Posted on 11/15/2017 7:58:11 AM PST by Oshkalaboomboom
I'll cut to the chase: I think Roy Moore did it. And I can predict what Moore supporters will say: "Of course you would believe that!"
After all, I called for conservatives to repudiate Moore, the Alabama Republican candidate for the Senate seat vacated by Jeff Sessions, before the Washington Post's meticulously reported story alleging that Moore dated teenagers and, in one instance, molested a 14 year-old-girl. So naturally, I would exploit this politically timed "smear" to ruin a "good man."
That's the nature of the Moore defense I'm hearing, not just from folks on Twitter and via email, but from prominent politicos and pundits. It's all just a hoax perpetrated by people who don't want to Make America Great Again.
I would say it's a terrible argument, but calling it an argument is too generous. Here's Breitbart honcho Steven Bannon on Thursday:
"The Bezos-Amazon-Washington Post that dropped that dime on Donald Trump," Bannon told a New Hampshire audience, "is the same Bezos-Amazon-Washington Post that dropped the dime this afternoon on Judge Roy Moore. Now is that a coincidence?"
This is typical of Bannon's demagogic style. Because the Post is allegedly out to get Moore, not only can we not believe what the Post reports, we don't have to credit what any of the people talking to the Post on the record actually said. It's a kind of motivated reasoning that lets audiences connect dots and reach conclusions unsupported by the facts.
Bannon uses lots of adjectival nouns -- "Bezos-Amazon Washington Post"! -- to insinuate a nefarious conspiracy that everyone is supposed to know about. He appeals to intellectual vanity and insecurity: Surely you don't believe this is a coincidence! This is a classic example of the paranoid style, inferring evil intentions from objective facts.
The most telling detail is Bannon's claim that the Post "dropped a dime" on Trump with the "Access Hollywood" tape. Translation: They're snitches!
But here's the thing: Snitches may or may not be bad people, but what makes people hate snitches is that they tell the truth. A snitch, by definition, is an informer, not a liar.
And the one fact Bannon leaves out of his innuendo-drenched word salad is that the "Access Hollywood" story was actually, you know, true. Trump said what he said -- on tape -- in his own words! Whether he was lying when he talked about sexually assaulting women is a different question altogether. The Post didn't make anything up then, and I don't think it's making anything up now.
That said, I'm entirely open to the idea that the Post is out to get Moore. But reporters' motives aren't nearly as important as people think. The Post was surely out to get Richard Nixon during Watergate; that doesn't change the fact that Nixon was guilty. During the Monica Lewinsky scandal, many people were out to get Bill Clinton (me included), but that doesn't mean he didn't have an affair with an intern and lie about it under oath. The motivations of truth-tellers cannot turn the truth into a lie.
Both the Post's reporting and victims' testimony are persuasive for reasons widely discussed. But there's one point no one has made: If these women were willing to lie, why not go all in and say they were raped, or insist Moore wouldn't take "no" for an answer? In for a penny, in for a pound, after all.
But perhaps most damning are Moore's creepy denials. When Fox News host Sean Hannity asked, almost begged, Moore to deny the allegations categorically, Moore was evasive, lawyerly and weird. If someone asked me if I ever dated teenagers when I was in my 30s, my reply would be "absolutely not." It wouldn't be "it would have been out of my customary behavior." When asked if he remembered dating teenagers, Moore answered, "Not generally, no." At one point, with barely restrained pique, he insisted, "I don't remember ever dating any girl without the permission of her mother."
That's an odd thing to say if you never dated teenagers.
Moore and his defenders are counting on the fact that his supporters don't want the allegations to be true. And, shamefully for all concerned, it's working.
I chalk up Cuck Goldberg’s columns to neocon nepotism.
I was kinda on the fence on this one, but now that Goldberg has stuck antiTrump butt into the opinion page, I’m full 100% behind this man.
Jonah Goldberg is nothing but a two bit pompous @ss intellectual. Nothing, absolutely nothing he has to say is on the money esp with regards to our president.
Goldberg, like Ingraham, is among the most deceptive of the never Trumpers.
When will they realize deception is not a good quality for a person to have?
I took it mean that he probably DID date teenagers when he was in his 30s. But that doesn't mean he tried to score with a 14yo. There is no proof that he broke a law. If there is then they should bring it up in a court of law or shut up about it.
We will not be allowed to elect anyone else who sides with the citizens and the rule of law again.
Trump had the wealth and fame to punch through the Bush blockade at the RNC.
They will make sure that “mistake” does not happen again.
It’s all about cementing the Bush Plan for North Mexico (aka USA) in place.
They have been importing foreigners to steal our country from US.
They desperately do not want US to be able to restore the rule of law and reverse the demographic changes they have instituted through non-enforcement of laws and borders.
They invited 30 million people here to change the country against the will of the citizens and they do not want US sending them home.
They will do whatever it takes to keep US from electing anyone who sides with the citizens and the rule of law.
What they really don’t want is for US to keep our country.
There has been a 30 year plan put in place to steal the country by importing foreigners.
The final amnesty that would cement the Bush Plan for North Mexico (aka USA) into place has been sought repeatedly since 2006. They sold us Rubio to get the last one in 2013.
We have been prevented from electing anyone who would side with US and the rule of law.
Trump had the wealth and fame to break through the Bush blockade at the RNC.
They are not going to allow that to happen again.
The most important thing to the Uniparty is protecting the demographic changes they have made to the country against the will of the citizens.
That’s what drives the NeverTrump, the media and the Democrats hatred of Trump, it is an extension of their hatred of US.
Tammy Bruce laid it all out on Tucker last night (after he weirdly compared Moore to Al Sharpton). We are supporting Moore because we do not believe the media, our own government or our “own side” anymore. It’s as simple as that.
This hack is off the rails.
He was wrong about Trump. And he is wrong about Moore.
He is wrong about everything.
Jonah Goldberg wets the bed. He’s a fake nobody. He’s a male Chelsea Clinton, who would be a busboy except for his mother getting his job for him. He always spouts the swamp party line. TMPO.
Ingraham is very deceptive.
One question:
Would we be talking about his dating habits 40 years ago if he was either a Democrat or a GOPe adherent?
If no, then this is primarily a politically motivated hit.
That said, rapists & the like, should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, and socially shunned. But let’s have a fair hearing of the case BEFORE that happens, especially in a politically motivated hit.
One question:
Would we be talking about his dating habits 40 years ago if he was either a Democrat or a GOPe adherent?
If no, then this is primarily a politically motivated hit.
That said, rapists & the like, should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, and socially shunned. But let’s have a fair hearing of the case BEFORE that happens, especially in a politically motivated hit.
One question:
Would we be talking about his dating habits 40 years ago if he was either a Democrat or a GOPe adherent?
If no, then this is primarily a politically motivated hit.
That said, rapists & the like, should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, and socially shunned. But let’s have a fair hearing of the case BEFORE that happens, especially in a politically motivated hit.
One question:
Would we be talking about his dating habits 40 years ago if he was either a Democrat or a GOPe adherent?
If no, then this is primarily a politically motivated hit.
That said, rapists & the like, should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, and socially shunned. But let’s have a fair hearing of the case BEFORE that happens, especially in a politically motivated hit.
Republicans need to back Moore, not because they approve trolling teenagers, but because of politics.
Republicans need to punch this narrative in the face.
Plus Moore was in the Democratic Party when he trolled.
I saw that. And thought....she’s the only one I’ve heard pontificate so far that gets it.
See if the ink is from the 70's etc..
If he can discredit this woman then it's smooth sailing for him!
In the past, I had some respect for Goldberg. Now? Not even a little bit.
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