Wednesday open thread: It's called rape

Yesterday we were treated to the sordid details of Donald Trump's sexual encounter with Stormy Daniels. It was as cringe as you can imagine.

But from the way Ms. Daniels described the event, I can't but think of something.

She was in a locked hotel suite with a man twice her size.

The man's security guard was situated outside the suite.

She didn't feel at liberty to leave.

This, my friends, is simply rape. Stormy Daniels was raped.

No, she wasn't choked or physically assaulted. She wasn't dragged into a bush on her way home to be raped. But her lack of freedom to leave—after being lured to his suite under false pretenses (a dinner which never occurred)—is the definition of nonconsensual sex.

And you can rest assured that if he did it to her, he has done it to countless other women.

Now, do I think Ms. Daniels will pursue a court action in the way E. Jean Carroll did? I don't think she will. This happened in Nevada two decades ago, so the statute of limitations is way past. But what she described on the witness stand has all the hallmarks of a rape.

This is the man in whom Republicans are placing their faith. A rapist. An assaulter. A man devoid of any redeeming qualities. A man who sees something or someone, and then uses any means, including force, to acquire it or them. A moral reprobate. A man of no values. That so many people in this country view his actions as either acceptable or at least explainable beggars belief. They are as morally void as their candidate. One can ask: How did we come to this pass? The answer? They always believed thus. They just needed someone to come along and give them permission to be out in the open about their beliefs.

This is a case about electoral fraud. But let's not put aside that the woman at the center of this case was "paid for her services". Except she wasn't there to get paid. Like so many actresses, she saw an opportunity to further her career. She wasn't expecting nor planning what Trump did. This case is about more than electoral tricks. It's about Trump's utter moral depravity. We cannot allow this man within sniffing distance of the White House again.