# Former staffer accuses Joe Biden of sexual assault **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [March 27, 2020, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393 "2020-03-27T03:13:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 39
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2020, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393/761 "2020-05-03T23:36:17Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > I like that “some”. :rolleyes: Why would Putin spend so much time, effort and ruble trying to make sure Biden isnt elected then? > > [Biden camp: Russia hacking Burisma shows Putin views former vice president as a ‘threat’ - Washington Examiner](https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/biden-camp-russia-hacking-burisma-shows-putin-views-former-vice-president-as-a-threat) > _Biden camp: Russia hacking Burisma shows Putin views former vice president as a ‘threat’…2020 Democratic front-runner Joe Biden is casting himself as the candidate Russian President Vladimir Putin fears the most_. > > [https://twitter.com/mcfaul/status/1216925069466730497](https://twitter.com/mcfaul/status/1216925069466730497) > > So, all those cites didnt convince you? These\* are \*dark and depressing days for people who are American. Are you trying to argue that Biden is pre-Watergate Richard Nixon with a strong platform of anti-Russian strategy and a team of top flight intellectuals to combat them? That the Russians have a vested interest in derailing a Biden candidacy? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2020, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393/762 "2020-05-03T23:48:41Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > Are you trying to argue that Biden is pre-Watergate Richard Nixon with a strong platform of anti-Russian strategy and a team of top flight intellectuals to combat them? That the Russians have a vested interest in derailing a Biden candidacy? Well, whether or not Biden has a "strong platform of anti-Russian strategy " or not, he certainly isnt a pawn and tool of Putin, like trump is. Maybe putin is scared of losing his pawn. Now, they started hitting Bideb early in this campaign, so apparently Biden scares them more than the other dem candidates did. So yes, it is very clear from those cites that the Russians do have a vested interest in derailing a Biden candidacy. I am surprised you didnt know that and still doubt it after all those cites. It’s not my opinion, and hell- it’s not even opinion- it’s a clear well documented fact. Maybe it’s more they are protecting their pawn trump vs fearing Biden, but they are certainly working hard to make sure Biden loses. Perhaps they would have worked just as hard vs Warren (for example- had she been the front runner), I dont know- \*but they didnt. \* If you still can doubt this after that evidence, then there is no use continuing to respond to you. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2020, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393/763 "2020-05-04T01:58:08Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > Biden is likely an impaired man. I dunno. He’s sounded like he’s absolutely aware of the questions and answers the last few days, hasn’t he? And he has not yet talked about injecting oneself with household disinfectants to fight coronavirus. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2020, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393/764 "2020-05-04T10:41:53Z")
He never sounded impaired in the first place. When it seemed like he was slow to answer a question he was just being sarcastic. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2020, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393/765 "2020-05-04T12:50:40Z")
NY Times editorial [Democrats, It’s Time to Consider a Plan B](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/03/opinion/joe-biden-tara-reade.html): > [@](#): > > To preserve the strides made on behalf of victims of sexual assault in the era of #MeToo, and to maximize their chances in November, Democrats need to begin formulating an alternative strategy for 2020 — one that does not include Mr. Biden. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2020, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393/766 "2020-05-04T13:08:07Z")
That’s not an NYT editorial (i.e. written by the Times’ senior editorial staff), it’s an opinion column. One written by a Democratic Socialist, for that matter. The actual NYT editorial board [called for further investigation](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/01/opinion/biden-tara-reade.html) but suggests nothing about kicking Biden to the curb. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2020, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393/767 "2020-05-04T13:17:15Z")
A Democratic Socialist who has always been anti Biden fwiw. A Never Biden from the jump. Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2020, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393/768 "2020-05-04T13:20:07Z")
> [@ISiddiqui](#): > > A Democratic Socialist who has always been anti Biden fwiw. A Never Biden from the jump. Heh, she’s been saying that Biden isn’t socialist enough since [at least 2018](https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/its-time-to-give-socialism-a-try/2018/03/06/c603a1b6-2164-11e8-86f6-54bfff693d2b_story.html) when she was saying America needs to switch to socialism. Hrm… I wonder, oh I wonder, what her “Plan B” is? ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2020, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393/769 "2020-05-04T13:55:12Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > Cite? If true Myself and others would love to know why. Cite? Water is wet. Trump is a moron. This is clear. Russia almost certainly has Kompromat on Trump. Trump has business interests in Russia, and probably owes them a ton of money. I believe blackmail is ongoing. Trump has already tried to get dirt on, or created on Biden when he extorted the President of Ukraine. This would have helped Russia as well. Ukraine would have had less defensive measures against Russian invasion. Win, win for Putin. Having Trump as President not only helps Russia, it’s comedy gold for Putin. It would not surprise me if he’s just doing if for the LOL’s. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2020, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393/770 "2020-05-04T14:55:41Z")
Putin has never done anything for laughs. I believe he wants to reconstruct the USSR and put Eastern Europe back under his thumb. To do this, he needs to weaken NATO. What better way to do this than to put a stooge in the White House who doesn’t understand the value of the alliance and has no loyalty to anyone? There may or may not be a pee tape, but he’s got Donald up to his ass in debt and can yank him by the short hairs whenever he chooses. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2020, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393/771 "2020-05-04T15:27:33Z")
Secretary of the Senate says that [they have no discretion](https://twitter.com/seungminkim/status/1257310807928406018/photo/1) to release personnel records despite Biden’s request. ---
**Author:** ![xenophon41](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xenophon41/32/253_2.png) [@xenophon41](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xenophon41)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2020, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393/772 "2020-05-04T15:54:36Z")
It’s not that Putin fears Biden specifically; it’s just that he’d be happier with a less competent and less adversarial diplomatic and intelligence apparatus in the US government. Biden represents decades of foreign policy experience (off and on chairman and ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee between 1997 and 2009), knows the value of diplomacy and international cooperation and would work to restore the State Department to pre-Trump operation. Most of the other Democratic contenders would be similar to Biden in emphasis on competence and restoration, if not in policy priorities or their amount of direct experience. And that’s the reason Russian interference is targeted to impede the Democrat and aid DJT. Engineering in some manner the withdrawal of the presumptive nominee at this point would be a real coup for Putin, causing demoralization and consternation within the Dem-leaning electorate and helping to suppress turnout. And whether manipulated by foreign elements or not, promoting his withdrawal, while ethically valid if you believe Biden’s guilty of sexual assault is terrible political strategy regardless of the argumentation of some pundits still pining for a different primary process outcome. ---
**Author:** ![Boycott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boycott/32/6741_2.png) [@Boycott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boycott)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2020, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393/773 "2020-05-04T16:49:04Z")
Biden was the only candidate who Putin knows personally. Who spent time with Putin behind closed doors on US-Russia matters already. Doesn’t shock me Putin/Kremlin targetted a known entity rather than the others who may be even harsher but whose experience on the world stage just can’t match a former Vice President of the United States. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2020, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393/774 "2020-05-04T17:25:15Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > Sure, keep throwing out dates and eventually you might find one that works! Uhh… June 17 2007? April 12 2008? December 33rd 2021?? > > This isn’t even Murry we’re talking about, this is O’Donnell who doesn’t have the excuse of being the supposed victim or young age. Not to mention that the specific complaint is that Biden told a young girl that she was well endowed for a 14 year old. How many years was this girl 14 for? ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2020, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393/775 "2020-05-04T17:29:18Z")
It really doesn’t matter if Trump is a Putin stooge or not or if Putin thinks Biden is personally more savvy or not. Trump is the king of divisiveness - even in this era of extreme polarization just having a president who doesn’t comment on twitter constantly will calm things down _slightly_. It’s logical to promote Trump because a Trump presidency = maximum agitation. From both Trump haters and Trump lovers. A riled-up electorate is one not focused or concerned with Russia’s business as long as Russia is off elsewhere doing Russian things. ---
**Author:** ![Organism](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Organism](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Organism)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2020, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393/776 "2020-05-04T19:10:25Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > So this is your idea of keeping an open mind? There are statements of the obvious. Some deeply MSNC-brained liberal Q Anon takes flying hot and furious up in here. Joe Biden is literally a doddering old man who doesn’t understand computers, the Internet, contemporary technology, contemporary social relations, “young people” (by which I mean anyone under — Jesus, 40? 45? — to be generous), income or wealth inequality issues, social issues, climate issues, and perhaps most importantly: He keeps talking about “working with Republicans.” How they’ll go “back to being the way they used to be,” when he was buddy-buddy with a bunch of ACTUAL SEGREGATIONISTS. No one actually wants this guy. He represents nothing. “Better than Trump” isn’t good enough. Procedural politics have failed us. Our institutions have failed us. Only one party is even bothering to play “within the bounds” of the rules of these institutions, and it’s yielded us this absolute deathwish of a candidate. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2020, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393/777 "2020-05-04T19:36:10Z")
> [@Organism](#): > > … > > He keeps talking about “working with Republicans.” How they’ll go “back to being the way they used to be,” when he was buddy-buddy with a bunch of ACTUAL SEGREGATIONISTS. > > No one actually wants this guy. He represents nothing. “Better than Trump” isn’t good enough… No, he wasnt. Yes, he gave a eulogy for one. He was asked to. He is known for his great eulogies. And you know what you do when you are a decent human being and are asked to give a eulogy?\* You do it. \* I want him. and in fact at least 11 million other Democrats do. We _need_ to get rid of trump. and this sort of thing isnt helping to get rid of trump. I am sorry _your_ first choice wasnt the \*voters \*choice, but sour grapes wont help. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2020, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393/778 "2020-05-04T19:50:05Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > That’s not an NYT editorial (i.e. written by the Times’ senior editorial staff), it’s an opinion column. One written by a Democratic Socialist, for that matter. The actual NYT editorial board [called for further investigation](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/01/opinion/biden-tara-reade.html) but suggests nothing about kicking Biden to the curb. Here we go again with the media’s “Let’s hear from all sides” complicity in poisoning another candidate who is infinitely more qualified than the shit-slinging primate we have in office now. More normalization of abnormal politics. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2020, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393/779 "2020-05-04T19:54:57Z")
> [@Organism](#): > > No one actually wants this guy. Nobody except nearly 12 million voters in a primary season that was interrupted by a once in a century pandemic. > [@Organism](#): > > He represents nothing. Except the hope that we can end the nightmare that is Republican misrule. > [@Organism](#): > > “Better than Trump” isn’t good enough. Tell that to people who’ve been literally killed by Donald Trump’s policies. ---
**Author:** ![Unreconstructed\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/76d3ee/32.png) [@Unreconstructed\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unreconstructed_Man)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2020, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393/780 "2020-05-04T19:58:40Z")
> [@Organism](#): > > No one actually wants this guy. He represents nothing. “Better than Trump” isn’t good enough. This is a point that simply cannot be hammered home enough. There’s a lot of Liberals on this board who seem to think the world is neatly divided into exactly two groups: 1. Trump personality cultists and… 2. People who hate Trump every bit as much as they do. It should go without saying that the real picture is more complicated than that. There are people who like Trump, obviously, but there are also people who are undecided on him, who perhaps like some of the things he’s done but not others. There are people who dislike him, but perhaps only slightly, and who may dislike Biden more. There are people who dislike him a lot but who dislike Biden just as much. There are people who, while they may not like him, at least find him entertaining and who reason (not unjustifiably) that if they’re going to be completely ignored by a politician then they might as well get ignored by an entertaining one. And then, of course, there are people who are simply ambivalent about him. Because the Electoral College is so heavily weighted towards Republicans, Democrats need every vote they can get, and they need as many people from those groups to vote for them as possible. How, exactly, is saying “Biden’s not Trump” over and over again for the next six months going to win _any_ votes from _anyone_ in _any_ of those groups? Please, be specific. I’m honestly keen to know. The biggest problem with Biden isn’t that he’s skeevy, or that he’s doddery, or that he’s a Washington Insider _par excellence_, or that he’s in the pocket of the credit industry and has been for decades, or that he voted for the Iraq War (which should be an automatic disqualification just on principle), or that he’s far too chummy with the Republicans, _it’s that he doesn’t stand for anything_. What’s his signature issue? Trick question, he doesn’t have one. This is a massive, massive problem. “He’s not Trump” is the Democrat mantra of the moment because Biden offers virtually nothing else. Certainly nothing to get people excited about. More liberal judges on the Supreme Court? That’s obviously important, but it’s not the kind of thing that gets people out of bed to canvass for you on a weekend. And, to reiterate, “He’s not Trump” is a terrible argument which offers nothing to any of the people in any of the groups I previously mentioned. You say, “He’s not Trump”. They say, “Yeah? Who gives a shit?” Where do you go from there? This is what happens when voters play at being mind readers and, instead of selecting the candidate they actually _want_, select the candidate they believe others (often some speculative “Middle American” who exists only in their heads) will put up with. They end up with an anodyne milquetoast of a candidate who tries to be all things to all people and ends up being nothing to anyone, who excites almost no-one, and who inspires nothing but buyer’s remorse. And unexciting candidates run anaemic campaigns and almost always lose, no matter how much of a shithead the other guy is. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393.md?page=38) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393.md?page=40)