Bill Cosby, Roger Ailes, Harvey Weinstein, Bill O’Reilly, Kevin Spacey, Roy Moore, Louis C.K., George Takei, John Travolta. This is a hefty list of very powerful men in Hollywood, the media, and politics who have been accused of or taken down by the new wave against sexual assault. I’m certain there is much more to come, and I have no problem with it. Let’s clean out all the rat’s nests. But wait… aren’t we missing someone? Isn’t it curious that absent from this list is one very major public figure?
Before you go making excuses about statutes of limitation or letting elders live out their remaining years, let me remind you that Cosby’s assaults happened in the mid 60’s. Juanita Broaddrick’s story happened in 1978. Let me also remind you that Broaddrick’s rape allegation sounds a lot like a Harvey Weinstein tale: He asked her to come up to his hotel room, multiple witnesses corroborated her story, and he used power and intimidation to keep her from talking to authorities. Why then, hasn’t President Clinton been publicly shamed like all the others? Who is protecting him?
To the media on the Left
The motivation to bring down one of your biggest champions should be to prove that nobody is above the law in a civilized society, especially when it comes to sexual conduct. But because he is so revered, let me offer you this carrot instead: If you take down Bill, you can take down Donald.
How we got here
Here, where giants like Cosby, Weinstein, and O’Reilly can be brought down but sitting presidents cannot, was established in 1997. The precedent was set by the liberal media when they gave the most powerful man in the country a free pass when Kathleen Willey first alleged sexual assault while Clinton held office in 1997. Now that we are dealing with similar circumstances from the Republican Party, they want to renege on that free pass. I do too. But it starts with righting the first wrong. It starts with their side taking down Clinton before the public will take them seriously.
Going forward
Think of it this way, news media… You established the strike zone back in 1997. Bill Clinton was at bat. He already had two strikes against him from Kathleen Willey and Paula Jones. But when Monica Lewinsky threw a fastball that caught the inside corner, you called it a ball and let him walk. Now that Donald Trump is at bat, you want to call strikes on the inside corner again. While we agree those are strikes and should have always been called as strikes, you can’t start calling them strikes again until you call them on Clinton first. It was you who established this strike zone. It’s up to you to make it right.
I agree, but I am not holding my breath either.