A Partisan, Gender Divide Emerges Amid Sexual Harassment Claims

Once thought to be the death knell for a public official, allegations of sexual harassment by multiple people isn’t “a deal-breaker for a good many voters,” writes Nia Malika-Henderson of CNN. Citing PRRI’s latest research, the article notes 56 percent of Republicans would still consider voting for a candidate who has been accused of sexual harassment by multiple people, compared to only 16 percent of Democrats. What to make of this? “Well, it’s clear that the GOP is firmly the party of President Donald Trump,” Malika-Henderson writes. “More than a dozen women accused him of sexual harassment and assault … and Republican voters overwhelmingly backed him. (Some polls have shown him with higher approval ratings among Republican voters than any other Republican president).”

Vox: Republicans Have Become the Party of #MeToo Backlash

PRRI’s recent survey is “the latest evidence of a dramatic partisan breakdown over what to do about sexual assault allegations,” writes Zack Beauchamp for Vox. Although Republican women are significantly less likely to consider voting for such a candidate than Republican men (48 percent vs. 61 percent), the partisan divide is glaring. “The Democratic Party, in keeping with its social credo, has fully embraced the #MeToo movement: both its leaders and rank-and-file members committing to the idea that sexual assault is underreported and that victims deserve to be heard,” writes Beauchamp. “Republican leaders and voters, including accused sexual assault perpetrator Donald Trump, have openly worried that the movement is going too far — that false accusations are running rampant and men shouldn’t be punished in the way they have been since the Harvey Weinstein allegations broke.”

National Council of Churches Calls for Kavanaugh’s Nomination to be Withdrawn

The National Council of Churches, a coalition of Christian churches representing over 40 denominations, called for the withdrawal of Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday, reports The Hill. “Judge Kavanaugh exhibited extreme partisan bias and disrespect towards certain members of the committee and thereby demonstrated that he possesses neither the temperament nor the character essential for a member of the highest court in our nation,” the group’s statement read. Religion News Service reported the group later added to their statement saying they are “deeply disturbed by the multiple allegations of sexual assault and call for a full and unhindered investigation of these accusations.” According to a PRRI survey, over eight in ten (83 percent) of Hispanic Catholics said they would not vote for a candidate accused of sexual harassment, while only 45 percent of white evangelical Protestants say they would not.

More Democrats are Paying Attention to President Trump’s Twitter

With well over 50,000,000 followers, President Donald Trump has made Twitter a key part of his campaign and presidency. According to a new stat from Public Affairs Council and Morning Consult, the people paying attention are more likely to be Democrats. The survey found that 46 percent of Democrats said they tend to read the president’s tweets compared to 43 percent of Republicans. Fifteen percent of the country said that they read them often, while 59 percent said they read them rarely or not at all. In 2017, PRRI found that a large portion of the country did not mix their politics with their social media presence. Sixty-five percent of respondents said that they had not publicly supported a political campaign or cause by using Twitter or other forms of social media.

Drunk Birds Wreaking Havoc in a Minnesota Town

As birds crash into car windows at an increasing rate, the town of Gilbert, Minnesota has been struggling with their new intoxicated residents. “The Gilbert Police Department has received several reports of birds that appear to be ‘under the influence’ flying into windows, cars and acting confused,” Police Chief Ty Techar wrote in a statement on Facebook. The Washington Post writes, “an early frost meant that berries had fermented earlier than usual, he explained, and birds were eating them and getting drunk.” Apparently, the case of drunk birds has not been uncommon over recent years, and the Gilbert Police Department assures residents the birds will, “sober up in no time.”