My, How Times Have Changed
November 18, 2017 at 5:54 a.m.
By Gary [email protected]
Let me say for the record that I think the U.S. Senate candidate from Alabama, Roy Moore, is creepy and should save us all the hoopla and just step down.
I think it’s way easier to believe he preyed on young girls than it is to believe his feeble denials. I mean, come on, one of the girls was 14.
I fashion myself more of a conservative than a liberal, so I was relieved to see many Republicans join their Democrat friends in denouncing the guy.
And I didn’t see anybody blaming the victims. That’s what brings me to the “different times” notion.
Twenty-five years ago, things were different.
Remember what it was like when people like Juanita Broaddrick, Paula Jones and Gennifer Flowers were accusing Bill Clinton of everything from sexual harassments to rape?
I do. It was full-on blame the victims.
Hillary Clinton labeled the myriad reports of her husband’s womanizing as “bimbo eruptions.”
In an ABC News interview, Hillary called Flowers “some failed cabaret singer who doesn’t even have much of a résumé to fall back on.”
She told Esquire magazine in 1992 that if she had the chance to cross-examine Flowers, “I mean, I would crucify her.”
Her husband’s campaign hired private detectives to investigate the accusers involved in two dozen allegations.
Of course later, Bill settled a lawsuit filed by Jones for $850,000 and admitted he slept with Flowers “one time.”
Then there was Monica Lewinsky.
When that story broke, Hillary blamed it on a “vast right-wing conspiracy.”
And it wasn’t just the Clintons. Plenty of Democrats were dismissing all of it as just dirty politics. The accusers had no credibility and were just lying to hurt Bill.
Bill denied “having sex with that woman, Ms. Lewinsky.” That, of course, was before he knew she saved the infamous blue dress with his DNA on it.
Bill was impeached by the U.S. House of Representatives for lying about it and the Senate acquitted him. He did lose his law license.
But can you imagine anyone in their right mind attacking accusers like the Clintons and their supporters did 25 year ago?
I think the paradigm shift started with Bill Cosby. Then along came Harvey Weinstein. Now it’s game on. Every allegation regarding sexual harassment or sexual assault is afforded a proper level of respect and scrutiny.
I would like to quote Hillary from her 2016 presidential campaign:
“I would say that everybody should be believed at first,” she said, “until they are disbelieved based on evidence.”
Seems she had a change of heart.
Of course, this completely flies in the face of the whole notion of innocent until proven guilty.
But these days anyone with any public presence at all is just one Facebook post away from being labeled a pervert and having their career ruined.
My, how times have changed.
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Let me say for the record that I think the U.S. Senate candidate from Alabama, Roy Moore, is creepy and should save us all the hoopla and just step down.
I think it’s way easier to believe he preyed on young girls than it is to believe his feeble denials. I mean, come on, one of the girls was 14.
I fashion myself more of a conservative than a liberal, so I was relieved to see many Republicans join their Democrat friends in denouncing the guy.
And I didn’t see anybody blaming the victims. That’s what brings me to the “different times” notion.
Twenty-five years ago, things were different.
Remember what it was like when people like Juanita Broaddrick, Paula Jones and Gennifer Flowers were accusing Bill Clinton of everything from sexual harassments to rape?
I do. It was full-on blame the victims.
Hillary Clinton labeled the myriad reports of her husband’s womanizing as “bimbo eruptions.”
In an ABC News interview, Hillary called Flowers “some failed cabaret singer who doesn’t even have much of a résumé to fall back on.”
She told Esquire magazine in 1992 that if she had the chance to cross-examine Flowers, “I mean, I would crucify her.”
Her husband’s campaign hired private detectives to investigate the accusers involved in two dozen allegations.
Of course later, Bill settled a lawsuit filed by Jones for $850,000 and admitted he slept with Flowers “one time.”
Then there was Monica Lewinsky.
When that story broke, Hillary blamed it on a “vast right-wing conspiracy.”
And it wasn’t just the Clintons. Plenty of Democrats were dismissing all of it as just dirty politics. The accusers had no credibility and were just lying to hurt Bill.
Bill denied “having sex with that woman, Ms. Lewinsky.” That, of course, was before he knew she saved the infamous blue dress with his DNA on it.
Bill was impeached by the U.S. House of Representatives for lying about it and the Senate acquitted him. He did lose his law license.
But can you imagine anyone in their right mind attacking accusers like the Clintons and their supporters did 25 year ago?
I think the paradigm shift started with Bill Cosby. Then along came Harvey Weinstein. Now it’s game on. Every allegation regarding sexual harassment or sexual assault is afforded a proper level of respect and scrutiny.
I would like to quote Hillary from her 2016 presidential campaign:
“I would say that everybody should be believed at first,” she said, “until they are disbelieved based on evidence.”
Seems she had a change of heart.
Of course, this completely flies in the face of the whole notion of innocent until proven guilty.
But these days anyone with any public presence at all is just one Facebook post away from being labeled a pervert and having their career ruined.
My, how times have changed.
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