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Women in politics fear #MeToo moment will backfire — and they’ll be the ones punished
The Miami Herald ^ | Dec. 11, 2017 | Mary Ellen Klas

Posted on 12/12/2017 12:20:30 PM PST by Brilliant

As Florida’s politically powerful men fear becoming targets of sexual harassment allegations, the new-found awareness of a male-dominated Legislature has come with a cost: Women are collateral damage.

Female staffers and lobbyists who returned to the Capitol last week for pre-session meetings discovered many male legislators will no longer meet with them privately. Accustomed to Tallahassee’s Southern culture, where men and women casually and routinely greet each other with hugs, legislators are doing an awkward dance to replace a hug with a handshake. And the fear of retaliation — against women who brought forward allegations or those who may in the future — is as raw as the fear that legislators’ political enemies could turn sexual harassment claims into new political weapons.

“I had a senator say, ‘I need my aide here in the room because I need a chaperone,’ ” said Jennifer Green, a veteran lobbyist, after meeting with a senator in his Capitol office to discuss a client’s issue. “I said, ‘Senator, why do you need a chaperone? I don’t feel uncomfortable around you, do you feel uncomfortable around me? ‘Well,’ he said, ‘anyone can say anything with the door shut.’ ”...

(Excerpt) Read more at miamiherald.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Politics/Elections; US: Florida
KEYWORDS: florida; fraud; gloriaallred; harassment; harveyweinstein; jennifergreen; lisabloom; obstructionofjustice; sexual; suborningperjury
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To: Brilliant

My wife and I are 64. We met when we were 44. My wife has LOTS of female friends.

She says women are much worse than men regarding pretty much everything, but women are much more discrete about it.


21 posted on 12/12/2017 12:42:27 PM PST by robroys woman (So you're not confused, I'm male.)
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To: Brilliant
Guess it makes sense - how can you engage in a "honey pot" scheme when no one wants your "honey"?

How can you conspire with someone you can't trust?

22 posted on 12/12/2017 12:42:44 PM PST by ZOOKER (Until further notice the /s is implied...)
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To: Brilliant

I don’t blame men in positions of authority for being hyper-cautious when dealing with women in the workplace.

Although some men will now prefer hiring more males than females out of a sense of distrust, simply using the Mike Pence ‘model’ of never allowing yourself to be alone with a woman not your wife, under any circumstances, should be enough to fend off any future bogus accusations of being ‘sexually inappropriate’.

Still, it’s inevitable that some politicians will simply decline to hire female staffers in the future. A form of career self-preservation.


23 posted on 12/12/2017 12:43:06 PM PST by Jim Scott
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To: Brilliant
Robin_Williams_Whoopi_Goldberg_Comic_Relief_6_HQB_Pgmfx_Rl
24 posted on 12/12/2017 12:43:08 PM PST by Ronald_Magnus
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To: Fido969
The Pence Rule. It's a good thing.

Still doesn't prevent women from making up stuff, especially if they were interested in the men and were rebuffed in their advances.

"I'm offended he said I was attractive."
"I'm offended he didn't say I was attractive."

25 posted on 12/12/2017 12:44:22 PM PST by CatOwner
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To: Ronald_Magnus

Poor Robin Williams. That guy never caught a break.


26 posted on 12/12/2017 12:45:59 PM PST by Buckeye McFrog
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To: Red Badger

My wife was fired by a company after another woman told many lies about her.

She actually saw one of her ex-upper management in a Costco a decade later. The guy apologized all over the place. The other woman had been there a long time and they had just believed what she said about my wife, who was new there, but once my wife was gone, the output of the team spoke for itself and the other lady was actually fired.

This is why, as far as all these sexually inapropriate behaviors are concerned, my motto is, “if there is not conviction in a court of law or out of court settlement, it didn’t happen.” And if a new claim is for something more than two years ago, it didn’t happen.


27 posted on 12/12/2017 12:46:16 PM PST by robroys woman (So you're not confused, I'm male.)
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To: CatOwner
Still doesn't prevent women from making up stuff, especially if they were interested in the men and were rebuffed in their advances.

True, they could still make sh*t up, but they can also be more easily called out for the liars they are.

28 posted on 12/12/2017 12:46:28 PM PST by ScottinVA ( Liberals, go find another country.)
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To: Jim Scott

On the other hand, it is very creepy to watch men in positions of power hire potential dates - and absolutely toxic to an organization’s morale when the “office toys” are paid better than real workers (of both genders).


29 posted on 12/12/2017 12:48:00 PM PST by kearnyirish2 (Affirmative action is economic warfare against white males (and therefore white families).)
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To: fortheDeclaration

My wife is a big sister to a 15 year old girl that was sexually abused by an uncle and her mother died of a meth overdose. She seems like a nice girl, but we have a hard time trusting her.

There is no way EVER I would be caught alone with her. Ain’t happenin’. If I drive her somewhere, my wife is with us. ALWAYS.

The risk is simply too great.


30 posted on 12/12/2017 12:48:59 PM PST by robroys woman (So you're not confused, I'm male.)
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To: Brilliant

Pretty soon we will have the band width to record everything. I bought a motion camera from Amazon that looks like a phone charger. If I were a big shot, I would be a fool not to record my entire day.


31 posted on 12/12/2017 12:49:57 PM PST by jimmygrace
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To: Brilliant

They’d best be careful about being alone with men too.


32 posted on 12/12/2017 12:52:16 PM PST by KrisKrinkle (Blessed be those who know the depth and breadth of their ignorance. Cursed be those who don't.)
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To: yetidog
genie
33 posted on 12/12/2017 12:52:31 PM PST by timestax
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To: robroys woman

None of these ‘allegations’ on (D) or (R) would ever stand up in a real court of law, because they are all ‘He said, She said’ unprovable stuff.

But the Court of Public Opinion requires no evidence, just the allegations and you’re automatically guilty......................


34 posted on 12/12/2017 12:52:41 PM PST by Red Badger (Road Rage lasts 5 minutes. Road Rash lasts 5 months!.....................)
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To: timestax
worms1_zpsc1b201e3

35 posted on 12/12/2017 12:53:53 PM PST by timestax
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To: Brilliant

It’s the “boy who cried wolf” syndrome.

If I was a person with a political office, I wouldn’t meet with any women, either.

Too big of a risk.


36 posted on 12/12/2017 12:54:06 PM PST by skinndogNN
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To: Brilliant

As they should. Trial by press has unintended consequences. But typically the left can’t see past their noses.


37 posted on 12/12/2017 12:55:17 PM PST by ImJustAnotherOkie
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To: Red Badger

Yes, but it looks like the court of public opinion is changing its sensibilities.

And I think it began with Trump’s response to the “grab ‘em” exposure. He was supposed to stick his tail between his legs and resign like a good politician. Except he’s not a politician. And people applauded it with their votes.

And now we have the woman who created the documentary, “The Red Pill” and her TED speech, and so many others. The tide is turning HARD on the feminists. Sanity will come, and it appears that #metoo is helping bring it on.


38 posted on 12/12/2017 12:56:29 PM PST by robroys woman (So you're not confused, I'm male.)
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To: Red Badger

In a candid moment, I had an HR manager tell me that he only hired white men. Not because he was racist or sexist, but because they were easy to fire if things didn’t work out.


39 posted on 12/12/2017 12:58:18 PM PST by Vigilanteman (ObaMao: Fake America, Fake Messiah, Fake Black man. How many fakes can you fit into one Zer0?)
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To: Brilliant

Time to keep in your pants guys, its cheaper and safer; not to mention u do not have to feed it breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and your best friend will not be a blood sucking attorney.


40 posted on 12/12/2017 1:00:16 PM PST by Herakles (Diversity is a globalist scam for power!)
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