it happened in 1979, 38 years ago. Things were different then. People were less cautious about child molestation. They thought it didn't happen as much as people do now.
.... and what was considered "child" and "molestation" were different then....
And while I'm NOT a Southerner, I understand that in the cultures there, it was LONG considered that any female past purberty was, well, a woman. It was not at all uncommon for men (even in their 30's) to date young teens. Eventually and slowly, this has changed. What IS or is NOT an appropriate age at which we can "flirt" or make advances has always been (and still is) largely a matter of culture. BTW, I understand the LEGAL age at which a girl could marry without parental consent was often 14 in the South until fairly recently......
But to the issue. I don't think it matters AT ALL if this man did anything "inappropriate" by the standards of the USA or Australia in 2017. His life is ruined by the accusation - however credible or otherwise. The Republican Party has chosen to abandon him - concluding it's better to have a liberal Democrat than a Republican who is now regarded as a sex offender (whether he is or not is ENTIRELY, COMPLETELY irrelevant). The press doesn't care if he is guilty or innocent - just accused, and thus an evil, bad man and CERTAINLY one who must not be elected.
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