People are once again examining the way former Vice President Joe Biden has behaved with women.
Lucy Flores recently described how uncomfortable Biden’s kissing the back of her head made her feel. Flores was a member of the Nevada State Assembly from 2011-2015 and was running for lieutenant governor in 2014.
According to the Washington Post, “A onetime Democratic nominee for Nevada’s lieutenant governor accused former vice president Joe Biden on Friday of touching and kissing her without her consent during her campaign in 2014, an experience she says left her feeling mortified, embarrassed and confused.
“In an essay published by The Cut, Lucy Flores wrote that when she learned the then-vice president had offered to appear at a rally in Nevada to support her campaign, she was grateful. But that feeling changed, she said, when Biden approached her from behind as she was getting ready to address the crowd.”
Was Biden’s behavior inappropriate? Yes. Did he step over the line? Yes. Should he change his behavior and be more considerate of others’ personal space? Absolutely.
Can we compare Biden’s behavior to that of Real estate developer and reality TV figure Donald Trump?
I remember that during the 2016 presidential campaign, a recording of Donald Trump surfaced. In that recording, Trump bragged that because he was wealth-famous, referring to women, he could “grab ‘em by the pussy.”
To put that in greater context, nearly 20 women have come forward to acccuse Trump of sexual assault.
Did Trump’s bragging about pussy-grabbing bragging matter to many people? Or, did Trump suffer extensive embarrassment as a result of his behavior? Did he experience permanent harm to his reputation or public standing?
The Electoral College elected Trump President.