April 30, 2020

"As an activist, it can be very easy to develop a black and white view of the world: things are clearly wrong or clearly right."

"Harvey Weinstein’s decades of rape were clearly wrong. Donald Trump’s alleged sexual assaults were clearly wrong. Brett Kavanaugh’s actions, told consistently over decades by his victim (and supported by her polygraph results), were clearly wrong. So were Matt Lauer’s, Bill Cosby’s and so many others. As we started holding politicians and business leaders and celebrities around the world accountable for their actions, it was easy to sort things into their respective buckets: this is wrong, this is right. Holding people accountable for their actions was not only right, it was just. Except it’s not always so easy, and living in the gray areas is something we’re trying to figure out in the world of social media. But here’s something social media doesn’t afford us–nuance. The world is gray. And as uncomfortable as that makes people, gray is where the real change happens. Black and white is easy... Gray is where the conversations which continue to swirl around powerful men get started.... It’s not up to women to admonish or absolve perpetrators, or be regarded as complicit when we don’t denounce them. Nothing makes this clearer than the women who are still supporting Joe Biden even with these accusations. Hillary Clinton, Kamala Harris, Stacey Abrams, Amy Klobuchar, Nancy Pelosi, and Elizabeth Warren have all endorsed Biden and like me, continue to support him.... This is the shitty position we are in as women....  Believing women was never about 'Believe all women no matter what they say,' it was about changing the culture of NOT believing women by default.... I hope you’ll meet me in the gray to talk and to help us both find the way out."

From "Alyssa Milano On Why She Still Supports Joe Biden & How She Would Advise Him About Tara Reade Allegations – Guest Column" (Deadline).

If "Donald Trump’s alleged sexual assaults were clearly wrong" — alleged — then why can't you say "Joe Biden’s alleged sexual assaults were clearly wrong"? It's black and white at the allegation level. But then, you didn't say "Brett Kavanaugh’s alleged actions." You said "Brett Kavanaugh’s actions." You can get out of the grayness whenever you want just by saying "alleged." I don't know what motivated you to give Trump the "alleged." Maybe some editor worried about a defamation lawsuit and inserted that after you wrote it.

Anyway, grayness. Yes, real life as grayness to it. Let's be mature and fair and realistic. But don't confuse the grayness that is the uncertainty about what happened with the grayness about whether something is right or wrong. Tara Reade alleges that Joe Biden did something that Alyssa Milano — and all those other Democratic women she names — should have absolutely no hesitation to say is clearly wrong. The grayness is at the level of evidence. Who should be believed?

What do you do when someone on your side, on whom you've staked your party's success, is accused? You want to believe your guy! That's one way out of the grayness, and that looks like the way you have chosen. Why not be black-and-white honest that's what you and Hillary Clinton, Kamala Harris, Stacey Abrams, Amy Klobuchar, Nancy Pelosi, and Elizabeth Warren are all doing?

You say "Black and white is easy," but it's not, because you are still choosing what to call black and white and you are still smudging it into gray to suit your political preferences. That looks black and white to me.

126 comments:

wendybar said...

She's an asshole who is trying to stay relevant by saying dumb things everyday so people think she is so smart. Where's her little Hand Maidens costume now???

mikee said...

Looking for rationality from actors is HILARIOUS.
I love how thd Professor pretends to take Alyssa Milano really, really cereally.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Alysa milano - a less that d list celebrity with an opinion.

blasey Ford has zero credibility. None. Julie Swetnik - same. Zilch. It's all lies.

Hang on, man.


Big Mike said...

Donald Trump’s alleged sexual assaults were clearly wrong.

Donald Trump’s alleged sexual assaults —if they really happened — would have clearly been wrong.

Narr said...

First thing in the morning! For me, anyway.

What grubby little power-fellating bitches she and her feminist sisters are.

Narr
But some of us already knew that/them

Big Mike said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
MayBee said...

This is the shitty position we are in as women.... Believing women was never about 'Believe all women no matter what they say,' it was about changing the culture of NOT believing women by default..

I don't know why she thinks being a woman has put her in this position. It's her advocacy to #BelieveWomen and her choice to believe women because they are women that has put her in this position.

She might have thought she was trying to get away from a default of not believing women, but what she was trying to create was a default of not believing men.

TreeJoe said...

What a ludicrously dishonest position. If the old adage holds true that the longer it takes someone to explain themselves the more dishonest they are being, here we are with a great case study.

But honestly digest the Kavanaugh allegation:

- Credible witness on the face
- No specific details about the where or when or who else was around
- Contemporary friends who were supposed to corroborate the allegation all said the opposite
- No evidence supplied besides claim and multiple pieces of evidence to state the claim was false

Biden:

- Credible witness on the face
- Very specific details about the when and where
- Contemporary friends, neighbors, and family who all support the allegation
- No contradictory evidence has emerged thus far

Ipso Facto: If you agreed with Blasey-Ford or supported her and were against Kavanaugh holding a supreme court position based upon her allegation, you should therefore support/agree with Reade and be against Biden holding the position of President.

There's no gray area.

Anonymous said...

High school boy v sitting US Senator. Yup it’s gray alright.

SGT Ted said...

Lots of words to try and hide politically convenient hypocrisy. #Metoo wasn't about believing women, it was about wielding leftwing power for political ends.

The Cause is never about The Cause; it's about the Revolution.

Bob Smith said...

They’re cute when they are young.

Spiros said...

It is sort of odd that Tara Reade can't remember the exact time and location of the assault. She must know that Joe Biden's entire adult life is documented. What if her allegation can be countered with "I was on the Senate floor at the time of the alleged assault"? Ms. Reade took this defense away...

Craig said...

Believing women was never about 'Believe all women no matter what they say,' it was about changing the culture of NOT believing women by default

Huh. You'll have to forgive me for being confused by your hashtag of choice, #BelieveAllWomen.

But what you're saying NOW is honest and sincere. OK, got it.

NorthOfTheOneOhOne said...

Holding people accountable for their actions was not only right, it was just.

Until there comes a time when someone wants to hold Alyssa Milano accountable for her actions, that is.

I'm so sick of these people.

Bay Area Guy said...

Don't worry, Ms. Milano, theNYT is on the case:

Democratic Frustration Mounts as Biden Remains Silent on Sexual Assault Allegation

Activists and women’s rights advocates have urged Mr. Biden to address a former aide’s allegation that he sexually assaulted her in 1993. His lack of response has angered them.

When will Mr. Biden and Ms. Milano and all of his defenders actually ADDRESS the issue and give the victim, Ms. Reade, a fair hearing?

Where is Rose McGowan when you really need her?

Anonymous said...

Brett Kavanaugh’s actions, told consistently over decades by his victim (and supported by her polygraph results), were clearly wrong.

LOL, her story changed 4 times in 4 weeks. She named eye witnesses, none of whom remembered a party, nor supported her story, even after being pressured to do so.

solid evidence...

D.D. Driver said...

I'd like to hear Punky Brewster's opinion before making up my mind.

narciso said...

seeing as the dc police department, (motto, seth rich committed suicide, we can't find the perp) put the case back in inactive status,

Ann Althouse said...

"No specific details about the where or when or who else was around... Very specific details about the when and where..."

Yes, but specific details are also considered characteristic of lying.

gilbar said...

always remember The Single Standard: "Do Anything that Helps Democrats"

MayBee said...

I've been in the gray all along. How is that supposed to be heroic?

Kevin said...

You say "Black and white is easy," but it's not, because you are still choosing what to call black and white and you are still smudging it into gray to suit your political preferences. That looks black and white to me.

Bravo Althouse! This is the kind of post I come here to read.

If we had a real media, there would be dozens of articles and talking head shows saying things like this today.

MayBee said...

I note Alyssa Milano was not an activist for #LetsHearBothSides

Bob Boyd said...

What do you do when someone on your side, on whom you've staked your party's success, is accused?

It's easy to do what's right when it doesn't cost you anything.

Ann Althouse said...

Did Alyssa Milano write that essay or just put her name on it? If she wrote it, is it entirely her own original thinking? Who could believe such a thing?

I assume I'm reading dishonest material... every time I read anything.

Shouting Thomas said...

What you haven't considered is that your Marxist feminist ideology is at fault for this mess.

Men and women are going to continue to be what they are. They will continue to go into politics and show biz for fame, fortune and to get laid. People who object to this should look elsewhere. A lot of people are naive when they go into these venues. It's up to them to cure themselves of their naiveté.

Your attempt to enforce a Marxist feminist moral code is doomed to fail, and to end with this counter-productive result, i.e., devolution into a crude political weapon. You embrace a form of sexual moral Puritanism that refuses to acknowledge the reality of human nature.

Stop trying to fix men and women. You're no different than an alcohol and drug prohibitionist here. You're the problem, although you think you're the solution.

John Borell said...

This frustrates me to no end.

IT'S ALL ABOUT POLITICS. IT WAS ALWAYS ABOUT POLITICS.

At least when involving politicians.

Alyssa, we get it, Joe's your guy, so you gotta do what you gotta do.

All we're doing is calling it what it is. Bullshit.



Kevin said...

I hope you’ll meet me in the gray to talk and to help us both find the way out.

Just let Hillary know there is a path for her to the nomination and she'll take care of the rest.

No talking needed. Knowing glances will suffice.

dbp said...

Althous' refutations of Milano's arguments are sound, as usual. But I feel like they are giving Milano far more credit than she deserves.

Miliano wants to feel as if she has principles which are neutral and she makes an effort to argue this. A smart person could make a credible argument. It would be hard and other smart people would see through it. But Milano is not smart and it all comes off as revisionism.

buwaya said...

It is a little naive to treat any of this as sincere. Or even to assume that for the sake of argument. This is not a polite conversation between reasonable people.

The best model for your situation, the underlying truth behind all the confusing words, is trench warfare, as it was in say 1916. You have two sides in entrenched positions, firing constantly across no mans land with every weapon they've got, and with no pity for anyone in the other trench. There are no rules that are worth a damn, and in the end there are no principles other than collective survival.

The fortifications are too strong, and the weapons too powerful, to move the war along faster. But the only way out is for one side to crush the other.

The sooner you all understand the bleak truth the better off you will be.

narciso said...

because politics is about power, so Clarence Thomas the naval aviation corps, and bob packwood were targeted on a sliding scale from utterly false to boorish passes, for 20 years others were immune,

exhelodrvr1 said...

This isn't just about MeToo hypocrisy.

Same thing applies with what can be said about conservative blacks/women/gays/etc. vs what can be said about "liberal" blacks/women/gays/etc

Kevin said...

The Democrats are the party of domestic abuse.

Every four years they must put their principles aside to keep the family together.

"Yes, he beats me," they say of the candidate as they head to the polls, "but he's a good provider!"

Sebastian said...

"Donald Trump’s alleged sexual assaults were clearly wrong."

Like, when?

"Brett Kavanaugh’s actions, told consistently over decades by his victim (and supported by her polygraph results)"

Umm (sorry), no. Fabricated long after. Supported by nothing. Invoking polygraph is itself a tell.

"Except it’s not always so easy, and living in the gray areas is something we’re trying to figure out in the world of social media. But here’s something social media doesn’t afford us–nuance. The world is gray."

Except when accusing righties. Then it's black and white. Packwood kiss: evil. Ted K leaving MaryJo to die: no prob.

"It’s not up to women to admonish or absolve perpetrators, or be regarded as complicit when we don’t denounce them."

If you refuse to denounce a "perpetrator," why are you not complicit?

"Nothing makes this clearer than the women who are still supporting Joe Biden even with these accusations. Hillary Clinton, Kamala Harris, Stacey Abrams, Amy Klobuchar, Nancy Pelosi, and Elizabeth Warren have all endorsed Biden and like me, continue to support him.... This is the shitty position we are in as women"

So the fact of your support absolves you from responsibility in protecting an abuser?

"Believing women was never about 'Believe all women no matter what they say,' it was about changing the culture of NOT believing women by default"

Wait, what? Believing all women does not actually mean believing all women? It means #BelieveAllWomenWhenItIsConvenient?

"I hope you’ll meet me in the gray to talk and to help us both find the way out."

Athouse is right: there's nothing gray about the accusation, just about the evidence. And I would ad, in general, about the implications of the evidence: even if Kavanaugh had imposed on CBF in some way, I would judge teenage actions differently than Joe assaulting Tara as an adult Senator with power over her.

"If "Donald Trump’s alleged sexual assaults were clearly wrong" — alleged — then why can't you say "Joe Biden’s alleged sexual assaults were clearly wrong"?"

Why, oh, why. (AA is right, of course.)

"The grayness is at the level of evidence. Who should be believed?"

Maybe not just the evidence. An actual event may have some gray: an advance welcomed at first, then going further than one person likes (yes, touching my butt is fine, but oh no, no finger down there), then sorta repulsed, then pursued just a tad more (c'mon man!), then turning disgusting. Not saying Joe was subtle in any way, not excusing him, just pointing to possible ambiguities in male-female encounters.

"What do you do when someone on your side, on whom you've staked your party's success, is accused?"

You deflect and obfuscate and put party and power over principle. Without shame.

Bob Boyd said...

If Alyssa Milano was honest she would just say, I would rather see one guilty man in the Oval office than see Roe v Wade overturned by a Trump appointee.

buwaya said...

Althouse gives Milano less credit than she deserves. She is a warrior of her tribe,
firing as fast and well as she can from her trench. It does not matter, within the logic of the true conflict we are dealing with, whether this conforms to any illusion anyone else still has about what is going on.

All reason and principle are just illusions. The accusation of hypocrisy is absurd.

RMc said...

Shorter Alyssa: It's OK when Democrats do it, because abortion.

Kevin said...

Nina Burleigh thinks Alyssa Milano should blow Joe Biden for promising to keep abortion safe and legal.

Voting for him and covering up his sex crimes should be much, much, easier to swallow.

Tank said...

Bay Area Guy said...

Don't worry, Ms. Milano, theNYT is on the case:

Democratic Frustration Mounts as Biden Remains Silent on Sexual Assault Allegation

Activists and women’s rights advocates have urged Mr. Biden to address a former aide’s allegation that he sexually assaulted her in 1993. His lack of response has angered them.

When will Mr. Biden and Ms. Milano and all of his defenders actually ADDRESS the issue and give the victim, Ms. Reade, a fair hearing?

Where is Rose McGowan when you really need her?


McGowan has spoken out and specifically condemned Milano.

buwaya said...

Power is everything, and all is fair. Or, rather, "fair" is a useless concept in a power struggle.

Bob Boyd said...

I noticed Biden has a gray area between his shirt collar and his hair plugs.

PM said...

Let's see...
Biden needs to address then...
We need to get this right then...
We need to have a conversation then...
It's November!

traditionalguy said...

The mother of all liars. So she has that claim to fame.

Ken B said...

She is not being truthful about Kavanaugh.

buwaya said...

There is no such thing as "intellectual heft". What we are looking at are rhetorical artillery barrages, the ammunition is designed to go off in emotional explosions.

It doesn't matter who fires off those cannons, a pig-farming landser will do as well as a professor from Heidelberg.

buwaya said...

Truth is an irrelevant concept.

Butkus51 said...

Blasey lied throughout. We can count the ways.

Martin said...

It's pretty funny when celebrities like Milano try to think. You can almost hear the mental gears trying and failing to engage.

Skeptical Voter said...

Old Joe Biden might be a digital penetratin', hair sniffin', skinny dippin' dog--but he's Our Dog! Alyssa Milano is spinning so fast that her brains have been scrambled. But she loves her lying dog faced pony soldier, so there is that.

Gusty Winds said...

Liberal women don't believe any of this. They want to use is to bash politicians they don't like. That's it. Now it's "oh...poor me...I can't defend my own standard"

If you want to be President or VP, you have to represent all the people. An automatic pass for Biden is a huge tell. Women can be victims. Heroes. Leaders. But they can also be hypocrites too. Just like everyone else.

buwaya said...

The sooner you all stop caring about truth and fairness and honor, the sooner you will be able to shoot back effectively.

Bay Area Guy said...

AA sez: "I assume I'm reading dishonest material... every time I read anything."

Which is why we love you! Suggest though that you apply this rigorous standard to Dr. Fauci and WHO and that total moron Dr. Neil Ferguson -- on that other important issue.

buwaya said...

We are in Spain, and locked-down and stir-crazy in our flat.

Sebastian said...

WaPo:

“Yet the way to signal he takes Ms. Reade’s case seriously, and the cases of women like her seriously, is to go before the media and the public ready to listen and to reply.”

Addendum to prior post: of course, good progs put party and power over principle, but in this case it does not follow that "activists" or women should go to bat for Joe. In fact, women's support so far may involve a miscalculation, at least in the sense that if Joe is ditched, their reputations suffer, and their prior support can be exploited by opponents.

Tom T. said...

"Did Alyssa Milano write that essay or just put her name on it?"

My assumption is that someone in the Biden campaign wrote it for her.

Lurker21 said...

Brett Kavanaugh’s actions, told consistently over decades by his victim

"Told consistently over decades"? No. And Blasey's own family doesn't believe her.

As somebody said, everybody on that witch show has real problems. Today, Holly Combs blamed Trump for her 89 year old grandfather's death. Shannen Dougherty. Rose McGowan.

That could be what comes from playing with black magic and taunting the dark powers. Is there a curse on the show? Will the cast of the reboot be similarly cursed?

Yancey Ward said...

Wow, that is a lot of words when "I am a complete hypocrite" would have sufficed.

Ann Althouse said...

""The grayness is at the level of evidence. Who should be believed?"/Maybe not just the evidence. An actual event may have some gray..."

My statement is about the Tara Reade allegations. They say something that is clearly wrong. There is nothing in the allegations that makes it gray (from a feminist perspective).

You can make up a hypothetical where the accusations describe an event that as a question of law is gray, but that's not true in the case of the TR allegations.

Gusty Winds said...

Bob Boyd said..."If Alyssa Milano was honest she would just say, I would rather see one guilty man in the Oval office than see Roe v Wade overturned by a Trump appointee."

Yup. This was the feminist position during the Clinton/Lewinsky scandal. Gloria Steinem illustrated it best in those days. Nothing has changed. Abortion trumps everything else. Everything. You have to by hypocritical to support unlimited abortion anyway. "It's not a real life!!" Just continue on and try to enjoy it if you can win.

Gusty Winds said...

This is all just pre-election doggy paddling for Feminists who plan to vote for Biden. You have to reconcile the hypocrisy inside yourself for the larger principle of protecting unlimited abortion. It's part of the battle. Just drop the facade. Be a man about it.

rhhardin said...

The Reid allegations are most likely a woman changing her mind, It's on her to send signals saying no to Biden at the time.

Then the lady got more out of it by telling her friends and acquaintances, but not the police, the police being the one thing that would indicate signlemindedness at the time.

It looks like a horny Biden and consenting woman who changed her mind.

n.n said...

Donald Trump’s alleged sexual assaults were clearly wrong.

Without supporting evidence, the allegations were likely wrong. Exposing social liberal club was clearly right.

the culture of NOT believing women by default

Another political myth in progressive discourse with a foward-looking liberal outlook.

Milano is stuck at the Twilight fringe, somewhere between special and peculiar interests.

gerry said...

Postmodern delusion produces its results. In the effort to remain fashionable and a member of the elite, Milano abandons morality in favor of conformance with postmodern, elite norms, which have no foundation.

buwaya said...

The best "activists" are totally committed weapons for their party.
They are there to obey, and accept any hardship and humiliation for its sake.

n.n said...

The sooner you all stop caring about truth and fairness and honor

In anthropogenic conflicts, everyone is pro-choice. That said, not even what is ostensibly Gaia's Choice has mitigated the progress of social contagion. If she properly represents cosmopolitan chic, then the future is colored with 50 shades of Twilight.

Lucien said...

Remember when people used to criticize Biden for the way he ran the confirmation hearing for Clarence Thomas?
Now they are saying “Joe Biden has Always been a strong supporter of women’s issues”.
What’s more important to know about someone: what they did (allegedly) as a drunk high school junior, or what they did (allegedly) as a sober US Senator with a junior subordinate?

Drago said...

Milano's husband is a Hollywood agent at CAA, the biggest and most powerful member of the Protect Hollywood Predators organization in the world.

Kevin said...

Democratic Frustration Mounts as Biden Remains Silent on Sexual Assault Allegation

Come on man, Joe Biden knows how to release that frustration!

Bay Area Guy said...

Hypothetical Questions to Ms. Milano and her feminist ilk.

1. If Biden did abruptly reach down into the panties of his staffer, Ms. Reade, without her consent, would you consider this sexual assault?

2. If Biden did abruptly reach down into the panties of his staffer, Ms. Reade, without her consent, would you still vote for him in November?

Enquiring minds wanna know.....

hombre said...

“Brett Kavanaugh’s actions, told [in]consistently over decades by his victim (and supported by her polygraph results) [and refuted by every possible witness and the accuser’s own contradictory statements and lies (re: fear of flying and polygraph coaching)]” There, fixed!

Like all Dems, Milano is a moral relativist whose standards are defined by political expedience.

MikeR said...

"told consistently over decades by his victim". Did Alyssa get them mixed up? We have no record of any kind of Ford telling anyone about Kavanaugh before the Senate hearing, ever. We only have alleged tellings: her therapist, her letter to certain Congressmen just before - but we never got to see them.
Reade, on the other hand, has been telling this story for decades. I don't know if it was completely consistent, but it mentioned Biden and sexual assault from the first.

Known Unknown said...

Alyssa is still just a team player and a C-List celebrity.

Bob Boyd said...

It's not a gray area, it's a double standard.

Daniel Jackson said...

I'm confused regarding the statement: an alleged X is clearly wrong.

Does this mean that an (alleged X) is clearly wrong independently of the allegation (I could buy that),

or

Does this mean an alleged (x) is clearly wrong (the allegation is sufficient to say the person's probable behavior is wrong independent of whether the allegation is true or not),

or

Does the Alleged (X) is (Allegedly wrong)?

Seems to me that one COULD say X is Clearly Wrong (morally or legally); This person MAY have committed X; This person MAY be wrong.

In short, there is nothing clear in this alleged statement by the young writer about the alleged person or what is allegedly wrong.

Drago said...

It gets worse, naturally.

Now Biden has appointed former Senator "Waitress sandwich" Chris Dodd, the head of Hollywoods MPAA, to help head up his VP selection crew!

LOLOLOLOLOL

William said...

The bullshit is strong in this one.....There is such a thing as racial, religious, or class bias. I suppose Ms. Milano likes to speak out against such biases. Why can't there be such a thing as political bias. She definitely demonstrates it. If her political bias as demonstrated against Republicans was directed with the same vehemence and thoroughness against blacks, she would be considered the biggest racist since Nathan Bedford Forrest......I have my political biases as well, but I try not to froth at the mouth. For the record, I don't believe the allegations against Kavanaugh and I think that at various points in his life, Trump made crude advances towards women but probably refrained from raping them in the changing room at Bonwit Teller. About Biden, I don't know but the allegation is much more credible than that against Kavanaugh. If you can't see that obvious fact then your political bias is getting the better of you.

Jupiter said...

"This is the shitty position we are in as women"

Down on your knees, sucking Joe Biden's dick? Actually, that's a good look for you, Alyssa. Only we need to do something with your hair.

Jupiter said...

"Tara Reade alleges that Joe Biden did something that Alyssa Milano — and all those other Democratic women she names — should have absolutely no hesitation to say is clearly wrong."

Not so fast there, Althouse. What Joe Biden is alleged to have done was to insert his finger in a woman's vagina. Lots of men and women do that every day. It only becomes "clearly wrong" after she decides she would prefer he hadn't.

NorthOfTheOneOhOne said...

Brett Kavanaugh’s actions, told consistently over decades by his victim (and supported by her polygraph results), were clearly wrong.

This is ridiculous, specifically since we have photographic evidence of Joe Biden getting handsy with the ladies!

William said...

More about bias: A woman who comes forward with an allegation against a Republican is treated as a heroine. If her story falls apart, she is dispatched to the memory hole and nothing more is heard about her....Allegations against Democrats and other members of the protected class are treated far differently. How was Weinstein able to get away with decades of sex crimes against women who had their own lawyers and publicists? Could it be because he had influential friends not just in Hollywood but in the media and the Democratic Party? Bill Cosby got away with his crimes for years also. The women involved claimed that they did not want to come forward against such a revered figure. Women had no such reticence in coming forward against Herman Cain....Joe Biden is a revered figure. He's not up there with Bill Cosby, but he's revered. I sense that there are other women with other stories and that they are reluctant to come forward because of attitude of women like Milano. #metoo enaber.

Bob Boyd said...

Biden must have thought he was a star.

Wa St Blogger said...

A dad asks his soon-to-graduate son what he wants to do for a career.

The son replies, "I want to go into politics."

The father, not entirely enthusiastic says, "Well, that could be a helpful endeavor for our nation. We sure do need more Republican politicians who can stand up for liberty and freedom."

"I wouldn't run as a Republican. I would run as a Democrat."

The father, shocked by the revelation, exclaims, "Where did we go wrong? Didn't we instill in you the values of freedom and liberty and accountability? Are you pro abortion and anti-2nd amendment and just not tell us?"

The son replies, "No dad, I still believe in all those things and think abortion is wrong and the 2nd amendment is good."

"The why on earth would you run as a Democrat?"

"It's quite simple." The son explains, "As a Republican, I would be accused and vilified for things I never did, having me and my family dragged through the court of public opinion. I could be accused of racism, sexism, homophobia, of killing people, rape, and treason. It might destroy my career, devastate my family and possibly ruin me financially and I might even end up in prison. As a Democrat, I could actually DO those things and I would still be considered presidential material."

*thump*

Bilwick said...

Statism usually trumps feminism anyway.

Tom said...

Cosby accusers didn’t get a voice until Cosby became critical (well, preachy) of the African American community - specially youths.

How many people knew of Cosby’s proclivities and did nothing? He was protected while he was a liberal voice. When he shifted.

If Bill Clinton suddenly endorsed Donald Trump, he’s be charged with rape.

I really feel for all the victims. They didn’t deserve the rapes and assaults and they don’t deserve to be caught in our hypocrisy. Democrat and Republican voters consistently prove they want power more than they want justice.

Bruce Hayden said...

“ Invoking polygraph is itself a tell.”

Just a reminder - her BFF, a former FBI employee, gave her lessons on beating a lie detector.

phantommut said...

Situational ethics are the best ethics.

Mike Sylwester said...

If the woman sounds distraught, then she is telling the truth.

William said...

The next time a Democratic Senator sexually assaults an intern he should send her a dozen roses afterwards. By her, I mean Milano and not the intern. He should give the intern an icepack.

Static Ping said...

It is extremely easy to find virtue is whatever produces the results you want. This is a common problem among children. Maturity requires understanding right from wrong and sticking by it when it is hard to do so.

Alyssa is not a particularly mature person. This is not terribly unusual with the Hollywood set. The only real difference between her and, say, Rosie O'Donnell is Alyssa tries to play the part of the principled intellectual, a role that she is poorly suited, while Rosie goes into mad barking rage, a role she has, sadly, quite the talent.

Francisco D said...

wendybar said... She's an asshole who is trying to stay relevant by saying dumb things everyday so people think she is so smart.

She is a child who lucked out on looks and the right connections and TV opportunities. Like Rob Reiner, (Carl's son) she makes stupid political statements to show people that she is part of the Hollywood scene. These people think that they got rich on talent and brains which shows just how stupid and deeply insecure they are about their success.

Yancey Ward said...

Ford's lie detector test questions and answers were technically true regardless of whether or not she was lying about Kavanaugh. None of the questions were directly relevant to the accusation- every question was designed to make Ford's answers literally true. George Costanza was only partially correct- it isn't a lie if you believe it, but it also isn't a lie if you get to write the questions you want to answer.

Gk1 said...

There is no degradation the DNC will spare its followers in trying to elect Slow Joe. They should get used to it and prepare. Particularly as Trump does his on due diligence and gets more women to come forward and speak out against Joe's rapey behavior. Do we really think this women has been the only victim of Biden's?

Leland said...

I didn't listen to Milano before and I don't now. Her stance as described is weak and cannot be supported. What were Kavanaugh's actions other than someone else making allegations? Milano could have made a more defensible argument by stating Trump was right "when you're famous, they let you do it". That's why Milano defended Harvey for all those decades. It's why Milano defended Clinton too. And it's why she is defending Biden now. Heck, such a stance can even become a slam to Trump by suggesting Trump isn't famous enough to do what he wants. Alas, Milano is no hero or feminist. She'll bend over and spread her lips for too many men just because they occasionally say the things she likes to hear.

Leland said...

Just a reminder - her BFF, a former FBI employee, gave her lessons on beating a lie detector.

You have that backwards Bruce. Quote from Washington Times: “Dr. Ford explained in detail what to expect, how polygraphs worked and helped McLean become familiar and less nervous about the exam. Dr. Ford was able to help because of her background in psychology,” the man said in a letter.

Big Mike said...

if Aldrich Ames could pass a polygraph, and presumably Richard Hanson, then I am not much impressed that Christine Blasey Ford is alleged to have passed a poly as well.

n.n said...

Situational ethics are the best ethics.

Ethics are morality's relativistic cousin.

Pianoman said...

Suddenly it's a "gray area". It's not "black and white".

Gee, I wonder what's (D)ifferent this time?

Sebastian said...

"My statement is about the Tara Reade allegations. They say something that is clearly wrong. There is nothing in the allegations that makes it gray."

True, the allegations are ungray. But events need not be.

Jim at said...

Brett Kavanaugh’s actions, told consistently over decades by his victim (and supported by her polygraph results)

That happened? I ask seriously, because I don't remember the results of CBF's polograph ... let alone her taking one.

Real American said...

This is just more left-wing hypocrite bullshit. Even if we believe their initial "believe all women" motto was to change the default position of not believing women (which was not true, anyway) they were opting to change it to believe all women reflexively without regard to any sort of weighing of the actual evidence. Why else would these people be fighting every effort to bring fairness to the college campus tribunals? Because they want blood, not justice.

During the Kavanaugh hearings the announced standard (talking point) was "credibly accused" as if an accusation can be credible if not supported by evidence. Biden, of course, agrees with these nonsense standards except when applied to him. He should be held to his own standards. Instead, he's not even being asked about it.

The Democrats' sudden change of heart on this stuff will only last until the next time they want to sink a GOP politician or judicial nominee. It's not a principled stand. It's politics, which is why it shouldn't be taken seriously.

n.n said...

This is the shitty position we are in as women

Trump exposed social liberal club, and the hunters and judges went on a multi-trimester adventure. Kavanaugh was a lightning rod for the Feminist movement and its diverse patrons.

Ron Winkleheimer said...

Where is Rose McGowan when you really need her?

https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/rose-mcgowan-twitter-feud-alyssa-milano-harvey-weinstein-conviction

McGowan is not a hypocrite.

tommyesq said...

"Believing women was never about 'Believe all women no matter what they say,' it was about changing the culture of NOT believing women by default"

Everyone seems to have glossed over this idiotic statement - when was there a time in this country that women were NOT believed as a default position? Tell that to Clarence Thomas, whose accuser was sufficiently believed to permit the high tech lynching to take place. Tell it to all the young black men of the South who were actually lynched on the mere say-so of the woman. Tell it to the Duke Lacrosse team.

Default disbelief of women has never been this country's position.

Earnest Prole said...

I think we can all agree we need to know whether the fingers were Republican or Democrat before we can say whether it's likely the pussy was touched.

Rick said...

I hope you’ll meet me in the gray to talk and to help us both find the way out."

Left wing privilege is an effect of cultural dominance by the left particularly in media and academia which promotes the conflicting positions Milano is taking. She proved in the Kavanaugh and other MeToo events she is the extremist asserting a black and white standard ignoring all deficiencies in evidence when the target suits her preferences. But when her standard interferes with her political preferences she pivots to pose as reasonable and nuanced, capable of evaluating evidence. Since media and academia engage in this very charade they support the tactic from their allies and continue to promote them without reference to their past proven failure to achieve what they are lecturing others on.

In this case Milano is even continuing to lie to support the black and white standard in this very story by asserting Ford told a consistent story for decades. In fact Ford only added the identification of Kavanaugh to the story in the last few years after his name was publicized as a likely SC nominee. She also implausibly changed the year of her accusation when her original timeline was irrefutably contradicted. Her brazen lies even while claiming to be a competent judge of circumstance can only be understood by concluding she understands true journalistic principles. The media will not criticize a political ally and thus among left wingers who ignore non-left partisan media she will suffer no loss of credibility.

This is endemic on the left.

GingerBeer said...

I read Milano's "Deadline" piece. She can't even bring herself to mention Tara Reade's name. That's some serious othering.

Not Sure said...

Her personal history suggests that unrestricted access to abortion is her overriding objective. Everything else, including #metoo, has only instrumental value.

Birkel said...

Those first few sentences are riddled with falsehoods.
Everything that follows is corrupted.

I'm Full of Soup said...

Milano describes herself "as a activist". Before I die, I'd love to hear that word associated with conservatives just one time.

The other word that bugs me is "reform". Jeez when is the last time, govt reform was an actual improvement? Maybe Trump's 1st term changes to prison sentencing/ paroles?

It sure wasn't Obamacare.

Rick said...

Do we really think this women has been the only victim of Biden's?

In fact Biden apologists consistently assert that this is the only accusation against Biden in an effort to distinguish him from others. The problem is that it isn't true:

"On more than one occasion CounterPunch’s editors have listened to vivid accounts by the recipient of just such advances, this staffer of another senator being accosted by Biden in the well of the senate in the weeks immediately following his first wife’s fatal car accident.

https://www.breitbart.com/the-media/2020/04/29/progressive-mag-counterpunch-sexual-misconduct-allegations-swirling-around-biden-for-many-years/

Of course the left media protected Biden from these accusations when they occurred, and now cite their own prior politically driven lack of coverage to support their current politically driven lack of coverage. Why wouldn't a reporter look into this? It seems much more relevant than Mitt Romney's dog riding on his roof.

As a certain left wing Althouse commenter put it any subject which hurts the left's political outlook is boring.

walter said...

rhardin: "It was just another day at the orifice."

Rick said...

mikee said...
Looking for rationality from actors is HILARIOUS.
I love how thd Professor pretends to take Alyssa Milano really, really cereally.


Fruit Loops maybe.

I'm Full of Soup said...

Drago:

"Now Biden has appointed former Senator "Waitress sandwich" Chris Dodd, the head of Hollywoods MPAA, to help head up his VP selection crew!"

Well Biden is following in Obama's footsteps. You may recall Obama appointed a former Fannie Mae bigwig [Jim Something] to be his VP selection chair but had to fire him within a couple days due to the controversy. Biden will do likewise.

Sebastian said...

You can't make this up, from Power Line:

"CORRUPT LECHER TO HELP SELECT FEMALE RUNNING MATE FOR BIDEN
Former Senator Chris Dodd has been named co-chairman of the committee that will help Joe Biden pick a vice presidential nominee. Dodd resigned from the Senate after a string of favor-trading scandals."

That is Dodd of Dodd-Kennedy sandwich fame.

Lee Moore said...

Hannibal Lecter has already advised on the wisdom of parsing the pronouncements of Hollywood luvvies for pearls of wisdom :


"People ask me questions about present situations in life, and I say, 'I don't know, I'm just an actor. I don't have any opinions. Actors are pretty stupid. My opinion is not worth anything”

https://movieweb.com/anthony-hopkins-actors-are-stupid/

Leland said...

We may be years away from a COVID-19 vaccine, but Kavanaugh has now been inoculated from some future attempt to impeach him.

stevew said...

Assertions of "grayness" sound a lot like rationalization to me.

walter said...


MILWAUKEE —Mayor Tom Barrett is calling on all Milwaukee area residents to wear jeans on Wednesday, April 29, as a sign of support for local survivors of sexual assault. This year marks the ninth annual Denim Day Milwaukee.
<
Denim Day Milwaukee is part of an international awareness day that began after an Italian woman was raped by her driving instructor. The instructor was convicted, but the sentence was overturned after a court determined that because the victim wore tight jeans and may have helped remove them, the attack on her was consensual sex. The verdict motivated women in the Italian Parliament to wear jeans in solidarity with the victim. The movement has now spread into an international awareness day during Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

Denim Day Milwaukee continues to evolve and grow, and this year there has been an increased partnership with the LGBTQ+ community citywide to spread awareness. Community leaders and members play a pivotal role in promoting positive change in our communities. More information can be found at denimdaymke.org.
https://fox6now.com/2020/04/29/mayor-barrett-urges-residents-to-wear-denim-april-29-show-support-for-victims-of-sexual-assault/

Howard said...

The DNC has nominated the only candidate who could lose to Donald J Trump for the second time in a row. I think they pickled the old coot in formaldehyde too long

JackWayne said...

Yes/No, True/False, 1/0 are all that a programmer knows. When I see someone say something is gray it tells me they are bullshitting. Or they are dishonest. Everything, when given a severe scrutiny, can resolve to Yes/No. To acknowledge any other state is to be irrational.

Narr said...

Wow, I'm glad I'm not a programmer!

Narr
Some of my best friends are, though

Big Mike said...

Well we have it straight from Nancy Pelosi, “Joe Biden is Joe Biden.” I interpret this to mean that Tara Reade was supposed to “let Biden be Biden.”

dgstock said...

Re: that lie detector thingy. CBF, after having answered multiple questions on her written statement not under polygraph conditions was asked two questions only for the test: is any part of your statement false, and did you make up any part of your statement? I wonder if her physiologic responses would have been different if questioned directly on her assertions of sexual assault.

Rory said...

"calling on all Milwaukee area residents to wear jeans"

What bullshit. College campuses were doing Gay Jeans Day forty years ago. Ask everyone to wear jeans, which every wore every day, then declare victory at the end of the day.

Gospace said...

Lucien, I don’t recall Biden’s accuser saying he was sober. Did I simply miss that?

Assuming sobriety in a sitting US Senator is a pretty big assumption. Driving cars off bridges. Jumping into the Tidal Basin. Waitress sandwiches. All kinds of shenanigans involving senators and alcohol. And likely many more never reported because the reporters were drunk along with them.

DeepRunner said...

Alyssa Milano's claim to fame is being the kid in "Who's The Boss" and one of the divas (real and fictional) in "Charmed". She's free to her opinion. Just not free to lecture us from an intellectually-vacuous POV. (I wouldn't be surprised if her publicist wrote that statement.)
Praising the serially-enabling, clutching, grasping, scraping Hillary Clinton and the girlfriend of Mayor Brown's Willie ain't the best examples to strengthen the argument.

One thing I'm pretty sure of...if Gropin' Joe were an R, she'd have a different, more...mmmm...black-and-white view of things.