The evening was about fear of the media, anxiety about terrorists and people of color (Trump again spoke about African-American communities in apocalyptic terms), hatred of Hillary Clinton, and resentment toward elites and "snobs" who look down their nose at ordinary, hard-working Americans. Trump embodies their resentments and the crowd's reaction to him is so over-the-top, so adulatory and so unquestioning, that at times the passion of a Trump rally feels more sexual than political.

[...]

[The true believers] love his lack of political correctness; they believe he has the business acumen to turn the economy around; and they think he cares about them in his heart. He doesn't have to run for president, they said, he doesn't need it. "He's a regular guy," one woman told me, "who will keep us safer." And contrary to media descriptions of his supporters these were not prototypical white working-class, Rust Belt denizens. This was a solidly middle class crowd.

[...]

They parrot his talking points almost verbatim. When I asked about birtherism, I was immediately told, "Hillary did it first."

[...]

The entire evening was a troubling reminder that no matter what happens on Election Day, and no matter how badly Trump loses, the mania and cult-like following of his supporters [...] will not abate any time soon.

And as a young woman it's just something you accept, because what can you really do?  So as a teenager you just get used to the idea that this is what life is.

He was pretty horrified.  He has three grown daughters and really just had no idea.  So when he called me the other day to tell me it was "over" for Trump because of this audio I just laughed - because I thought to myself "how is any of this news".  Apparently I was wrong - but my sister thought the exact same thing.  When you spend your youth harassed by creeps all the time you start to recognize the type, and Trump has always been the type.  I frankly find it strange that this has become such a campaign issue because it was something I recognized about him from his persona before he ever ran for president and I knew he was a fascist racist to boot.  But I guess that's not the case for everyone.

Then I think about how honestly that skill of recognizing is sad in a way, and the acceptance that this is just something that young women have to accept gets less and less reasonable to me the more I think about it.

Now I note Peter G's theory, but at the same time I wonder why the "first" woman didn't come forward 10 years ago, or at least a year ago. I mean Trump's face has been in the public arena for years and years.

So, do I claim that Ms Leeds, for example, is lying?

No. But when someone tells me a story I start asking questions using my own knowledge of the subject. For example. I have over 3 million actual flight miles on United, Delta plus a bit of Braniff, and American and a long list of the others. I have been upgraded from Coach to  First lots and lots of times, but I cannot remember ever being moved from Coach to First after the doors were closed.

Then there is the matter of the arm rests. I have never been on a domestic flight in First Class where the center arm rests flip up.

Given that Ms Leeds' untimely flight was 30 years ago, and supposedly on Braniff I am confused in two ways.

First, Braniff International went out of business in 1982. It was relaunched in '84  with only 1 class of service.

All seats on the planes were leather and only one class of service was offered: there was no business or first class section.

So there could be no upgrade.

If it was prior to 1982 it would have to have been on a 727 because that was all Braniff was flying on domestic routes.

Of course all of this could be explained by memory lapse and confusion after 30 years or so.

Leeds said the assault continued for several minutes, though, as she recalls, neither she nor Trump ever said anything.

"I don't recall saying no, I don't recall saying stop," she said. "I don't recall saying anything."

snip

Leeds said she eventually stood up and walked back to her initial seat in coach, where she remained for the rest of the flight.

And then we have this:

"Obviously, if I had any idea this would have created such an uproar," she said, "I might have had second thoughts about writing the Times."

Really>

That's what was said a quarter of a century ago, with the public conversation on the Thomas hearings.  Ask Anita Hill how well that went.  And that was followed by the "Year of the Woman," we were told, for progress for women in politics. . . .

And there were the watersheds for women in 1984, and 1970, and 1957, too.

And before us, there were the watersheds for women in 1920, and 1890, and 1869, and 1848. . . .

Hmmm, I wonder how many journos and others calling this a watershed for women know what those years even mean in women's history?  in AMERICAN history, as the history of more than half of all Americans then and since.  

She and she and she (etc.) said that he kissed her and groped her without her permission, and that they were afraid to come forward because he was a star.

Donald Trump's former Mar-a-Lago Butler backed up the Republican nominee for president in denying the billionaire groped a reporter from People magazine.

"No, that never happened. Come on, that's just bull crap," said Anthony "Tony" Senecal.

I predict that after this election Trumpenstein gets busted in real time grappling and groping. Because nobody tells gropers those days are over.

I'd expect there to be armed Trumpsters wandering around polling places, intimidating POC and women on Election Day.
I'd expect there to be violence after the election, particularly against POC, women, Hispanics, Muslims, Jews....they've already arrested these 3 azzholes in Kansas for planning to blow up an apt of Somali Muslims. Something tells me there's plenty more where that came from

I'd expect TrumpTV to happen soon. Bannon getting involved was a tell. He's a terrific media manipulator, and he needs a network to go along w Breitbart.com.