WaPo | Pity poor Alabama voters. On Dec. 12, they must choose between a radical
pro-abortion Democrat and an alleged sex predator who has been accused
of pursuing and molesting teenage girls.
There is no good choice in that equation, and Alabamians should not
have to make it. In an earlier era, Roy Moore either would have done the
honorable thing out of his own sense of shame or would have been forced
to step down by state party leaders. Instead, he is staying in the race
— with the full complicity of Alabama Republican leaders who have
defended Moore and attacked his victims.
In refusing to step
down, Moore is executing a playbook written two decades ago by the 42nd
President, Bill Clinton. During the Monica Lewinsky scandal, Clinton
figured out that if you have no shame and ignore calls to resign, you
can survive any scandal. All you have to do is lie repeatedly (“there is
nothing going on between us”) and show no remorse when you are caught
doing so. When more women come forward with more allegations, deny them,
too, and create just enough doubt that your supporters will feel
justified sticking with you. Blame your opponents for conducting a
political witch hunt to run you out of office. If the evidence becomes
overwhelming, then admit “a critical lapse in judgment” but declare it is time “to move on” because “we have important work to do.”
For Clinton, it worked like a charm. He forced his supporters to
choose between power and principle — knowing full well that power would
win out. The feminist movement — the very people who should have been
championing Clinton’s victims — instead sided with him. Gloria Steinem
beclowned herself in a notorious 1998 New York Times op-ed where she attacked Clinton’s accusers, made excuses for his deceit and made light of his crimes. All 45 Senate Democrats voted to acquit Clinton in his impeachment trial.
Today,
with the cavalcade of revelations of sexual transgressions by
politicians and celebrities, some Democrats are expressing belated
regret that their party rallied around Clinton. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand
(D-N.Y.), who occupies Senate seat that Hillary Clinton once held, now says that Bill Clinton should have resigned.
Isn’t that convenient? Now that the Clinton political machine is
finally defunct, liberals come forward to condemn him? How courageous.
