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#MeToo, the Democratic Party, and our common values
Joe Biden has joined a long list of public figures against whom a charge of some sexual misconduct has been credibly made. The specific accusation — that he forcibly penetrated an aide with his fingers — would carry him into the worst category of abusers, if true, making him guilty of outright rape. And yet the responses by many on the left are to dismiss the allegations against the currently presumptive Democratic nominee and to treat anyone who is willing to consider them as if we are agents or dupes of a Russian disinformation campaign.
Biden’s most recent accuser, Tara Reade, says that he assaulted her in a place where no witnesses were present, which would add a layer of difficulty if we were seeking a criminal conviction here. But the question is instead one of a job applicant whose behavior has been cast into doubt.
This puts Biden into the same kind of situation that we saw with Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination for the Supreme Court. In a criminal case, the standard is proof beyond a reasonable doubt, but when hiring someone for powerful positions like a lifetime judiciary appointment or the presidency, we are allowed to decide what the balance of the evidence says. No one has a right to hold public office. Such jobs are — or should be — reserved for persons whose experience and character make them best suited for the…
