Tara Reade Biden allegation megathread

[BudgieForce]

I'm not entirely sure what Biden should do in this instance. Should Biden directly respond, which will let him defend himself but give the story more oxygen. Or should Biden just continue to ignore the accusation and hope it goes away on its own. It is April, so a single accusation wont have enough longevity to keep itself in the news. However, that only works if Reade is the only woman.

[7,052,770]

I do not believe the allegation as is should cost biden the nomination, but those of you claiming blasey-ford's case is more credible are incorrect, in my opinion. Here is why:

...

Again, I don't think that's right because Reade is alleging she told so many people, all of whom covered it up for decades.

Believing that Biden staffers and people in the Senate Personnel Office (remember, it's unlikely that everyone involved was a Democrat in 1993, much less 2020, and even less likely that they're all Biden diehards) totally covered up this story back then and kept it getting out at all for 27 years is just too much for me.

Maybe I could believe it about someone who never ran for president and never was subject to primary opposition research, or someone who never was considered for VP and never subject to vetting, or who was never selected as VP and never subject to more opposition research, or who never served as VP for 8 years and had every right-wing media source digging deep with the dreams of taking down someone so high up in the Obama Administration. The idea that the conspiracy lasted for 27 years without a single leak, despite so many chances for it to happen is just not something I can believe without a mountain of evidence detailing exactly how it happened.

People are free to believe or disbelieve Ford all they want, regardless of how they feel about Reade, but believing Ford does not require believing in such a far-fetched, decade-spanning, bipartisan, leak-proof conspiracy. That makes Ford's story more credible by default because it at least passes a basic plausibility test before we start digging into details.

The obvious explanation is that she was telling the less severe story and the staffers thought that Biden being handsy was so common that they didn't even register it. It doesn't require a vast conspiracy (though I wouldn't be surprised if a few Biden staffers really were keeping quiet for their career prospects), just bad memory combined with self interest.

It's pretty hilarious to see Democrats resort to the worst of "she changed her story so she's a lying whore", as if rape survivors don't test the waters with less severe accusations. The neighbour's testimony alone blows up most of the theories that this is some short term con and is more evidence than Ford ever had.

Well she said she reported the rape to staffers and HR. You're just going to change her story on her behalf to make it less unbelievable? That's not your responsibility.

[7,052,770]

While I'm not sure what to make of Reade's claims-at least not yet-it still disturbs me how so many people on here, who firmly believed in Christine Blasey Ford, denounced Brett Kavanaugh as a rapist and serial sexual harasser, and who condemned those that did not believe in Ford's claims, are now defending Biden. Wasn't the mantra of the #MeToo movement to "Believe All Women"? I am even more disgusted by how some on here want to destroy this particular accuser, whereas if anyone had dared suggest the same about Ford, they would have been shouted down and called a "horrible" human being. It's unfortunate that partisan lenses (and yes, I'm reverting back to my "fake moderate" persona, if you can call it that), seem to color sexual assault allegations in general.

I'm someone who believes the allegations against Trump, and I'm someone who would not have voted to confirm Kavanaugh had I been in the Senate. I'm also someone who doesn't think that this particular allegation should be swept under the rug.

I believe it was the generic "Believe Women," not "Believe all women" no matter what, regardless of how far fetched their claims are.

Obviously if anyone literally said Believe ALL Women but doesn't believe Reade, yeah that's hypocritical, but who actually did that?

[7,052,770]

People are free to believe or disbelieve Ford all they want, regardless of how they feel about Reade, but believing Ford does not require believing in such a far-fetched, decade-spanning, bipartisan, leak-proof conspiracy. That makes Ford's story more credible by default because it at least passes a basic plausibility test before we start digging into details.

Ford's accusations did involve a decades-spanning conspiracy of public silence. And not just regarding Kavanaugh: It quickly became clear that his behavior occurred in a setting where similar transgressions were tolerated so long as actions remained within certain bounds.

Not really. Ford never told any workplace professionals or filed any formal complaints. Nothing about Ford's story would have ever come up in the vetting process for his lower court appointments, because no one they would have asked would have known about it.

[Calthrina950]

While I'm not sure what to make of Reade's claims-at least not yet-it still disturbs me how so many people on here, who firmly believed in Christine Blasey Ford, denounced Brett Kavanaugh as a rapist and serial sexual harasser, and who condemned those that did not believe in Ford's claims, are now defending Biden. Wasn't the mantra of the #MeToo movement to "Believe All Women"? I am even more disgusted by how some on here want to destroy this particular accuser, whereas if anyone had dared suggest the same about Ford, they would have been shouted down and called a "horrible" human being. It's unfortunate that partisan lenses (and yes, I'm reverting back to my "fake moderate" persona, if you can call it that), seem to color sexual assault allegations in general.

I'm someone who believes the allegations against Trump, and I'm someone who would not have voted to confirm Kavanaugh had I been in the Senate. I'm also someone who doesn't think that this particular allegation should be swept under the rug.

I believe it was the generic "Believe Women," not "Believe all women" no matter what, regardless of how far fetched their claims are.

Obviously if anyone literally said Believe ALL Women but doesn't believe Reade, yeah that's hypocritical, but who actually did that?

I distinctly remember #MeToo advocates making the claim that women ought to be believed, if they make sexual assault allegations. And the #MeToo movement arose in part, because of an impulse by many women to come out of the shadows, in which many of them had hid for decades, and to share their stories. That is one similarity between Christine Blasey Ford and Tara Reade; both women say these incidents happened decades ago and that they told others about it. And in both instances, we do have at least one piece of evidence that would seem to suggest something did happen (Blasey Ford's therapy notes and the CNN call made by Reade's mother).

[pppolitics]

Also, nowhere did I said to make up lies about her, if that is something you want to accuse me of.

What this person has been saying is much worse than that. What follows is not a comprehensive list, but merely as much of it as I could stomach in one sitting:

The Biden camp needs dig up every dirty detail of Reade's life and leak it to the public.

Drop the nuke on her (politically speaking) and show her that Biden is a force of nature not to be messed with.

If we completely shred Reade's credibility, Biden is going to have a much easier time answering the question.

She is dragging Biden through the mud right now.

We should respond in kind and nuke her.

Everything must be on the table.

...and that includes the nuclear option

Sending out high profile surrogates to do the dirty work would get the Biden camp a lot of blowback.

It could not be more obvious that the facts of the matter are irrelevant to the author of these comments. I remain extremely skeptical of Reade's claims, but these are rape-enabling demands.

There is this thing called "due process".

Now, you might say, well this isn't court of law, but if we let this slide, anyone could just make up any accusation and ruin someone else's reputation without a shred of evidence.

[Bidenworth2020]

People are free to believe or disbelieve Ford all they want, regardless of how they feel about Reade, but believing Ford does not require believing in such a far-fetched, decade-spanning, bipartisan, leak-proof conspiracy. That makes Ford's story more credible by default because it at least passes a basic plausibility test before we start digging into details.

Ford's accusations did involve a decades-spanning conspiracy of public silence. And not just regarding Kavanaugh: It quickly became clear that his behavior occurred in a setting where similar transgressions were tolerated so long as actions remained within certain bounds.

Not really. Ford never told any workplace professionals or filed any formal complaints. Nothing about Ford's story would have ever come up in the vetting process for his lower court appointments, because no one they would have asked would have known about it.

Huh? There is no indication of a missing paper trail behind Reade's complaint yet, and the expectations around men's behavior have changed dramatically since Obama vetted Biden in '08.

The complaint she said was filed was not found in Senate Records?

[Roblox]

My position is similar to Calthrina's. I'm extremely skeptical of Reade's claims, but I'm disturbed by how quickly red avatars here have jumped to "she's a politically motivated lying whore", a tack they would absolutely condemn if republicans were saying that about Ford, or anyone else that accused a republican of sexual misconduct. Starting to feel a bit MAGA-like.

[BudgieForce]

Yeah, I think its fine to debate the veracity of Reade's claims and the political repercussions of them, but I agree that we should avoid attacking Reade herself. 

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Why are you guys arguing with an obvious troll?

It’s not helpful to call someone with a dissenting opinion a troll.

Nah, Limo really is a troll, and not a very good one.

This is true.

I don’t know much about Limo, but why do you call him a troll?

I've trolled in the past but I've stopped. The posts in this thread reflect my real opinions on the situation.

*snip*

Obvious lie is obvious

Please link which posts of mine you think are insincere.

You're not worth the time.

[Bidenworth2020]

The complaint she said was filed was not found in Senate Records?

The latest that I have seen on the matter is that the AP had been "unable to verify" her complaint. Biden's Senate files are under seal at the University of Delaware until two years after his "retirement from public life." That doesn't seem like the place to keep personnel complaints to me, but it was mentioned as if it were relevant.

There is little reason I can think of that a complaint like that would be in his personal senate files. AP probably didn't just throw that out there, though.

[Roemerista]

Its not going to matter. Character acts as a shield to these sort of things.

Biden's public image (if not his character) is about family. This is so counter to that image. It would take a blue dress for it to shift the public perception of Biden. It might gain traction with the young with that "creepy joe" internet meme - but for the older adults Biden is the griever-in-chief.

Trump is the opposite it was so in-line with his character no one cared.

[AtorBoltox]

This story doesn't seem to be cutting through despite best efforts of those still seething over Bernie's loss

[pppolitics]

There is this thing called "due process".

"We need to completely shred the accuser's credibility" is not due process. It is rape-enabling barbarism. That's not a word that I would use to describe everyone expressing skepticism, but you have taken it to a different, more despicable level.

Now, you might say, well this isn't court of law, but if we let this slide, anyone could just make up any accusation and ruin someone else's reputation without a shred of evidence.

I don't want Joe Biden's reputation to be destroyed. I want to vote for him.

Reade is ruining Biden's reputation right now, and you are saying that Biden couldn't respond because that would be "rape-enabling barbarism".

If this was the court of law, everything about Reade's life would be closely scrutinized in a way that you would considered 'rape-enabling barbarism'.

[The3rdParty]

This is all fake news. I’ve never supported the metoo witch-hunt regardless of if it was a republican or Democrat being accused

[roxas11]

While I'm not sure what to make of Reade's claims-at least not yet-it still disturbs me how so many people on here, who firmly believed in Christine Blasey Ford, denounced Brett Kavanaugh as a rapist and serial sexual harasser, and who condemned those that did not believe in Ford's claims, are now defending Biden. Wasn't the mantra of the #MeToo movement to "Believe All Women"? I am even more disgusted by how some on here want to destroy this particular accuser, whereas if anyone had dared suggest the same about Ford, they would have been shouted down and called a "horrible" human being. It's unfortunate that partisan lenses (and yes, I'm reverting back to my "fake moderate" persona, if you can call it that), seem to color sexual assault allegations in general.

I'm someone who believes the allegations against Trump, and I'm someone who would not have voted to confirm Kavanaugh had I been in the Senate. I'm also someone who doesn't think that this particular allegation should be swept under the rug.

I believe it was the generic "Believe Women," not "Believe all women" no matter what, regardless of how far fetched their claims are.

Obviously if anyone literally said Believe ALL Women but doesn't believe Reade, yeah that's hypocritical, but who actually did that?

I distinctly remember #MeToo advocates making the claim that women ought to be believed, if they make sexual assault allegations. And the #MeToo movement arose in part, because of an impulse by many women to come out of the shadows, in which many of them had hid for decades, and to share their stories. That is one similarity between Christine Blasey Ford and Tara Reade; both women say these incidents happened decades ago and that they told others about it. And in both instances, we do have at least one piece of evidence that would seem to suggest something did happen (Blasey Ford's therapy notes and the CNN call made by Reade's mother).

I believe Tara Reade 100 percent.............when she wrote an article this year saying this lol


his actions were NOT “sexualization,” but rather compared his actions toward her as being demeaning and treating her like a “pretty” lamp that is thrown away when it’s too bright. She also claimed that her story was not “a story about sexual misconduct.”


Me too said believe the woman
well in this case I believe everything that she wrote in that article before she decided to radically change her story .....  

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

^^^^^ Exactly this.

I have so little belief that there was sexual assault but am totally bothered by the idea of revenge against the complaint, and I don't know how anybody could find this preposterous. I have seen dozens of these cases play out every year for more anonymous yet powerful people in the 2010s! Can we rewind the clock 30 years and imagine what was going on?

Neither this nor the sketchy Kavanaugh allegations really have any substance to support that either perpetrated a sexual assault (the allegations of that detail are so recently created in Biden's case and based on a feeling of possible attempt with no corroboration in the Kavanaugh case). What bothers me about this is entirely the revenge against speaking out that even his defenders keep resorting to in the present day.

I don't even find that in itself disqualifying, but it should be carefully considered!

[pppolitics]

Reade is ruining Biden's reputation right now, and you are saying that Biden couldn't respond because that would be "rape-enabling barbarism".

That's nonsense. Biden can do many, many things. He could issue a forceful denial. He could admit that Reade's initial claim was true and apologize. He could even get indignant and emotional about it.

What he should not do, and what his campaign should not do, and what you are insisting on, is "dig up every dirty detail of Reade's life and leak it to the public."

If this was the court of law, everything about Reade's life would be closely scrutinized in a way that you would considered 'rape-enabling barbarism'.[/b]

It is not, nor are you are not a lawyer cross-examining her.

1. Biden camp already issued a forceful denial, but in day in age, it doesn't matter because 'We have to believe women!' no matter how ridiculous the allegations are.

2. If you considered closely scrutinizing someone's life to be 'rape-enabling barbarism', then our courts are part of this 'rape-enabling barbarism', but that's how our justice system works.

[pppolitics]

1. Biden camp already issued a forceful denial, but in day in age, it doesn't matter because 'We have to believe women!' no matter how ridiculous the allegations are.

A spokeswoman said that the claims were false but that "Women have a right to tell their story, and reporters have an obligation to rigorously vet those claims."

That sounds a lot more like what I've been saying in this thread for the past three weeks than what you are saying. Of course I have no way of knowing what the campaign's off-the-record response is. Joe Biden has not personally spoken out about them.

2. If you consider closely scrutinizing someone's life to be 'rape-enabling barbarism', then our courts are 'rape-enabling barbarism', but that's how our justice system works.

Your posting history does not serve the purpose that our legal system does, and anonymous leak campaigns are not a part of its intended functioning. What a bizarre justification for your words.

What I am saying is that the Biden camp should have the right to closely scrutinize Reade, but because, for whatever reason, the 'We have to believe women!" crowd don't think that men should have the right to due process, it is, unfortunately, safer to leak the information.

If the Biden camp just releases the information, the 'We have to believe women!" crowd would claim that the Biden camp is victimizing Reade and Reade loves to play victim more than anything else.

[ηєω ƒяσηтιєя]

Even if Reade's allegations were proven to be 100% true, what would happen?

Would Biden have to give up the nomination? Would Biden just issue a heartfelt apology and ask for forgiveness and we move on? What?

[roxas11]

Reade is ruining Biden's reputation right now, and you are saying that Biden couldn't respond because that would be "rape-enabling barbarism".

That's nonsense. Biden can do many, many things. He could issue a forceful denial. He could admit that Reade's initial claim was true and apologize. He could even get indignant and emotional about it.

What he should not do, and what his campaign should not do, and what you are insisting on, is "dig up every dirty detail of Reade's life and leak it to the public."

If this was the court of law, everything about Reade's life would be closely scrutinized in a way that you would considered 'rape-enabling barbarism'.[/b]

It is not, nor are you are not a lawyer cross-examining her.

1. He could issue a forceful denial

hahahahhahahahahhaha
Lets just be real How man times has that actually worked in cases like this.
I saw tons of forceful denials during Me TOO era from 2017 to 2018 and 98 percent of the time it did not work at all. most people simple perceived them to be guilty not matter what they said even if they tuned out to be innocent in the end.



2. He could admit that Reade's initial claim was true and apologize.

Which makes Zero sense since even Tara herself said that Biden never did anything  sexual to her at all. Unlike many of the woman of Me TOO Reade is actually on record denying anything like that ever happened to her.

I don't think Biden should back down on this one at all
It is Tara who needs to explain to the american people why should is now claiming rape after writing an article in the same year saying that Biden never raped her at all
 

3. He could even get indignant and emotional about it.

yeah something tells me he wont be winning over trump support's and Bernie bros on twitter by getting indignant or emotional about it lol

[Bidenworth2020]

According to the Washington Post article, Tara called the neighbor and "refreshed her" on the story.

[pppolitics]

1. Biden camp already issued a forceful denial, but in day in age, it doesn't matter because 'We have to believe women!' no matter how ridiculous the allegations are.

A spokeswoman said that the claims were false but that "Women have a right to tell their story, and reporters have an obligation to rigorously vet those claims."

Joe Biden has not personally spoken out about them.

Of course none of us has any way of knowing what the campaign's off-the-record response has been at the highest levels, but what they have said doesn't sound much like what you are recommending.

2. If you consider closely scrutinizing someone's life to be 'rape-enabling barbarism', then our courts are 'rape-enabling barbarism', but that's how our justice system works.

Your posting history does not serve the purpose that our legal system does, and anonymous leak campaigns are not a part of its intended functioning. What a bizarre justification for your words.

Let's say that there are Jack and Jill.

Jill accuses Jack of raping her.

Jack strongly deny the allegation.

Jill makes sure to let everyone in town knows (including Jack's boss and Jack's friends).

As a result, Jack lost his friends and his job.

What is Jack supposed to do?

[roxas11]

According to the Washington Post article, Tara called the neighbor and "refreshed her" on the story.

This raises so many questions to me that is not even funny
why would anybody need to be refreshed about a Rape from A man who was VP for 8 years


there no chance in hell I would need to be refreshed if someone told me that Joe freaking Biden assaulted someone many years ago. I would never forget something like that

[Landslide Lyndon]

According to the Washington Post article, Tara called the neighbor and "refreshed her" on the story.

And people still ask why even Fox News wants nothing to do with this woman.