got a lot to lose.  Is she a Trump plant?

She has a great deal to lose. Her peace of mind, her privacy, and she gets to take all sorts of guff from ignorant people who find her inconvenient.