Joe Biden has a #MeToo problem

Democrats have a big #MeToo problem on their hands, and how they handle it could — and should — go a long way towards determining the outcome of the presidential election.
The problem allegedly involves former Vice President Joe Biden.

Biden, the Dems' presumptive presidential nominee, was accused last week of sexual assault by a former staffer, Tara Reade. She told a podcast host that in 1993, Biden pushed her against a wall and penetrated her with his fingers. "I thought this was my future, and so when that happened I felt, it's like someone pulling the rug out," Reade said.

A spokesperson for Biden denied the claims. "Women have a right to tell their story, and reporters have an obligation to rigorously vet those claims," the campaign said in a statement. "We encourage them to do so, because these accusations are false."

Thanks in part to the coronavirus pandemic, the allegation so far seems to have had little effect on the political ecosphere. (My colleagues at The Week have noted Reade's accusation in their coverage of Biden's campaign.) But as the presidential election draws near, that seems certain to change. Already, the issue is a hot topic in conservative media, where Biden is seen as benefiting from a double standard — getting the benefit of the doubt that Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh didn't receive when assault allegations surfaced during his nomination hearings in 2018.

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