This is inside-the-echo-chamber logic. People outside the techcrunch bubble aren't going to read that whole thing (seriously: that's a huge page!). What they are going to see is yet another story in the mainstream media about the "controversy" about whether or not Arrington raped this woman. See the very-different-in-tone coverage on sites like talkingpointsmemo.com for a good example.

How does that help his reputation?