It’s been a dog’s age since I listened to the first season of Serial. I remember coming away from it with two distinct impressions:

Honestly, I’m more than happy with how Franken handled it, and that is more than enough in that case. The absolutionism makes me worry about another Black Wallstreet or Central Park Five happening.

Those are valid points. I don’t have the answer.

Ah, yes. Another example of Democrats refusing to accept an apology for something that happened 10 years ago because SURPRISE people did shitty things that they are sorry for in the past. I can’t tell you how many shitty things I did that I’m sorry for in the past. Do we never accept that a person has changed?…

You think he’s lying. I think he’s telling the truth. Where do we go from there? But imagine the scene. Have you ever been to a USO show overseas? I have while in the Air Force in the 90s, I was in Korea. Those shows are often sexual in nature, lot of sex jokes, pretty girls like Tweeden, who most of the men had…

I spent three of my first five post-college careers tending bars, and was groped and kissed by men and women almost weekly without my consent. Female bartenders at the same spots dealt with the same or worse. While I wouldn’t mind an apology from some of these people for making me feel uncomfortable, I certainly…

I think if this were Paul Ryan or Mitch McConnell I’d be equally nonplussed. Miming a boobhonk 10 years ago is immature and sophomoric, but hardly a reason for anyone to resign.

Where did I say that? I basically said, let’s consider the whole picture, and also let’s wait for the results of the investigation. And Leeann Tweeden also said she doesn’t think he needs to resign and accepts his apology.
And frankly, yeah, I think people can change and if they do more good than harm that’s a good…

No the premise is not faulty. I didn’t ask about Franken specifically.

Nah, that’s stupid. I mostly agree with your first paragraph, but reality also necessitates that we understand that people are human, and even generally good people sometimes do shitty things.

You still haven’t answered the question I posed.

I think the point that Franken brings up in his extended apology is a good one, regardless of the fact that it doesn’t make these actions okay. We are in a new era of gender equality and awareness of the effects of our actions on other people, and that means that many men, especially older men, are thinking for the…

Maybe our disagreement is an assumption of intentional motive and doofus motive, the latter being just how clueless guys seem to be about their actions.

I believe the facts of what happened. I believe that he kissed her in a shitty way during a rehearsal for a performance. I believe that he took a picture where he pantomimed feeling her breasts. I believe that she was pissed off and hurt by what happened. I also believe she is taking this opportunity in the current…

I agree. I really wish more of this conversation was about supporting women.

Making comparisons between other allegations or political parties is not helpful.

I work in the same building as Franken, and honestly, yes this is really bad, yes, this is a #metoo story, yes he deserves to be held accountable, but there are degrees, and this happened before he was in the senate, when he was in the comedy world. Now, there’s a reason I’m bringing all of these things up and it’s…

Bingo. One completely unsubstantiated allegation, and one picture clearly meant as a (tasteless) joke where you can’t even be sure there was any sort of contact. Franken responds immediately with an apology, which of course isn’t accepted in these circles because no apology is ever good enough. Now they’re jumping all…

So the big topic of a Republican Senatorial candidate embroiled in a sex scandal will end with a Democratic Senator being forced to resign. Like clockwork.

Wish I could have been there to give more applause than I’ve given anyone in my life to date, and then some. As I saw someone comment elsewhere, I hope she gets appreciated in defeat, because she never was properly appreciated when she was running or at any time before that.