Here's another thing that bothers me about Franken's assassination: his apology

[ProfessorPlum]

when Tweeden came forward with her accusation, Franken did what everyone who is serious about living with their fellow humans should do: he took her account at face value, assumed it was true from her perspective, and treated her emotions and claim of being hurt as legitimate. He validated her feelings, let her know that he heard what she was saying, and legitimized her as a person by explaining why someone might feel violated or hurt in the circumstances she described.

“What my intention was doesn’t matter. What matters is that I am chained to that photo. She didn’t have any ability to consent. She had every right to feel violated by that photo. I have apologized to her, and I was very grateful that she accepted my apology.”

See that? He didn't try to claim she wasn't hurt because he didn't intend to hurt her. He didn't try to say her feelings weren't valid because she didn't express hurt at the time. He didn't say she was full of shit or just as bad as him or anything else.

He treated her expression of being hurt as legitimate, from a person whose opinion of him mattered, and gave a text book excellent apology.


Now, if Tweeden weren't such an obvious GOP ratfucker, this would be exactly how any person should deal with accusations and harms like this. Don't deny it, argue, or de-legitimize the other person. Take them at their word, see things from their perspective, and realize that your perspective might be different from theirs.

His apology was a beautiful example of how to apologize and treat someone you've hurt with respect for their perspective and feelings.

And everyone (even people here) read it as if it was an admission of guilt on his part. What he was doing was setting an example for everyone to follow, in how to treat accusations like these with respect, kindness, and legitimacy. Especially if they are surprising to you.

Anybody who has been in marriage counseling will recognize exactly what he was doing, and what he was demonstrating. A class act.

[EL34x4]

1. I wish you would stop using the term "assassination" in regards to Franken.

Assassination has a very distinct meaning, particularly when talking about political figures. Senator Franken is still very much alive, and in fact, still very much a Senator.

[Bettie]

3. It's a character assasination

which is a thing.

[EL34x4]

6. Then call it that (n/t)

[Bettie]

7. I would, but

I didn't write the post. I just figured that was what the person meant.

[ProfessorPlum]

8. I'll take your editorial suggestions into consideration.

thank you for the feedback.

[Egnever]

2. And the lesson that our leadership sent him was

you would have been far better of to demonize her and deny everything.

It's a fucking tragedy.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

4. It's worth mentioning too

that Tweeden herself didn't want Franken to resign.

[tonedevil]

5. What she really didn't want...

was an investigation.

[ProfessorPlum]

9. bingo

[trof]

17. zackley

[Proud Liberal Dem]

14. The Democrats in the Senate have no ensured that there won't be one now.

[trof]

16. now. edit?

[RandomAccess]

10. Even people here. A LOT of them.

And it doesn't TAKE marriage counseling to get it, it only takes a careful reading (or listening) to get it.

[ProfessorPlum]

11. not everyone who recognizes what Al was doing

has been in marriage counseling.

But, everyone who has been in marriage counseling will recognize what Al was doing.

[RandomAccess]

13. Yeah, that pretty well summarizes my point

whether I made it well or not.

[mn9driver]

12. There has been a lot of criticism of Frankens apologies.

They all seem to run with the idea that he was not abject enough and failed to properly confess his total guilt for the crimes he committed.

So, his attempt to be respectful of claims that he didn’t agree with, backfired and caused the zealots to be convinced that his respectful apology without full and complete confession was actually proof of his guilt.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

15. I'm sure that he couldn't remember all of the zillion pics he's taken in the 7-8 years

he's been in the Senate. Unless he is actually lying and knew that he had "gropey" intent, I doubt that he could remember all of his public picture-taking encounters with people over the years and made what he felt was an honest statement.

[trof]

18. Agree. 1. Can we all agree that Al is smart?

I think that's a given.
IMHO he is EXTREMELY intelligent.

2. Q: Why would an elected senator (or even ESPECIALLY a candidate), who is smart, go around groping women in public photo ops?
A: He wouldn't.

Occam's Razor: s."Ptolemy (c. AD 90 – c. AD 168) stated, "We consider it a good principle to explain the phenomena by the simplest hypothesis possible."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occam%27s_razor