WaPo - a cautionary tale: Nation's top political paper becomes gossip tabloid overnight

[NightHawkeye]

Today's shocking revelation fro the Washington Post is that a woman Roy Moore acknowledges dating ... also has evidence that they dated.

Woman shares new evidence of relationship with Roy Moore when she was 17

DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — Debbie Wesson Gibson was in her attic hauling out boxes of Christmas decorations last week ...
...
Gibson, who said that she publicly dated Moore when she was 17 and he was 34, a relationship she said she “wore like a badge of honor”.
...
Moore said in a radio interview with Sean Hannity that he did not know Corfman but that he remembered Gibson as well as Gloria Thacker Deason.
...
At a Nov. 29 rally at a church in the south Alabama town of Theodore, Moore said, “Let me state once again: I do not know any of these women, did not date any of these women and have not engaged in any sexual misconduct with anyone.”
...
“He called me a liar,” said Gibson, who says she not only openly dated Moore when she was 17 but later joined him in passing out fliers during his campaign for circuit court judge in 1982 and exchanged Christmas cards with him over the years. “Roy Moore made an egregious mistake to attack that one thing — my integrity.”​

Sweetheart, the Washington Post called you a liar ... and got you all riled up. Roy Moore acknowledged dating you. The WaPo is over-parsing words here for purposes of political destruction. Sadly, that destruction is none other than their own. Really, really, sad

 

[Albion]

I suppose it is a question whether friendship, going out a few times, and handing out flyers together amounts to dating or not. A 17 year old probably would say so and a 34 year old probably would not.

 

[Halbhh]

Everybody knows. I mean I think about 90% of people know when woman after woman after woman come forward and tell their stories, they are not all lying.

So, we most all know, most people. We know that he messed around with teenagers, some quite young, and that more than one says he tried to molest them, that's pretty credible to at least suggest you would not want him seeing your teen daughter.

Of course, it could all become even harder to try to sweep under the rug, sure.


Conservative Catholic NYTimes columnist Douthat, who also pointed out the virtue of confession compared to denial, has an interesting article I just found and am looking at:
Opinion | The Swine of Conservatism

"It’s a theory [trying to defend the offender] that makes sense if you think only of today’s elections, but in the long term it’s cultural suicide — because it tells your neighbors and your children that your religious convictions are always secondary to your partisanship."

 

[RocksInMyHead]

Sweetheart, the Washington Post called you a liar ... and got you all riled up. Roy Moore acknowledged dating you. The WaPo is over-parsing words here for purposes of political destruction. Sadly, that destruction is none other than their own. Really, really, sad

He initially acknowledged knowing her, not dating her, but later backtracked on even that. He's now said multiple times that he doesn't know any of the women who claim to have dated him as teenagers.

 

[NightHawkeye]

Everybody knows. I mean I think about 90% of people know when woman after woman after woman come forward and tell their stories, they are not all lying.

So, we most all know, most people. We know that he messed around with teenagers, some quite young, and that more than one says he tried to molest them, that's pretty credible to at least suggest you would not want him seeing your teen daughter.

Of course, it could all become even harder to try to sweep under the rug, sure.


Conservative Catholic NYTimes columnist Douthat, who also pointed out the virtue of confession compared to denial, has an interesting article I just found and am looking at:
Opinion | The Swine of Conservatism

"It’s a theory [trying to defend the offender] that makes sense if you think only of today’s elections, but in the long term it’s cultural suicide — because it tells your neighbors and your children that your religious convictions are always secondary to your partisanship."

And that's how the press lies ...

You believe that woman after woman has made allegations of underage predation. It's not true. Only one such allegation has been made, and it is denied. The rest of the smoke involves young women who admit to being of legal age ... and of those all but one claim they were treated very decently at the time.

 

[camille70]

Everybody knows. I mean I think about 90% of people know when woman after woman after woman come forward and tell their stories, they are not all lying.

So, we most all know, most people. We know that he messed around with teenagers, some quite young, and that more than one says he tried to molest them, that's pretty credible to at least suggest you would not want him seeing your teen daughter.

Of course, it could all become even harder to try to sweep under the rug, sure.


Conservative Catholic NYTimes columnist Douthat, who also pointed out the virtue of confession compared to denial, has an interesting article I just found and am looking at:
Opinion | The Swine of Conservatism

"It’s a theory [trying to defend the offender] that makes sense if you think only of today’s elections, but in the long term it’s cultural suicide — because it tells your neighbors and your children that your religious convictions are always secondary to your partisanship."

Re: the article, it also discourages non-Christians who see the hypocrisy on display. In the past several years many have lost respect for the Church and Christians, and it's not because of anti-christian propaganda, it's because God's children are making the Church a laughingstock.

 

[Albion]

Everybody knows. I mean I think about 90% of people know when woman after woman after woman come forward and tell their stories, they are not all lying.

There is actually no way of knowing, unless there is evidence (which, in this case, is lacking). And don't do George Soros and the Washington Post the undeserved favor of thinking that "woman after woman" told a tale of sexual abuse. Most merely said he flirted or dated them, neither of which was a crime.

 

[NightHawkeye]

He initially acknowledged knowing her, not dating her, but later backtracked on even that. He's now said multiple times that he doesn't know any of the women who claim to have dated him as teenagers.

Pedantic over-parsing.

Seriously, if you're going to engage in pedantic over-parsing then you should really come down hard on the Washington Post which has taken exactly one allegation, overlaid it with numerous young women who he clearly dated but treated well ... and then claimed a pattern of abuse.

Of course he denies it. Wouldn't you? The Washington Post didn't bother to take the time to draw the necessary distinctions, why should he? A simple denial suffices.

 

[archer75]

It really is getting hard these days. It's not a matter of being ashamed of the Gospel - it's a matter of social awkwardness and difficulty in communication when someone knows you're a Christian and therefore assumes - reasonably! - that you therefore support people like Moore.

 

[RocksInMyHead]

Pedantic over-parsing.

Not sure it's possible to over-parse these statements:

“The allegations are completely false. They are malicious. Specifically, I do not know any of these women.”

“Let me state once again: I do not know any of these women, did not date any of these women and have not engaged in any sexual misconduct with anyone.”

And I've yet to see any statement from him saying that he did date Gibson (as you claim he has said). The only time he's specifically referred to her (before he made the above statements), he said he knew her but did not date her.

I recognize that most of the stories show no illegal behavior, but "It wasn't illegal" is not a very good defense, especially when you're positioning yourself as a champion of Christian morality.

 

[archer75]

Not sure it's possible to over-parse these statements:

“The allegations are completely false. They are malicious. Specifically, I do not know any of these women.”

“Let me state once again: I do not know any of these women, did not date any of these women and have not engaged in any sexual misconduct with anyone.”

And I've yet to see any statement from him saying that he did date Gibson (as you claim he has said). The only time he's specifically referred to her (before he made the above statements), he said he knew her but did not date her.

I recognize that most of the stories show no illegal behavior, but "It wasn't illegal" is not a very good defense, especially when you're positioning yourself as a champion of Christian morality.

Agreed. These people who promote themselves - more or less - as modern-day saints so often end up playing a "well, TECHNICALLY she was a day over the age of consent, therefore, Jesus approves" game.

You can see right through this guy. Must be what your sort of average sinner looks like to a real saint with the gift of reading thoughts.

Just imagine if EXACTLY the same situation came up and this guy was a 'dem.'

 

[NightHawkeye]

And I've yet to see any statement from him saying that he did date Gibson (as you claim he has said).

That he dated a number of young women, including Gibson, is not disputed. He also spoke with the parents of some of them ... about dating. That is not disputed, either.

I recognize that most of the stories show no illegal behavior...

Thank you for that admission.

 

[RocksInMyHead]

That he dated a number of young women, including Gibson, is not disputed. He also spoke with the parents of some of them ... about dating. That is not disputed, either.

Perhaps you didn't read the rest of my post, including direct quotes from Moore denying even knowing any of the women?

Thank you for that admission.

I've been saying the same thing since the start of this whole situation. Got any comment about the rest of my post that you cut off? Need a pickaxe?

 

[Albion]

I recognize that most of the stories show no illegal behavior, but "It wasn't illegal" is not a very good defense, especially when you're positioning yourself as a champion of Christian morality.

I might agree with you if that were what the liberals were saying against Moore. Of course, it is not what they are saying. And the reason they are not doing that is because it would not be damning enough to cost him the election, and they know it.

 

[NightHawkeye]

Perhaps you didn't read the rest of my post, including direct quotes from Moore denying even knowing any of the women?

In response to the blanket claims by WaPo about an over-arching pattern of sexual misconduct.

One responds to blanket claims with blanket denials. It's not complicated. Those interested in details will still find them.

 

[Halbhh]

And that's how the press lies ...

You believe that woman after woman has made allegations of underage predation. It's not true. Only one such allegation has been made, and it is denied. The rest of the smoke involves young women who admit to being of legal age ... and of those all but one claim they were treated very decently at the time.

The source for him molesting more than one that I was seeing yesterday was from a Fox News viewpoint piece (I don't limit my sources to just 1 or 3 viewpoints or one side), for instance --

I have defended Alabama Senate candidate Judge Roy Moore’s statements about God and law, but his conduct is indefensible. Not only in decades past but in the past week.

Four women have charged that Moore made sexual advances when he was thirty-plus and they were teenagers. One was only 14 when, she claims, Moore undressed and fondled her in his car and tried to force her into a sex act.

A fifth woman, Beverly Young Nelson, charged Moore with assault and attempted rape when she was 16.


There aren’t many options here. Either the women are lying as part of a well-executed conspiracy against the judge, or Moore did what the women accuse him of doing.

Lies aren’t unheard of in political campaigns. Smears happen. Politicians plot, especially in high-stakes elections.

It’s not impossible here. As we’ve learned more about Moore’s young adulthood, though, the conspiracy theory has become increasingly implausible.

Several of the women share Moore’s religious and political convictions. Moore’s preference for teenage girls was common knowledge among his colleagues ...

Roy Moore and the one big question for voters
(Peter J. Leithart is president of the Theopolis Institute in Birmingham, Ala., and serves as teacher at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Birmingham. )

 

[RocksInMyHead]

I might agree with you if that were what the liberals were saying against Moore. Of course, it is not what they are saying.

Really? Because I'm a "liberal" and that's what I'm saying about Roy Moore.

 

[archer75]

Really? Because I'm a "liberal" and that's what I'm saying about Roy Moore.

Mega-dittoes.

 

[Albion]

The source for him molesting more than one that I was seeing yesterday was from a Fox News viewpoint piece (I don't limit my sources to just 1 or 3 viewpoints or one side), for instance --

Is there a link to that Fox News viewpoint piece?

 

[RocksInMyHead]

Is there a link to that Fox News viewpoint piece?

At the bottom of the post?

Roy Moore and the one big question for voters