New theory: Comey a victim of Trump’s sexual predator techniques

Bookworm:

You just knew intersectionality had to reach out and embrace Comey’s testimony. I can already see the day when we hear how Comey, when he was forced to interact with Trump, was sharing the black experience at the hands of a slave owner. For now, though, it’s enough for us to learn that Comey — complete with his “instincts,” “concerns,” “uneasiness,” and other deeply felt emotions during his “awkward” moments in Trump’s company — is the precise equivalent of a woman suffering at the hands of a sexual predator.

Yup, you heard that right. This physically overwhelming (he is 6’8″), seasoned prosecutor, and political operative, who heads one of the most powerful agencies in the world, is a victim, folks. A victim!!

How do I know? Because a New York Times op-ed tells me so:

As I listened to James B. Comey, the former F.B.I. director, tell the Senate Intelligence Committee about his personal meetings and phone calls with President Trump, I was reminded of something: the experience of a woman being harassed by her powerful, predatory boss. There was precisely that sinister air of coercion, of an employee helpless to avoid unsavory contact with an employer who is trying to grab what he wants.

After reading Mr. Comey’s earlier statement, I tweeted about this Wednesday night, and immediately heard from other women who had seen that narrative emerge. How recognizable it was that Mr. Comey was “stunned” to find himself in these potentially compromising positions. His incredulity, mixed with President Trump’s circling attempts to get his way, were poignant. For a woman who has spent a lifetime wrestling with situations where men have power they can abuse, this was disturbingly familiar.

[snip]

The central business of this intimate dinner was Mr. Trump’s insistence: “I need loyalty, I expect loyalty.” Mr. Comey immediately recognized that this was a press for something he did not want to give. He froze: “I didn’t move, speak, or change my facial expression in any way during the awkward silence that followed.”

That reaction — the choice of stillness, responses calculated to neither encourage nor offend that characterized so many of his dealings with Mr. Trump — is so relatable for any woman. During his testimony, Mr. Comey was asked why he had not responded more robustly, why he had not told Mr. Trump that he, the president, was acting inappropriately or reported his behavior immediately to others in authority.

Mr. Comey expressed regret that he had not been “stronger” about it, but explained that it was all he could do to focus on not saying the wrong thing. In other words, he wanted to avoid granting any favor while avoiding the risk of direct confrontation — a problem so deeply resonant for women.

There’s a lot more in the same vein at the link if you have the stomach for it.

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