This is not about whether Joe Biden is telling the truth, or Tara Reade is. Only two people in the world truly know what, if anything, happened between them back in 1993. This is about something altogether different. It’s about the predicament in which public officials or candidates find themselves when the changing landscape of public events catches them in the crosshairs. It’s also about the unofficial oath those who aspire to public office effectively take when they take public positions about important current issues.

So consider this scenario: You, a private citizen, were seated with friends at a bar during the avalanche of sexual misconduct reports about Donald Trump. You could say—with a perfect right—“I believe Trump.” Or “I believe the women, every single accuser.” No real recrimination, whether you actually believed what you were saying or were just putting it out there.