Sen. Marco Rubio this week mused that Joe Biden’s misfortunes in recent days have come about due to an orchestrated political hit job put out on him, most likely from one or more of his (would-be) opponents in the 2020 Democratic primaries. We don’t doubt for a minute that Rubio is correct about this; stories, images, and videos of Biden’s odd predilection for rubbing women’s shoulders, sniffing their hair, and generally getting too close for comfort have abounded for years. Only now, as he leads in the polls against dozens of candidates who have already jumped into the race, are they suddenly a huge national problem.
Think of that what you will, but we wouldn’t be surprised if all of this sudden media attention was concocted by an opposition research firm or two. Does that make the allegations any less valid? We’ll leave that for Democrat voters to decide.
What is certain is that times have changed, especially on the left. No longer is it okay to exhibit any typical markers of masculinity if you are thinking about running for higher office. This was obvious from the moment Beto O’Rourke joked about his wife raising their children – “sometimes with my help.” Before the day was through, he was prostrating himself in front of the feminist world, begging them to mercifully forgive his outdated view of gender roles. If you can’t make a joke as innocuous as that one in 2019…well, you probably can’t get away with massaging a woman’s shoulders and taking a deep whiff of her Tresemmé.
“The political ground has shifted under Mr. Biden, and his tactile style of retail politicking is no longer a laughing matter in the era of #MeToo,” explains the New York Times. “Now, as he considers a run for president, Mr. Biden is struggling to prevent a strength from turning into a crippling liability; on Tuesday alone, two more women told The New York Times that the former vice president’s touches made them uncomfortable.
“For Mr. Biden,” the report continues, “the risks are obvious: the accusations feed into a narrative that he is a relic of the past, unsuited to represent his party in the modern era, against an incumbent president whose treatment of women should be a central line of attack. Mr. Biden has denied acting inappropriately but has said he will ‘listen respectfully.’”
We’re not sure the New York Times would let a Republican get away with this behavior by stamping a brand-new term on it – “retail politicking” – but it is what it is.
Whether modern-day, #MeToo-influenced liberals, already suspicious of Biden’s white, straight, centrist approach to politics, will be so willing to cover up for him? That remains to be seen.
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