I see a frequent theme in comments by the remaining Tara Reade defenders.
The gist is that if the left rejects *any* sexual assault allegation, it will undermine *all* allegations.
There’s a serious misunderstanding of what the right wants here.
1/
The gist is that if the left rejects *any* sexual assault allegation, it will undermine *all* allegations.
There’s a serious misunderstanding of what the right wants here.
1/
The right’s second worst scenario is the left fully hearing, considering and applying scrutiny to an allegation against one of its own - and rationally identifying it as false.
That is the second worst possible scenario for the right.
2/
That is the second worst possible scenario for the right.
2/
The worst scenario is the left fully hearing, considering and applying scrutiny to a false allegation against someone *on the right* - and rationally identifying it as false.
3/
3/
The right wants to discredit the left’s judgment.
The holy grail is successfully persuading people “you can’t trust the left on this topic.”
Destroy trust in the left’s judgment; destroy its power to advocate.
4/
The holy grail is successfully persuading people “you can’t trust the left on this topic.”
Destroy trust in the left’s judgment; destroy its power to advocate.
4/
The ideal scenarios for the right are:
1) A clearly credible allegation against someone on the left which the left rejects anyway.
2) A clearly false allegation the left insists is credible.
5/
1) A clearly credible allegation against someone on the left which the left rejects anyway.
2) A clearly false allegation the left insists is credible.
5/
The ideal political scenario for people looking to undermine MeToo is one where the unconverted masses see an allegation as clearly true or false while the left acts as if it is the opposite.
Destroy trust in a group’s judgment; destroy their platform.
6/
Destroy trust in a group’s judgment; destroy their platform.
6/
In the Tara Reade case, the right has telegraphed that they don’t actually see the allegation as credible.
Trump has mumbled words to that effect to staff. Lindsey Graham openly balked.
The senior levels on the right aren’t trying to advance the allegation as credible.
7/
Trump has mumbled words to that effect to staff. Lindsey Graham openly balked.
The senior levels on the right aren’t trying to advance the allegation as credible.
7/
After all, how would advancing an allegation with innumerable red flags actually help a group that covets the power to shunt aside allegations against their own?
“We should believe even questionable allegations.” is by no means the right’s goal here or ever.
8/
“We should believe even questionable allegations.” is by no means the right’s goal here or ever.
8/
The people looking to undermine the movement toward justice for sexual harassment and sexual violence survivors won’t be helped by the left reasonably investigating an allegation and finding it false.
That would show the left can be fair and reasonable appraisers of fact.
9/
That would show the left can be fair and reasonable appraisers of fact.
9/
Contrary to what the running theme I see in comments, digging in and doggedly insisting an apparently false allegation is true isn’t fighting back against the right.
It’s helping them immeasurably.
10/10
It’s helping them immeasurably.
10/10
