In February, 1999, Juanita Broaddrick, the woman known previously as "Jane Doe No. 5," went public. In an interview on Dateline, she recounted the day in 1978 when Bill Clinton, then Arkansas' Attorney General, allegedly raped her. In spite of Broaddrick's accusation — and every other scandal he has faced — Clinton survived two full terms as president.
When Donald Trump appeared with Clinton's accusers during the uproar over the Access Hollywood tape, commentators and high-profile Democrats by and large brushed the women aside. But in the immediate post-Weinstein era, is it time to re-assess our response to Clinton and his accusers? Michelle Goldberg is a columnist for The New York Times, who wrote earlier this week that she "believe[s] Juanita Broaddrick." She also warns that the same far-right forces who have attacked the Clintons with conspiracies and controversies could hijack this moment — when, finally, the media's default is to believe women.
