Tara Reade rape allegation aftermath megathread

[TiltsAreUnderrated]

I've come around to the belief that we should be requiring a polygraph exam of anyone who wishes national attention over long ago allegations of sexual abuse before these things are allowed to detail our political processes.  There is no reason to believe Blasey Ford and disbelieve Reade or vice versa.  Not requiring this has brought us to the point where people only believe what is politically expedient for them to believe.

Blasey Ford took a polygraph.

As Ferguson27's said upthread, polygraphs should mean nothing. Blasey Ford has a stronger case, but this stupid detail has nothing to do with it.

That the polygraph is a feature of the often moronic court of public opinion is part of why that court is inherently worse (in its average ability to determine guilt or innocence) than a court of law. It is a prop in an awful song-and-dance litigation of complex issues repurposed for cable television drama, which is not inherently equal to serious examination of allegations.

[TiltsAreUnderrated]

https://twitter.com/Bencjacobs/status/1264681648773357568
Omar is an idiot and takes the bait.

Omar is publishing her reasoning in a book in three days' time. I'd have been willing to believe she was genuine about her conviction if she hadn't done the following, but she's left this bombshell close to details-free and the probable reason for this is to boost sales.

[TiltsAreUnderrated]

Bold of her to do this and simultaneously profess admiration for Margaret Thatcher, but pissing off both wings of the party isn't going to get her the Trump endorsement.

[TiltsAreUnderrated]

Reade being willing to speak at the RNC just proves that this was always about some vendetta against Biden.

She rightly has little credibility at this point and this will damage hers further in the eyes of the general public, but it doesn't do this. It's easily characterised as grift and probably is, but it's also quite plausible to imagine an upset survivor being willing to participate in a political campaign against their abuser.

[TiltsAreUnderrated]

Reade being willing to speak at the RNC just proves that this was always about some vendetta against Biden.

She rightly has little credibility at this point and this will damage hers further in the eyes of the general public, but it doesn't do this. It's easily characterised as grift and probably is, but it's also quite plausible to imagine an upset survivor being willing to participate in a political campaign against their abuser.

Not when their opponent has 40 allegations of rape and sexual assault.

Anyway, grift harder, Tara.

Trump's allegations means she's not showing solidarity with other survivors if she is one, but it's also plausible that survivors can be relatively selfish folk (and one doesn't have to be that selfish to overlook the conduct of someone willing to go after a person who hurt you). I realise this sounds like a Devil's Advocate argument and it's probably grift, but it's not wise to judge a case based on how much consideration the alleged victim shows to fellow victims.

[TiltsAreUnderrated]

Well this is egg on the face of the roses who pushed this story all because they couldn't get over the fact that the Democratic voters picked Biden over Bernie. Not that they haven't had plenty of egg on their face already, but this is a whole new level.

Ryan Grim and co. asserting Biden's guilt do indeed have proverbial egg on their faces, but the emergence of evidence suggesting X was true/false does not mean previously deeming X to be true/false was wise. That is rather like the argument that Trump's brinksmanship with Iran was smart because it didn't actually lead to all-out war.

As it is, Reade's story has lacked credibility for a few months now and this does weaken it a bit.

[TiltsAreUnderrated]

Well this is egg on the face of the roses who pushed this story all because they couldn't get over the fact that the Democratic voters picked Biden over Bernie. Not that they haven't had plenty of egg on their face already, but this is a whole new level.

And yet many of those who pushed this, pushed back against flimsy allegations against Morse.

"Twitterati engulfed in completely abnormal hypocrisy scandal"

[TiltsAreUnderrated]

Reade being willing to speak at the RNC just proves that this was always about some vendetta against Biden.

She rightly has little credibility at this point and this will damage hers further in the eyes of the general public, but it doesn't do this. It's easily characterised as grift and probably is, but it's also quite plausible to imagine an upset survivor being willing to participate in a political campaign against their abuser.

Only if said "survivor" hadn't praised her "abuser" just a few years earlier and eagerly supported the presidential ticket upon which he featured in 2008 and 2012.

I’m not saying Tara Reade is credible. I’m saying appearing on Biden’s opponent’s platform would not, in isolation, be a slam dunk against her case (which looks very weak for other reasons).