Far-left activist Linda Hirshman, author of a book called “Reckoning: The Epic Battle Against Sexual Abuse and Harassment,” wrote in a New York Times op-ed on Wednesday that while she believes the woman who is accusing Democrat presidential candidate Joe Biden of rape, she is still voting for Biden because she claims it’s “worth it.”
The op-ed comes after Biden was accused by his former Senate staffer, Tara Reade, of sexually assaulting her in 1993, an allegation for which there appears to be a fair amount of contemporaneous evidence.
“I believe Ms. Reade, and I’ll vote for Mr. Biden this fall,” Hirshman wrote, later adding: “Suck it up and make the utilitarian bargain.”
Hirshman then wrote:
All major Democratic Party figures have indicated they’re not budging on the presumptive nominee, and the transaction costs of replacing him would be suicidal. Barring some miracle, it’s going to be Mr. Biden.
So what is the greatest good or the greatest harm? Mr. Biden, and the Democrats he may carry with him into government, are likely to do more good for women and the nation than his competition, the worst president in the history of the Republic. Compared with the good Mr. Biden can do, the cost of dismissing Tara Reade — and, worse, weakening the voices of future survivors — is worth it.
Later in the op-ed, Hirshman suggested that Vice President Mike Pence was a problem because he “will not dine alone with a woman other than his wife.”
Online, Hirshman was slammed for her op-ed, with former journalist Natalie Johnson writing, “This is a disgusting slap in the face to anyone who’s been sexually assaulted, particularly to those brave enough to come forward only to be dragged through hell for doing so.”
This is a disgusting slap in the face to anyone who’s been sexually assaulted, particularly to those brave enough to come forward only to be dragged through hell for doing so. pic.twitter.com/TZAdBKI8D7
— Natalie Johnson (@nataliejohnsonn) May 6, 2020
Political commentator Stephen Miller said that the op-ed was the end of the #MeToo movement.
The engraving on MeToo's headstone: pic.twitter.com/RfWMz98yV3
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) May 6, 2020
Yesterday, Martin Tolchin, who used to work for Politico and The New York Times, wrote in a letter to The New York Times’ Editorial Board that he did not want an investigation into Biden because he was concerned that it could damage the Democrats’ chances of beating Trump in 2020.
Tolchin’s op-ed came in response to an op-ed from The New York Times editorial board that said that the Democratic National Committee should investigate Biden.
Tolchin wrote:
I totally disagree with this editorial. I don’t want an investigation. I want a coronation of Joe Biden. Would he make a great president? Unlikely. Would he make a good president? Good enough. Would he make a better president than the present occupant? Absolutely. I don’t want justice, whatever that may be. I want a win, the removal of Donald Trump from office, and Mr. Biden is our best chance.
Suppose an investigation reveals damaging information concerning his relationship with Tara Reade or something else, and Mr. Biden loses the nomination to Senator Bernie Sanders or someone else with a minimal chance of defeating Mr. Trump. Should we really risk the possibility?
Martin Tolchin
Alexandria, Va.
The writer is a former member of The Times’s Washington bureau and a founder of Politico.
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a member.