In the wrong
Facing multiple allegations of sexual harassment, Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.) resigned as Congress’s longest-serving member Tuesday, becoming the first lawmaker to step down as Capitol Hill grapples with allegations of inappropriate behavior by lawmakers.” (“Rep. John Conyers Jr. resigns over sexual harassment allegations after a half-century in Congress,” PowerPost, Elise Viebeck and David Weigel, Dec. 5, 2017)
“Senator Al Franken announced his resignation on Thursday, becoming the highest-ranking US politician yet to step down in the wake of widening allegations of sexual misconduct against powerful men in Hollywood, Silicon Valley, the media and politics.” (“Al Franken resigns from Senate over sexual misconduct allegations,” The Guardian, Lauren Gambino, Dec. 7, 2017)
On Monday, President Trump made explicit what he had long made clear in practice: He wholeheartedly endorses Moore for Senate, despite multiple allegations of sexual misconduct involving teenage girls. Later in the evening, the Republican National Committee announced it would reopen the money pipeline to Alabama it had shut off when the party at large cut Moore loose—or so it seemed—in November.” (“The Republican Party Slinks Back to Roy Moore,” David A. Graham, The Atlantic, Dec. 5, 2017)
“As new sexual-harassment accusations — sometimes several per day — pour out in the aftermath of the Harvey Weinstein scandal, there’s one person whose alleged sexual misconduct seems simultaneously ever-present, and yet grossly overlooked. But for now, Trump seems entirely unfazed by the allegations hanging over him. Press Secretary Sarah Sanders confirmed last month that it is the White House’s official position that every single one of the women is lying, and Trump has not shied away from condemning alleged sexual harassers (if they’re Democrats).” (“What Happened to the 16 Women Who Accused Trump of Sexual Misconduct,” Margaret Hartmann, Daily Intelligencer, Nov. 20, 2017)
Four powerful American men. Four rather similar accusations of improper sexual behavior with women. And yet, two very different outcomes. For two of them, it would mark the abrupt end to their otherwise stellar and unblemished political careers. But for the other two, their infamy seems to have catapulted them to even greater heights, and increased their attractiveness to their constituent base.
For Democrats John Conyers and Al Franken, as soon as the accusations against them became public, they were basically history. Their party turned against them instantaneously, leaving them with no other choice but to do the honourable.
But for the two Republicans, it seems to be a different story. When US President Donald Trump’s despicable “Access Hollywood” tape came out – where he was caught on record bragging about how he has had free rein to abuse and harass whomever he chose to victimise – it resulted in his election to the presidency. Roy Moore, the senatorial aspirant from Alabama had a similar turn of fortune when accusations were levelled against him by women who claim he had abused them while they were still teenagers. Instead of denting his popularity, it only served to galvanize his supporters around him, calling the charges against him “fake news.”
Such similarity in accusations, yet such disparity in outcomes.
For the Democrats, it seems they have chosen to take the moral high-ground regarding the two party stalwarts. Since their party stands for women’s rights and social equality, it would have been political suicide had they allowed the two to go unpunished.
But what of the Republicans, the party that claims to represent the evangelical right, those who assert their righteousness over the rest of society at every opportunity? What of the party of Abraham Lincoln, he who earned the moniker “Honest Abe” because of his untarnished integrity? Sad to say, the party that has always been on the right, is now – it seems – the party in the wrong.
Some have argued that there would be no #MeToo moment if Donald Trump had not been elected, even after being accused of various forms of misconduct, from groping to rape. But in recent weeks several of Trump’s accusers have said that while they’re happy sexual harassment is being discussed more openly, they’re still dismayed that their own stories seem to have had little impact.