Booing the Character Issue - We should care if the accusations against Cain are true.

National Review ^ | 11/11/2011 | Mona Charen

[TBBT]

I think I understand why the audience at Wednesday’s CNBC debate booed Maria Bartiromo’s question to Herman Cain about sexual-harassment allegations. They don’t believe there is any truth to them. They suspect, along with the candidate, that the women concerned are part of a liberal lynch mob out to smear another strong, conservative, black man. They know that accusations of sexual harassment are often nebulous and PC. If I guess correctly, they also believe — with considerable justification — that the press is less interested in the dry details of policy than in salacious tales of misbehavior. They resent being dragged into another smutty distraction.

Yes, but. As someone who was well-disposed toward Herman Cain as a public figure (if not as a potential president), I cannot help recalling the response of Democrats to revelations about Bill Clinton. “We know all about it,” one exasperated reader wrote to Newsweek magazine, “and WE DON’T CARE.” In fact, the majority of Americans did not care — and it was not our finest moment as a nation. Liberals, who professed to be appalled by the one accusation against Clarence Thomas (just one non-contemporaneous accusation — not four or five), dismissed Bill Clinton’s behavior as no big deal. Stuart Taylor noted at the time that even if everything Anita Hill said about Clarence Thomas were true, it would not be nearly as serious as the allegations against Bill Clinton. Conservatives argued at the time that character mattered. Liberals replied, in effect, that it didn’t...

Read the rest here: http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/282909/booing-character-issue-mona-charen

[TBBT]

I can't help but think that listening the Rush, Hannity, and Levin over the last few days has smacked a little too much of Lanny Davis and James Carville during he Clinton fiasco.

[Stepan12]

The Democrats have defined deviancy downward. Two can play that game!

[muir_redwoods]

If bankrupting a great nation and throwing millions out of work does not disqualify a man for seeking a second term, obviously false allegations of being a cad 15 years ago should not disqualify a man for seeking a first.

[Buckeye Battle Cry]

I see Mona is still pimping hard for Romney.

[frogjerk]

I can't help but think that listening the Rush, Hannity, and Levin over the last few days has smacked a little too much of Lanny Davis and James Carville during he Clinton fiasco.

Prove the charges. With BJ Clinton they were provable. Don't make moral equivalencies. It makes you sound foolish.

[ilgipper]

give me a break. There was nothing here in this scandal. Other than the Gloria Allred circus act, there was never a specific accusation. You had two names come out, and both are perpetual lawsuit hounds. This was a poor attempt at cutting down a good man. At worst, he is a dog who hits on women.

Bill Clinton was an accused rapist, sexual predator, and serial adulterer with many many specific names and detailed accusations, and his henchmen brutally tore down any and all accusers and threats. Remember Ken Starr and Linda Tripp. He perjured himself lying under oath and was impeached and also disbarred. No comparison at any level.

[mel]

Oh good grief, if the best Cain could do was try to cop a feel in a car, then he is a loser. ha ha ha
No way do I believe those bimbos.

[RexBeach]

I agree. They and many others on the conservative side of things sound a lot like Bill Clinton’s defenders.

That gives me a downright creepy feeling.

[cripplecreek]

Not really, there is simply no reason to believe the allegations are true. These Newt supporters are desperate to keep the issue alive.

[ronnie raygun]

There is a difference between false accusations and clear evidence. Cains fiasco smells of a setup, background checks on the accusers and thier associations all lead to someone in the administration or the DNC and a personel track record of complaints on prior jobs, financial staus of the accuser or other associations. Putting Flowers and Jones aside, Clintons romp was a boy getting his finger caught in the cookie jar. Stains on the blue dress don’t lie, DNA please?

[Stepan12]

Dear SKlar,

Sexual harassment is merely a scheme by lawyers to act like pimps and pornographers and cash in on a woman's body. Except the pimps and pornographers are less odious because they don't claim to be hypocritically self righteous about it.

[MrEdd]

We should care that nothing specific might or might not have happened?
Link to a detailed allegation.

[yldstrk]

Yep, true. She kept the dress.

[MNJohnnie]

I cannot help but thinking Mona should remember that accusations are not proof of anything and scumbag journalists should not be pimping a political smear during a debate on Economics.

How about instead of making fraudulent comparisons to Clinton, Mona and the rest of the damn with faith praise squad in the GOP media try addressing the FACTS.

It is exactly this sort of article that makes people wonder what good is the GOP? They cannot even find the courage to defend their own from the Democrats.

Beginning to believe it is time for the GOP to go the way of the Whigs

[Stepan12]

It sounds to me like this is an attempt by Democrats to play on what they perceive the racism of Republicans to be. They are pushing the meme of the lustful-black-out-to-get-the-white-women in the hopes that Republicans will break out white sheets and crosses or sumping.

But since it is the Democrats that are doing it, they are practicing racism.

[statered]

sorry but after reading your posts all morning you are nothing but a spamming idiot. You haven’t said who you are supporting but your tactics are not driving people away from Cain. they are only illustrating what an over the top idiot you are.

[frogjerk]

I agree. They and many others on the conservative side of things sound a lot like Bill Clinton’s defenders.

How about you use some of that critical thinking you have and compare the two situations. Like looking at actual evidence.

[MNJohnnie]

I cannot help thinking it is utterly moronic to compare the real accusations that were prove with evidence about Clinton with completely unsubstantiated accusations made up at Cain.

We had proof against Clinton. Where is ever 1 bit of proof, other then accusations against Cain?

[Stepan12]

Not really, there is simply no reason to believe the allegations are true. These Newt supporters are desperate to keep the issue alive.

Yeah.... It's just that I remember Rush Limbaugh saying years ago that it is time to take the gloves off. We must certainly play rougher than we are with these Alinskytes, keeping in mind that we may never be as skilled at this type of fighting as they are.