Kavanaugh, Reality TV

In the Kavanaugh hearing yesterday (9/27/18) the most important question was the very last one of the day, asked by Kamala Harris. It probably should have been the first asked of Judge Kavanaugh. Question to Brett Kavanaugh: “Did you watch Dr. Ford’s testimony”, answer: “No”. 

It immediately begs the question of why did the Senate Majority refuse to allow Dr. Ford to testify after Kavanaugh, as she had requested. The (understandable) reason given was that a person should have the right to hear an accusation in order to respond to it. That obviously was not necessary. 

The eyes of the Press had shown that Kavanaugh spent 9 hours in the White House preparing for this testimony.  Regretfully no Democrat asked him what that preparation was for. How many ways can you say no I didn’t do it? 

In hindsight the obvious strategy had nothing to do with the accusation.  Brett Kavanaugh, Senate Republicans, and Trump did not care what Dr. Ford had to say. Frankly, I think she could have provided photographs and it wouldn’t have made a difference. The strategy devised during those nine hours was out of Trump’s favorite playbook; be loud, be angry, attack, be the victim, and (apparently) be unhinged. 

Whether Kavanaugh might have chosen that tact on his own we’ll never know. Lindsey Graham shamefully (and with equally prepared theatrics) only made this farce more palpable. Graham pointed at Kavanaugh and yelled "YOU HAVE NOTHING TO APOLOGIZE FOR, NOTHING TO APOLOGIZE FOR". It should be noted that an apology never came close to passing Kavanaugh's lips.

They screamed political foul from the first words leaving Kavanaugh’s mouth. 

Republicans and Kavanaugh claimed Democrats conspired to manipulate the timing on a process that HAS NO DEADLINES.  Kavanaugh implied Left-Wing conspiracies headed by the Clintons!! It could have been a Rush Limbaugh broadcast.

This was Reality TV in every respect …except one; the testimony of Dr. Ford. 

Dr. Ford was beyond reproach and totally believable. I believe her and would be at a loss why anyone wouldn’t.  I might have considered that Judge Kavanaugh does not remember the incident, if he had suggested that possibility, but now such is irrelevant. 

His pattern of behavior as a younger man was flagrant, obvious, and consistent with Dr. Ford’s testimony. However, for him to shout thunderously that exposure of this behavior in his youth (which he claims did not happen) has “destroyed me and family…permanently” is absurd on its face. Even with this personal history he has risen to second highest level in the American judiciary, a position of immense power held by few. If he should feel so destroyed it is clearly subjective, possibly from guilt or regret.

Kavanaugh and Senate Republicans either did not realize or did not care that every attack they leveled at Democrats or the accusations was an attack on the only truly neutral party at that hearing…Dr. Ford. Democrats on the Committee had obviously caucused and decided to hone in on the refusal by the Majority and Trump to have the FBI investigate. As a result they appeared to barely listened to Kavanaugh’s testimony or observe his bizarre behavior. For the TV audience, they seem to cower before Graham’s tirade. 

In the end there were two take-a-ways from the hearing. One was the testimony of an honest woman who had done her best, at great personal cost, to do the right thing for her Country. The other was the testimony of a man who demonstrated the absolute opposite of what we should expect in a Supreme Court Judge; emotional, erratic, political, and (sadly to say) unstable. 

If I were a Senator and knew virtually nothing of this nomination other than hearing Brett Kavanaugh’s testimony yesterday, I wouldn’t let him get within a stone’s throw of the Supreme Court.