 Dude hasn't even announced that he's running for president yet, but I am already sick and tired of Joe Biden I'm sick and tired of him Because not only is he politically Not the best bet in fact He's one of the worst bets because he's essentially a moderate Republican his support of the Iraq war his support of the 1994 crime bill his vote for the Patriot Act. These are all Disqualifying factors. He doesn't support Medicare for all He presumably does not support the Green New Deal. I don't think he'd support a federal jobs guarantee So I am sick of him because politically speaking He is the worst possible choice to go up against Donald Trump in my opinion in an anti-establishment era But with that being said we're all now talking about what was obvious to pretty much everyone with the brain Who saw through whatever cognitive dissonance was stopping them from seeing him as the creep that he is and we're talking about The way he's just overly handsy to put it lightly with women Including young women now there were two women that decided to come out and share their stories about how Joe Biden touched them in an Inappropriate way and he gave them an unwanted kiss Lucy Flores says that he kissed the top of her head And this made them feel uncomfortable. Now since I talked about their stories. I think it's only fair that I give you Joe Biden's Kind of apology video. There was no explicit apology, but he shares his side of the story and so far I've been completely disgusted with the response people close to him suspect that Bernie Sanders was involved in Basically planting this story and I just think that that's a really grotesque accusation but nonetheless this is what he had to say for himself and I'll tell you my thoughts on that and then we'll talk about what transpired after he released this video I expect to be talking about a whole lot of issues and I'll always be direct with you but today I want to talk about Just as a support and encouragement that I've made to women and some men and made them uncomfortable And I always tried to be in my career. I've always tried to make a human connection. That's my responsibility I think I shake hands. I hug people I I grab men and women by the shoulders and say you can do this and Whether they're women men young old it's the way I've always been it's the way I've tried to show I care about them And I'm listening and over the years knowing what I've been through the things that I've faced I found that scores if not hundreds of people have come up to me and reached out for solace and comfort something something anything that may help them get through the tragedy they're going through and and and so It's just just who I am and I've never thought of politics as cold and antiseptic I've always thought it about connecting with people as I said shaking hands hands on the shoulder a hug encouragement and now and now it's all about taking selfies together You know social norms that began to change they've shifted and the boundaries of protecting personal space have been reset And I get it I get it I hear what they're saying. I understand it and I'll be much more mindful. That's my responsibility My responsibility and I'll meet it, but I'll always believe governing quite frankly life for that matter It's about connecting about connecting the people that won't change But I will be more mindful and respectful of people's personal space and that's a good thing That's a good thing. I've worked my whole life to empower women I've worked my whole life to have run abuse I've written up and so the idea that I can adjust to the fact that Personal space is important more important than it's ever been is it is it's just not thinkable. I will Now almost immediately after he released this video Three more women came forward and then shortly after that two more women came forward bringing the total number of women speaking out To seven at the time I record this video because it may actually increase So this is certainly troubling. Is it disqualifying? I don't know. I don't even think it's important to Discuss that question because even if this may be an unrealistic expectation I think that we can examine or at least try to examine these allegations in a vacuum because I think that this conversation Ultimately is important. It's something that we need to talk about we need to talk about How it's vital that we respect personal boundaries We respect personal space and we acknowledge that our actions even if our intent is pure may come off in a way that makes people feel Uncomfortable so I think it's an important discussion to have and when I listen to the video. I Don't like what he says. I don't like what he says. I don't like that. He didn't issue an apology I don't like that. He essentially says that social norms are changing because for you to put your hands on someone play with their hair Give them kisses on the head. I don't think that's ever been appropriate now to be clear None of these women are alleging that he sexually assaulted them I don't think it rises to that level, but what they are saying is essentially along the same lines He kind of made them feel uncomfortable by hugging them and holding on too long He put his forehead against theirs and it was awkward and made them feel uncomfortable So I mean they're all kind of saying the same thing this behavior that he's exhibited throughout the years on camera for Everyone to see has been super creepy and it's about time that we talk about it. So the good thing is that his Accusation that Bernie Sanders was all behind this kind of fell apart After more women came forward, but it's it's a little depressing to me that this is only viewed through the lens of politics And I get it. He's gonna announce that he's running for president soon So, you know, you can't really extract the politics from the conversation but I think we should at least try because During the Me Too era we need to make sure that women feel comfortable sharing their stories And no, these are not stories that are on par with what Harvey Weinstein did I don't think I've seen anyone allege that but it is important that we all become more aware of our actions and become aware of How we can respectfully engage with people in a way that communicates love that he tries to convey to people But without doing so creepily, but unfortunately This really is kind of becoming politicized because now Donald Trump decided to weaponize this issue and pounce on it And he posted this video about Joe Biden, but basically of all people Donald Trump is the last who should be talking about this 23 women accused him of doing worse He endorsed Roy Moore a pedophile. He painted Brett Kavanaugh as the victim amid rape allegations He flew on Epstein's sex slave plane the Lolita Express. He bragged about sexually assaulting women on tape He says that he grabs women by the genitals. He doesn't even wait So of all people Donald Trump is the least person that I want to hear from but it's why it's very difficult to Disaggregate the politics from the conversation that we all need to be having that I think would otherwise be constructive Which is why it's unfortunate that you know, this really is Devolving into a conversation about whether or not this is a political hit against Joe Biden now this Michael Tracy tweet Kind of also alludes to that. He says if the goal is to defeat Joe Biden it should be done politically with substantive arguments about policy and logic and reason and stuff not me too medium Posts and making a big scandal out of his hugging practices just my two cents now. I'm not picking on Michael Tracy But I think that what he shared here and why I'm talking about his tweet is because it's one example of Many bad takes that I've seen to describe what Joe Biden has been doing for many years as Hugging practices is an over simplification to put it lightly But I don't think Michael Tracy is the best judge since he literally thought that an old lady pushed him and furthermore We don't need to meet to him out of the race We can beat Joe Biden on the policy substance because he's a conservative He's a Republican running in a Democratic Party primary. So him versus Bernie I think we can easily make the case and yes He may be polling ahead of Bernie right now, but I think that's gonna change when he announces because just by and large He's a really unlikeable guy But with that being said should we still be talking about Joe Biden? Absolutely, this is an important conversation That has to be taking place and I just I don't understand why so many people are Rushing to get us to all shut up about this. I don't know how this is going to affect Joe Biden's political chances Does this disqualify him? I haven't really touched on that yet. I don't know I don't really agree that this is disqualifying But at the same time I do think that it's extremely disturbing like it. It's it's really downright Disgusting and we need to be talking about this because people in power they've got to be held accountable for their actions if Joe Biden was just a Walmart employee and He didn't have any power and he walked up to a female co-worker and started playing with her hair and grabbing her face and kissing her on the head if she complained to HR at A minimum that Walmart employee would be written up possibly terminated So the fact that everyone is rushing to defend someone with power It really speaks to a broader issue in American discourse that people in power are held to a completely different standard than people with no power We shouldn't allow Joe Biden To skirt any culpability or not take responsibility or not have to take responsibility Just because he's Joe Biden just because he's a former vice president I think we need to hold him as a human being and a man to the same exact standard that we would hold anyone else to So the fact that so many supposedly left-leaning individuals mainly people in mainstream media like Anna Navarro are Rushing to defend him and shut down this really important conversation that we're having I find it incredibly Disgusting this is something we need to talk about this is something as a country we need to talk about and grapple with and Yes, this doesn't rise to the level of sexual assault But nonetheless it still is something that is related to the Me Too movement Even if you think it's only tangentially related, but I think that we're in this era where we need to talk about How women have been silenced have been told to shut up Whenever they express, you know, their discomfort with the actions of men and I think that that's not acceptable So we need to on the left Facilitate an environment where women don't feel like they're going to be attacked like Lucy Flores was attacked for speaking out we need to make sure that people can express their concerns without assuming that there's some type of political agenda that is Causing them to want to speak out we can't do what Republicans do and Not hold people on the left or in this case the center right to the same standard that we hold Republicans to and I think that a lot Of people on the left in mainstream media namely are Proving that they are not just hypocrites But political hacks because if your team does it it's okay But if the other team does it you're gonna pounce on them. That is a horrible way To win over anybody on the right or in the center It's an easy way to discredit yourself and make it seem like you don't care about the actual issues You just care about the personalities. So No, I say fuck that let's talk about this and let's grapple with this really important Conversation that we should be having related to this type of behavior not just Joe Biden But this type of behavior in general