Here’s a shelter-in-place game you could play on an internet video connection with some friends: See who believed the assault allegations against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh two years ago. Then see who believes the allegations made this week against soon-to-be presidential nominee Joe Biden.
The fun will be measuring whether anyone taking part is thinking consistently, believing both allegations or both denials.
Most likely, individual verdicts will be split, with Republicans believing Kavanaugh’s denial but confident that Biden is a scumbag. Democrats, meanwhile, are likely to believe Kavanaugh’s accuser while raising questions about the former aide who claims Biden groped her in the Capitol 27 years ago.
The woman said this week that, while she was working briefly on Biden’s staff in the U.S. Senate, he pushed her against a wall and reached under her skirt. Biden’s campaign responded that it never happened.
This is not the first time Biden has been accused of making women uncomfortable. His touchy-feely manner was well documented and did not stop until women, emboldened by the #MeToo movement against sexual assault, called him on it.
But none of the women who complained about Biden said he did anything other than hug them or caress their hair — basically going a little too far into their personal space. That’s a long way from the most recent allegations against him, not to mention those against a teenaged Kavanaugh.
What’s odd is that the former aide has complained about Biden’s behavior in the past. Last year, she accused him of inappropriately touching her. Only now is she elevating the allegation to sexual assault.
Her claims may not get much attention as the country wrestles with the coronavirus and the damaged economy. But with six months to go before the presidential election, someone will be tempted to make hay with it.
