Applying the “believe women” mantra to Steve Sisolak

There’s an easy way to tell if a political standard is based on principle or convenience. See how you like it when it’s applied to your allies.

Two women have recently accused Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting them more than three decades ago. Christine Blasey Ford can’t remember the date or location of the attack but insists that a drunken Kavanaugh jumped on top of her and tried to disrobe her while they were in high school. Four of the other people Ford said were at the party, including an eyewitness to the supposed assault, say they don’t recall the gathering or incident.

Deborah Ramirez said Kavanaugh exposed himself to her during a party at Yale in 1983 or 1984. Ramirez admitted that she had large gaps in her memory, was “foggy” from alcohol when the alleged incident happened and didn’t see who disrobed. The New Yorker, which published the original story, couldn’t find a single eyewitness who even confirmed Kavanaugh was at the party. The New York Times reported she told former classmates “that she could not be certain Mr. Kavanaugh was the one who exposed himself” when she called to see if they remembered the incident.

These allegations aren’t just unverified. Numerous supposed eyewitnesses have directly contradicted them.

In response, liberals and Democrat politicians insist that the country must blindly “believe women.”

That’s a terrible standard. But if Nevada leftists insist on believing women, do they believe the women who once accused Democrat gubernatorial candidate Steve Sisolak of serious misconduct?

In 2012, Sisolak’s ex-girlfriend claimed in a lawsuit that he had an “improper and secretive relationship” with her then-teenage daughter. The 15-year-old girl said on video that Sisolak watched as she modeled bathing suits, texted her into the night and took her on a movie date. She also claimed that he was “obsessed with her looks and how she dressed.”

She called him a “liar” and “grimy.”

In some ways, these allegations are much more credible than the charges facing Kavanaugh. Kavanaugh’s accusers made their accusations more than 30 years later. The ex-girlfriend and her daughter made their charges shortly after the alleged incidents. Kavanaugh has said he isn’t sure he ever met Ford. Sisolak and his ex-girlfriend dated off and on for five years.

Unlike Kavanaugh, Sisolak has admitted to behavior that’s creepy. Sisolak said he took his ex-girlfriend’s teenage daughter into Victoria’s Secret on multiple occasions, per the Las Vegas Sun.

If the standard set by state progressives is simply “believe women,” then they should be fleeing from Sisolak. They aren’t.

The problem is that standard is unjust and stupid. Someone’s gender doesn’t guarantee that particular individual is telling the truth. That’s why the standard should be “believe evidence.” There’s strong evidence Sisolak’s ex-girlfriend was struggling with addiction when she filed her lawsuit and manipulated her daughter.

But you can’t have it both ways. If you believe Kavanaugh is guilty solely because his accusers are women, than you should hold Sisolak to the same standard — regardless of evidence to the contrary.

Victor Joecks’ column appears in the Opinion section each Sunday, Wednesday and Friday. Contact him at vjoecks@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4698. Follow @victorjoecks on Twitter.