Here's the thing. You are right that his statement by itself doesn't mean he admitted to sexual assault. He didn't say, "I do it whether they want me to or not." Which I think we could all agree is admitting to assault.
Instead he basically said , I do it and they let me. Whether he essentially admitted to sexual assault depends not on whether he did it, (he said he did and he hasn't walked that back), but on his assumption of their consent.
Without any other information I would still agree it wouldn't constitute sexual assault, but we do have more information at least 12 women have come forward.
http://nymag.com/thecut/2016/10/all-the-women-accusing-trump-of-rape-sexual-assault.html
They have specifically refuted his assumption that they "let" him.
With that information in mind is his innocence a reasonable assumption to make?
If you take them at their word then no but
let's take a look at that anyway.
For him to be innocent all women who have accused him must be lying. If even one is telling the truth he's guilty.
It's a binary combinations problem.
Innocent = 1 in 2^12 = 0.024% chance
Guilty = 2^12 - 1 =99.975% chance
Now obviously in a court of law, (which fski pointed out this isn't), you could look for some kind of collusion or conspiracy that would make that 1 in 4096 chance more likely, but this brings us to the main point.
You are bending over backward to take his word on his assumption of their consent over their statement of their own consent to. Even with the extremely low likelihood he's innocent.
Why is that? Why are you treating them differently?
If you say it's because of innocent until proven guilty, would you still say that in a different but similar situation?
Say if Winnona Ryder said she takes stuff from stores without paying but it's fine because she's famous and they let her? Then 12 stores say no they didn't let her, she stole from them. Would you say she was innocent or likely guilty?
In this thread and others you demand an exceptionally high bar before you'll admit that a sexual assault was even likely. You've staked a very disturbing hill to die on.
Here is the thing though, I'm not taking him at his words. My original statement was that moderate voters saw the audio tape as bad but not him saying sexual assault. The fact that many on the left saying sexual assault right after it happened before any woman came forward made people dismiss the women who did accuse him.
It's gross behavior any he likely assaulted multiple women if he did act like that. Sexual assault only looks probable when the women started coming forward, but because moderates thought the left was trying to play it up it hurt them. So as more came out it just looked like more trying to band wagon rather than more willing to speak up. I personally think he did assault women considering his ego. I bet he does believe in his BS and does that kind of shit. My point is that going to sexual assault so quickly hurt.
Some how I'm being seen as a Trump defender rather than explaining what happened.