# I pit Ms. Tara Reade for putting our country through this **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 2, 2020, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-ms-tara-reade-for-putting-our-country-through-this/853020 "2020-05-02T14:46:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2020, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-ms-tara-reade-for-putting-our-country-through-this/853020/161 "2020-05-07T20:12:27Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > Nah. There’s a ton of Sanders people convinced that (a) Biden needs to drop out, (b) Sanders needs to be given the nomination because “Second place” and (c) Only Sanders can beat Trump because somethingsomething young voters somethingsomething blue collar proletariat. Even if you were correct in that assessment of all these Sanders people still after Biden it remains that the strategy she should have followed, if her goal was to get Sanders or Warren elected and hurt Biden, would have been to come out with these accusation last January or February (or whenever it was Biden really jumped in). Waiting till now hurts Biden but helps Trump and is hugely counter-productive if those were her goals. It says a lot about the crazy in your own head to think that this is really some weird Sanders/Bernie Bro plot. Do you think they are plotting in the basement of a pizza parlor? If they are doing that I bet that is where they are. ---
**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 7, 2020, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-ms-tara-reade-for-putting-our-country-through-this/853020/162 "2020-05-07T20:49:52Z")
> [@Running\_with\_Scissors](#): > > Comparing the Kavanaugh issue to Biden is a false equivalency for a couple of reasons. Before his supreme court nomination, almost nobody had heard of him, so Ms. Ford did not have as much of a reason to come forward, and if Kavanaugh had not been confirmed, the Pubbies would have come up with another conservative justice instead. Biden’s been well known in public service for decades. Everyone’s different, and there’s no “wrong” way to come forward with allegations of sexual assault. It could be that, for Reade, Biden’s profile made it _harder_ for her to come forward. Maybe if Biden had a lower profile she’d have come forward sooner? > [@](#): > > Were these charges not sufficient enough to bring up when he was nominated for VP? Or how about when he first announced that he was throwing his hat into the ring for the 2020 nomination? It seems that it was only after he became the presumptive nominee that the charges really became public, where Biden cannot be realistically replaced by another candidate. Maybe she just wasn’t ready to come forward while Biden was VP? And as for why she waited until Biden had the nomination, maybe she hoped he’d lose and fall into obscurity? Or maybe, once she learned he was running for President again, she deliberately waited until he won the nomination so she could inflict maximum damage and humiliation on him in revenge for his assault? I’m not saying any of these explanations are true, but they seem credible enough to me. Obviously, we need to know why Reade didn’t come forward sooner, but we have to bear in mind that this is a very sensitive issue and, if she _does_ have her reasons, they only need to be good enough for her. She’s under absolutely no obligation whatsoever to justify her decision to us or to conform to our idea of how a sexual assault survivor “ought” to behave. ---
**Author:** ![Running\_with\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Running\_with\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Running_with_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2020, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-ms-tara-reade-for-putting-our-country-through-this/853020/163 "2020-05-07T20:54:24Z")
> [@Unreconstructed\_Man](#): > > Everyone’s different, and there’s no “wrong” way to come forward with allegations of sexual assault. It could be that, for Reade, Biden’s profile made it _harder_ for her to come forward. Maybe if Biden had a lower profile she’d have come forward sooner? Biden had a lower profile before he was nominated for VP. She had indicated that she was reluctant to say something against a sitting senator, yet she has no problem doing it against the arguably more important presumptive Democratic nominee for president? Yes I know, reasons, and all that. I’m just very suspicious. ---
**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 7, 2020, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-ms-tara-reade-for-putting-our-country-through-this/853020/164 "2020-05-07T20:59:46Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > It says a lot about the crazy in your own head to think that this is really some weird Sanders/Bernie Bro plot. Do you think they are plotting in the basement of a pizza parlor? If they are doing that I bet that is where they are. I never suggested it was a plot. I said that I disagreed with the people saying “Well, if it was a plot, THIS would have been a better time…” I personally think she has some grudge, perhaps overblown or exaggerated in her mind, and decided to come out with it after Biden was all but nominated for whatever reasons. I mean, I couldn’t tell you why she keeps changing her story and backpedaling on stuff; I’m certainly not going to authoritatively tell you why she picked that particular day. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2020, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-ms-tara-reade-for-putting-our-country-through-this/853020/165 "2020-05-08T02:01:13Z")
> [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](#): > > Interesting. I actually think she’s not telling the truth. As someone posted upthread, usually with people who commit assaults while from positions of power (different from Kavanaugh, who was a high school student at the time) have a pattern of doing so. Biden doesn’t. His pattern is to be overly familiar, which certainly comes with its own problem, but not to commit acts of assault. But, like I said, I have doubts because of the contemporary reports. Are you certain you’re not thinking of [this post](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=22286217&postcount=10975), in the Troll thread? ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2020, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-ms-tara-reade-for-putting-our-country-through-this/853020/166 "2020-05-08T02:33:37Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > I never suggested it was a plot. I said that I disagreed with the people saying “Well, if it was a plot, THIS would have been a better time…” To be fair, if it was a plot, that would suggest some planning. You plan plots…that’s what makes them a plot. If this were a plot, suggesting some thought went in to it, then yeah, there were better times to do it. ---
**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 8, 2020, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-ms-tara-reade-for-putting-our-country-through-this/853020/167 "2020-05-08T02:42:55Z")
A problem that progressives and democrats have is that they’re easy to pull apart, with lots of little subgroups within the progressive movement. Republicans, OTOH, are united in their love of inequality. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2020, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-ms-tara-reade-for-putting-our-country-through-this/853020/168 "2020-05-08T04:25:27Z")
In another thread we learn Woman who accused Fauci of sexual assault now says Trump supporters paid her to lie What’s the over-under on how much Ms. Tara Reade was paid? Was she just the low bidder, or did applicants have to pass a screen test? ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2020, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-ms-tara-reade-for-putting-our-country-through-this/853020/169 "2020-05-08T04:54:49Z")
> [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](#): > > I’m curious how you fit her alleged contemporary reports of the assault (to friends, her mom, etc) into your framework of evaluating her veracity? If it weren’t for those, I’d feel comfortable completely dismissing this for lack of evidence combined with evidence of her prevarication and optimizing political advantage. But those contemporary reports nag at me. [_Vox_: “The agonizing story of Tara Reade: I started reporting on Tara Reade’s story a year ago. Here’s what I found, and where I’m stuck.”](https://www.vox.com/2020/5/7/21248713/tara-reade-joe-biden-sexual-assault-accusation) Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2020, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-ms-tara-reade-for-putting-our-country-through-this/853020/170 "2020-05-08T06:07:25Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > [_Vox_: “The agonizing story of Tara Reade: I started reporting on Tara Reade’s story a year ago. Here’s what I found, and where I’m stuck.”](https://www.vox.com/2020/5/7/21248713/tara-reade-joe-biden-sexual-assault-accusation) > > Stranger “This year, **Reade has emerged as an ardent Bernie Sanders supporter,** with a much more damaging story to tell about Biden, who is now the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.” Uh-huh. I see. ---
**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 8, 2020, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-ms-tara-reade-for-putting-our-country-through-this/853020/171 "2020-05-08T13:35:31Z")
Sorry if I sound like a broken record, but I do believe Reade is a victim and Biden is a perpetrator of something. I personally don’t think Biden actually got his fingers inside of her, but he probably grabbed her ass and probably got a handful of ass from others as well. We can’t avoid the fact that Biden is a serial creep - I won’t defend him in that sense. Shit, just look at the pictures of him grabbing women and children, and where he puts his hands. Not all of those are photo-shopped - some might be, but not all. I accept that Biden’s a creep. I’m still voting for him, because since about the age of 27 I realized that voting in presidential elections isn’t about voting for the man; it’s about voting for or against policies. Biden’s mere presence in the White House will make the world a better place. Period. Just make sure that women maintain their social distancing from him - at least 30 feet apart - and all will be well. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2020, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-ms-tara-reade-for-putting-our-country-through-this/853020/172 "2020-05-08T14:28:31Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > Sorry if I sound like a broken record, but I do believe Reade is a victim and Biden is a perpetrator of something. I personally don’t think Biden actually got his fingers inside of her, but he probably grabbed her ass and probably got a handful of ass from others as well. On what basis do you make that assertion? Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/do_not_taunt/32/2968_2.png) [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Do_Not_Taunt)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2020, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-ms-tara-reade-for-putting-our-country-through-this/853020/173 "2020-05-08T15:17:44Z")
> [@Morgyn](#): > > Are you certain you’re not thinking of [this post](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=22286217&postcount=10975), in the Troll thread? Nope. It was [this one](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=22282812&postcount=30) by Stranger, in this thread. > [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > [_Vox_: “The agonizing story of Tara Reade: I started reporting on Tara Reade’s story a year ago. Here’s what I found, and where I’m stuck.”](https://www.vox.com/2020/5/7/21248713/tara-reade-joe-biden-sexual-assault-accusation) Thanks for posting that. Will give it a read-through this morning as time allows. ---
**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 8, 2020, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-ms-tara-reade-for-putting-our-country-through-this/853020/174 "2020-05-08T15:57:37Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > On what basis do you make that assertion? > > Stranger It’s already an established fact that Biden has a history of touching women in a way that makes them feel uncomfortable and has had problems knowing boundaries. This isn’t rumor; this is fact. There’s also a growing body of evidence - circumstantial though it may be - to support Reade’s claims that she complained of being violated somehow during the time that she was working in Biden’s office. It’s possible that she was violated by someone in Biden’s office and not Biden himself, but there’s no evidence that this is the case. Nobody has suggested that anyone else has been implicated other than the former senator himself. I don’t buy that she was full-on sexually assaulted because there just isn’t enough evidence to support that claim at this time. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2020, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-ms-tara-reade-for-putting-our-country-through-this/853020/175 "2020-05-08T16:17:22Z")
As regards the “If Biden goes, then we must nominate Bernie…” line of reasoning, a word… Cuomo. And if it can occur to me, its occurred to him. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2020, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-ms-tara-reade-for-putting-our-country-through-this/853020/176 "2020-05-08T16:31:52Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > It’s already an established fact that Biden has a history of touching women in a way that makes them feel uncomfortable and has had problems knowing boundaries. This isn’t rumor; this is. I think even that is so exaggerated that it doesn’t rise to factual. It’s the political playbook - if you find the big lie that maybe has a tiny grain of thread of truth and repeat it twenty million times and it becomes truth. I found the comprehensive list of Biden’s “accusers”. EIGHT women accused him of things like touching their shoulders or standing too close. > **[Here are all the times Joe Biden has been accused of acting inappropriately...](https://www.businessinsider.com/joe-biden-allegations-women-2020-campaign-2019-6#amy-stokes-lappos-alleges-biden-pulled-her-face-close-to-him-during-a-2009-political-fundraiser-5)** > > Eight women have accused Biden of behaving inappropriately. He's also been criticized for his comments about young girls on the campaign trail. His career is what - 50 years long— I see no accusations but Reade’s that even have a sexual element and yet you believe he grabbed her ass? I believe her initial statement about him touching her neck and shoulders, but that’s about it. The tell a lie a million times thing is going to work and Trump will be re-elected, though. And I’m going to blame every single person that gave this story credence just as much as blame the people that vote for Trump. ---
**Author:** ![Running\_with\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Running\_with\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Running_with_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2020, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-ms-tara-reade-for-putting-our-country-through-this/853020/177 "2020-05-08T16:33:28Z")
Released today: [Former Senate aide Tara Reade calls on Joe Biden to withdraw from presidential race](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/former-senate-aide-tara-reade-calls-on-joe-biden-to-withdraw-from-presidential-race/2020/05/07/38b4846c-908c-11ea-9e23-6914ee410a5f_story.html) I am becoming more and more suspicious of her motives. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2020, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-ms-tara-reade-for-putting-our-country-through-this/853020/178 "2020-05-08T16:55:25Z")
> [@Running\_with\_Scissors](#): > > [Former Senate aide Tara Reade calls on Joe Biden to withdraw from presidential race](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/former-senate-aide-tara-reade-calls-on-joe-biden-to-withdraw-from-presidential-race/2020/05/07/38b4846c-908c-11ea-9e23-6914ee410a5f_story.html) > > I am becoming more and more suspicious of her motives. To be fair, that’s exactly what you’d expect an accuser to want. What did Ford want, other than for Kavanaugh’s nomination to be withdrawn? What is Reade supposed to say - “I’m accusing Biden, but it’s okay for him to continue on as presidential nominee?” ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2020, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-ms-tara-reade-for-putting-our-country-through-this/853020/179 "2020-05-08T17:08:41Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > It’s already an established fact that Biden has a history of touching women in a way that makes them feel uncomfortable and has had problems knowing boundaries. This isn’t rumor; this is fact. > > There’s also a growing body of evidence - circumstantial though it may be - to support Reade’s claims that she complained of being violated somehow during the time that she was working in Biden’s office. > > It’s possible that she was violated by someone in Biden’s office and not Biden himself, but there’s no evidence that this is the case. Nobody has suggested that anyone else has been implicated other than the former senator himself. > > I don’t buy that she was full-on sexually assaulted because there just isn’t enough evidence to support that claim at this time. So you don’t really believe Reade in the claim that she (now) vehemently asserts to be true, but you think ‘something’ must have happened, so your resolution is not to look at evidence or credibility but to just split the difference and assert that Biden did some other specific act that is not quite as bad as digital penetration even though no one has accused him of that? That makes zero sense. Let’s not contribute to the culture of ‘alternative facts’ by concocting a story with no basis in evidence or statement. Biden has a history of unwelcome touching of arms and shoulders or overly long hugging (which is inappropriate in and of itself) and Reade’s original story is that someone may (or may not) have retaliated against Reade for objecting to being sexualized (which is also inappropriate but all to common in that time and place), but all claims of sexual assault and digital penetration appear to be novel, unsupported by any previous claims or statements, and are otherwise inconsistent with Biden’s apparent behavior and other claims made about him. Reade’s most recent claims should be investigated and treated with the degree of plausibility consistent with fact, circumstantial evidence, and Reade’s credibility in other matters. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2020, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-ms-tara-reade-for-putting-our-country-through-this/853020/180 "2020-05-08T17:27:18Z")
[Reade is being represented by a Trump campaign donor and a former writer & editor of Russian propaganda.](https://apnews.com/10d2842623b2c299e2c673bf5a9e23ff?utm_source=fark&utm_medium=website&utm_content=link&ICID=ref_fark) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-ms-tara-reade-for-putting-our-country-through-this/853020.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-ms-tara-reade-for-putting-our-country-through-this/853020.md?page=10)