"Folks, in the coming month, I expect to be talking to you about a whole lot of issues, and I'll always be direct with you. But today I want to talk about gestures of support and encouragement that I've made to women and some men that have made them uncomfortable.

And I've always tried to be, in my career, I've always tried to make a human connection. That's my responsibility I think. I shake hands. I hug people. I grab men and women by the shoulders and say 'you can do this,' And, whether they're women, men, young, old, it's the way I've always been. The way I've tried to show I care about them and I'm listening.

And over the years, knowing what I've been through, the things that I've faced, I've found that scores, if not hundreds of people who've come up to me and reached out for solace, comfort, something, something, anything that may help them get through the tragedy they're going through.

And so it's just who I am. And I've never thought of politics as cold and antiseptic, I've thought about connecting with people. As I said, shaking hands, hands on the shoulder, a hug, encouragement. And now it's all about taking selfies together.

You know, social norms have begun to change, they've shifted. And the boundaries of producing personal space have been reset and I get it. I get it. I hear what they're saying. I understand it. And I'll be much more mindful, that's my responsibility. My responsibility and I'll meet it. But I'll always believe — governing, quite frankly, life, for that matter, is about connecting, about connecting with people. That won't change, but I will be more mindful and respectful of people's personal space, and that's a good thing. That's a good thing.

I've worked my whole life to empower women, I've worked my whole life to prevent abuse. (I've written a) and so the idea that I can't adjust to the fact that personal space is important, more important than its ever been is just unthinkable. I will. I will."

The accusations leveled against him not only cannot be proven nor allege broken laws, they do not even claim nefarious intent.

They are based purely on feelings which cannot be substantiated, and therefore cannot be defended against. Any attempt at a defense is portrayed as an attack on the alleged victim.

And they work for no other reason than "he made me feel uncomfortable" is apparently a legitimate reason to attack a person on the national stage.

Go ahead and insult his supporters all day and every day. And then on election day, after being insulted, they will say "time to stop Trump" and vote for the Democratic candidate.

Pretty sure the same can be said of supporters of Harris, Warren, Booker, and other Democratic candidates.

https://twitter.com/_celia_bedelia_/status/1100538733621858305

then, in the future, we need to stop jumping on every sensational story before the facts are in.

When we go from zero to full outrage every time, the media is going to respond, because it is a business, and sensation sells. When it turns out that a story is bogus, it pays them double or more, because they get to cover the coverage.

“Bernie Sanders is the frontrunner,” tweeted former Hillary Clinton staffer Zac Petkanas. “Let’s see how he likes it.”

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez refuses to back Bernie Sanders for 2020 election run against Trump

That was nice of you, and I appreciate it.

Anyone who has the requisite narcissism to run for political office is going to manifest it at some point, sometimes in unpalatable ways. And the capriciousness of the electorate precludes openness and honesty, for what is acceptable at one point will be poison at another.

I think that the Northam picture is grossly over the line, and I think Dr. Tyson is probably telling the truth as she sees it. That said, I also believed that there was some truth behind Paula Jones‘ story, and Obama’s association with Jeremiah Wright was disturbing.

But I’m not a Democrat because I believe that we are all good, and Republicans are all evil. I’m a Democrat because the planet is heating up, and the oil is running out; I’m a Democrat because I think people should be able to go to the doctor when they need to, and the all children have the right to the best possible education in a free and open forum. I’m a Democrat because I think that regulations are required to keep poisons out of our food and wealth from aggregating in too few hands.

Finding out disturbing facts from politician’s pasts should be call for debate, discussion, and education, with the promise of doing better in the future. But if we sacrifice every one of our candidates for perceived character flaws, no matter how unsubstantiated they are or how far back they occurred, then we will achieve nothing at all.

Continuing to support those who have erred is not necessarily excusing or even justifying their behavior. It’s recognizing that the pool of those motivated enough to put themselves into the political arena are not likely to be saints in the first place.

Because the planet is heating up, and the oil is running out.