This Time Biden’s Hands, Not His Mouth, Will Be His Undoing
Joe Biden’s coterie of allies and advisors angling for campaign jobs moved their defense of his hands-on approach toward women into high gear in the past 48 hours, swearing on their rosary beads that Joe has never been anything but a champion of women who has never done a single creepy thing in his life. All those photos that show otherwise? “Smears and forgeries” according to spokesman Bill Russo. Stephanie Carter, the wife of the then-Defense Secretary, chimed in to absolve him of wrongdoing in that notorious photo of him whispering in her ear with his hands on her shoulders.
And then, this afternoon, that all blew apart again as another woman came forward with another tale of unwanted touching.
As could be expected, the controversies have given fresh fuel to progressive Democrats who already thought Biden was the wrong candidate for 2020. As Amanda Marcotte points out, Biden’s entire argument rests on the idea that he’s the “safe” choice to face Trump, as if someone calling for Medicare for All will send millions of voters into the arms of a madman.
It is worth noting, although this should be obvious, that Biden has no history of sniffing men’s hair, kissing their heads or rubbing their shoulders in public. I’m sure he also feels affection for men, but either he doesn’t want to touch them that way or he knows that men are far less likely to react with a placating smile. No matter his motivations, Biden’s behavior reflects his willingness to be an active beneficiary of a system where women are not afforded the same basic respect for their bodily autonomy that men get without asking.
Marcotte’s argument is really against all male candidates for the nomination, and rests on the idea that electing a woman would help erase sexism — a notion so obviously wrong-headed that I shouldn’t have to point out that Barack Obama’s presidency was supposedly going to erase racism. Still, this controversy makes it pretty clear that of all the male candidates in the running, Biden would probably draw the strongest protest from the millions of Democratic women whose votes will be needed to oust Trump in November 2020.
Aside from all the internet photograph body language experts, my impression of Biden is that he is an affectionate, touchy, feely, kind of guy. I have a friend like that who just has to touch everyone. It kinda gives me the heebie, jeebies because I am more standoffish.
Anywho, I’m sure you have been around Biden more than a few times, at least in your professional life. Is he just one of those huggers, who think a good hug will fix everything or he is something else? I recognize that you don’t particularly like the Biden’s or at least their politics, but I’m asking about the man.
Read the Amanda Marcotte link. Doesn’t matter what he is, it doesn’t play anymore.
I’ve worked with old guys. You have to accept that they are from another country. Oldmanistan. They don’t understand our customs and norms. They are not sexists, just fish out of water.
That’s the case Biden is going to try and make. Good luck with that.
I feel like this entire conversation is illustrative of a particular trope I’ve been harping on. Concept escapes me. Something to do with Woodstock, and the wave breaking and rolling back.
The youngest voters are now the great-grandchildren of the Woodstock generation.
This is now Mars. Forget the wave, the oceans dried up and we’re only left with traces of methane found by robots sent from another planet.
Its a good thing Carper basically hides in his job. i have never seen anyone more inappropriate with women of all ages. being at events years ago i would look at his staff and we would all cringe when he said and did things
The News Journal is desperate for a Biden candidacy. They apparently intend to run at least one story per day claiming that it’s just the way Joe is.
Yeah, that absolves it. “He’s always done this” is on a par with “everyone else does it” as an excuse.
As for Oldmanistan, can we stop pretending that everyone from his generation is like this? Because they aren’t.
Very true. #NotAllOldGuys But it is generally an old dude move.
Here’s the thing. If someone would just say that OK, Biden is one of those guys from a different era. He never understood how awkward or gross he’s was being. And now the it’s, you know, the 21st century he won’t do it anymore.
But that’s not how it’s ever addressed. He can’t admit anything. It’s fine that he stoked little girls hair and kissed strangers on the mouth.
I worked with old guys who simply couldn’t process the idea that women did not want sexual attention in the workplace. It was like trying to explain the color orange to someone who was blind from birth.
But yeah – #NotAllOldGuys
It’s not “not all old guys.” It’s very few old guys. I’ll grant you that guys usually don’t speak up when they see others do it. But I think Joe Biden takes advantage of what he knows is a gray area.
If he took it seriously he would have stopped himself years ago. If he ever noticed that some women are visibly uncomfortable he’s never shown any sign of it.