Political partisans tend to downplay stumbles and goofs by their allies, so lefty writer Alana Levinson deserves credit for her Thursday column at Talking Points Memo in which she went after Vice President Joe Biden for many of his gaffes, especially "lecherous" comments that fit "the classic definition of sexual harassment."
Levinson admitted that liberals generally overlook Biden’s boo-boos because “we like his politics. In terms of women’s issues, he’s got the gold stars.” She acknowledged her reservations about “aligning myself with conservatives who love crying ‘double standard’ on issues like this, not because they actually care about feminism, but to push their liberal media bias agenda…But not wanting to cede a point to the right doesn’t justify ignoring questionable behavior.”
From Levinson’s piece, headlined “Why Does Creepy Uncle Joe Biden Get a Pass From Liberals?” (bolding added):
A swearing-in featuring Joe Biden is gaffe-porn…But are these really just “aw, shucks, dad” moments, another blunder we have come to expect from Uncle Joe? Or is it…kinda creepy? And why does he get a pass from progressives?...
…It was clear from [the day Obama chose Biden as the VP nominee] that Biden’s personality would be a gift to American pop culture. And the gift would just keep on giving:..
…Basically, he was man-made in a lab by the editors of The Onion...
…[At the 2013 Senate swearing-in, Biden] told a senator's mom she was beautiful; he jokingly instructed Sen. Heidi Heitkamp’s family to "spread your legs, you're gonna be frisked!” It was awe-inspiring to see a politician so seemingly unaware of cultural norms.
At this year’s swearing-in, of course Biden was out in all his glory. On Tuesday, I wrote about Maggie, the young daughter of Sen. Chris Coons who rejected Biden’s whispers and kiss, complete with an affectionate headline. That wasn’t the only cringeworthy moment of the night. When introduced to Sen. Orrin Hatch's granddaughter, Biden joked: “I hope you have a big fence around the house!”…
…What would I say if a Republican did the same thing? I’m pretty sure that the kind of “uncle” he is would change from endearing to lecherous.
Now I'm wondering whether I'm a "bad liberal" to call him out. That means aligning myself with conservatives who love crying “double standard” on issues like this, not because they actually care about feminism, but to push their liberal media bias agenda.
But not wanting to cede a point to the right doesn’t justify ignoring questionable behavior…As early as 2007, when [Biden] called Obama “the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy," or said "you cannot go to a 7-11 or Dunkin Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent,” we have forgiven him. We offer arguments like: That’s just good ol’ Joe. He doesn’t get it. He’s of a different generation.
Liberals do this because we like his politics. In terms of women’s issues, he’s got the gold stars…
He’s pro-choice and as a senator in 1990, he introduced the Violence Against Women Act…
…The kind of sexism that Biden exhibits is perhaps the most pernicious kind, because it’s so easily waved away. It’s the classic definition of sexual harassment, the kind that most women tolerate on a daily basis from coworkers or friends...
…[B]eing a public figure who supports women means more than just supporting political causes. It also means treating them with respect, especially in public. If progressives are really committed to combating sexism, they have to be indiscriminate about calling it out—even if it means indicting one of their own.
