I don’t know what your week was like, but I am exhausted. Some of it was just life. And then there is the Justice Kavanaugh and Dr. Ford situation. I mentioned the other day how I miss discussing things with people since I left Facebook. I have so much I want to say about that situation.
This morning before I got out of bed I told David I was thinking of going there. As in, broadening my blogging and touching what would be for me the third rail of blogging – culture and politics.
Why?
Part of the reason is I’m bored.
I am bored in the sense of never talking about anything big and culturally significant.
I’ve got all sorts of thoughts about all kinds of things that I’d like to write about because I’m a reader and analyzer. Like when I explained to my friends on Facebook two weeks before the 2016 election that I had come to the fairly confident conclusion that Donald Trump was going to win the election and explained why. (Michael Moore and I looked like Nostradamus.) It was actually viewing a video of him saying he believed Trump was going to win for the same reasons I thought Trump was going to win that convinced me I was right and led me to say something publicly. People thought I was nuts. (Until I wasn’t.)
So I told David this morning I thought about going where I “shouldn’t” go. Writing about culture – women, men, politics, marriage, education, etc.
So here’s my take on the Kavanaugh thing and I’d love to hear what you discern about the truth of the situation.
I watched the entire hearing in real time. I started at 9:45 a.m. and watched all of it, including the coverage afterwards until 11:00 p.m.
I think Dr. Ford believes what she is saying. I don’t think she is being purposefully deceptive but I also wouldn’t stake my life on that take. I wondered about her sincerity before I saw her testify, but I did find her somewhat believable. But there are way too many holes in her story. Something happened to her, but she did nothing to convince me it was Kavanaugh. It is also clear she is a troubled woman. (This is a very interesting article as are the comments with real stories.)
I also think she has been seriously used by her lawyers and the Democrats (which are basically one and the same). When she said she had no idea that the Senate Judiciary Committee had offered to go to California to meet with her due to her fear of flying, I jumped out of my chair and said, “WHAT?!?!?!??!?!” That was when I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt she was being used. She may have come forth to do her duty as a citizen as she said, but she is being used. Either her lawyers betrayed her trust three times with the three emails/letters that made the offer in order to make sure they/the Democrats got their public hearing spectacle or she lied under oath when she said she didn’t know. I don’t think she lied. She seemed genuinely surprised by that information. Or else she’s a fantastic actress. Either way, that is a serious red flag.
The not flying thing has been written about by many people so I won’t elaborate on why that is a big red flag other than to say see my previous paragraph about dishonest lawyers.
The other big red flag for me came in the last five minutes of Mitchell questioning Ford. Mitchell explained how something like this should be done with the two of them in a room where Ford could just talk for a long time. What they were doing was just the opposite. So then Mitchell asked Ford if her lawyers or anyone else had suggested she undergo that more appropriate kind of questioning to get a more accurate picture of what happened. (I don’t remember the official name for it.) Ford said no. All she was advised to do was lawyer up and take a polygraph. A polygraph that is not admissible evidence in a federal court, but “sounds” like it makes someone so credible. If her lawyers really wanted an air-tight case against Kavanaugh, why not have Ford undergo the very best questioning she could that would be considered more legitimate than a polygraph? See my previous paragraph about dishonest lawyers.
Why has Ford not gone to file charges with the Maryland police? That is the legitimate place to start and the statute of limitations has not expired. See my previous paragraph about dishonest lawyers.
The last thing I could not reconcile was how spacey Ford was. My word. She has multiple degrees, including a Ph.D., and teaches at Stanford. And yet she seemed like she couldn’t process what was happening to her. Her eyes looked weird, she was disorganized, and she struggled to keep track of the basic things going on when everyone was treating her with the most delicate of kid gloves. I almost wondered if she was drugged to deal with the stress of what was happening. Again, something just seemed really off. I cannot imagine the amount of stress she felt and am certainly willing to attribute some of it to that. I’ve also read about sexual assault survivors and how their voice will change to a more childish tone, etc. so there’s that. But she just struck me as off in multiple ways. All the pieces did not fit together for me.
So those, for me, were the big red flags while I was watching it live. I found her more believable in real time than I thought I would, but the entire thing on her end is just off. I think her lawyers are snakes and I am firmly convinced she’s being used. I agree with Lindsey Graham that Dr. Ford is just as much a victim as Judge Kavanaugh or else she’s an incredible actress. (And I think Lindsey Graham expressed what MILLIONS of Americans have been feeling and are feeling even more now than when he went on his tirade.)
I believe Justice Kavanaugh because no one has shown me sufficient evidence to doubt his word. I found his statement compelling and moving. I teared up multiple times, especially when he shared the story about his daughter praying for the woman which tells you a LOT about the sincerity of the faith they practice in their home. I did not find his righteous indignation off-putting at all. I’ve been wrongly accused of something more than once. As I told someone this week, when you are a hardworking rule-follower and you are falsely accused of something that questions your integrity, it’s hard to describe how upsetting it is. I’ve had it happen a couple of times and to this day, over twenty years later, I can remember EXACTLY what happened and how I felt when someone basically called me a liar to my face the first time. I’ve got my flaws, but I am NOT a liar and to have my integrity questioned leaves me in the exact same state of mind that Kavanaugh displayed. He had every right to be angry and speak up for himself. The man can’t win. He was damned for not being forceful enough in his interview on TV and then he was damned for fighting for himself in his hearing. It’s a total joke.
Other than pure politics, power, and hatred, I don’t see how they keep Kavanaugh off the Supreme Court unless the FBI finds something new. The idea that an accusation from 36 years ago with no corroborating evidence could take down a man who has an entire life of apparent integrity is CHILLING. I don’t care which side of the aisle you are on. No one should be able to destroy another person just based on an accusation. And, no, not even a claimed sexual assault is enough of a reason to deny someone their presumed innocence. You don’t make up for the past wrongs claimed by people in the #metoo movement by making Kavanaugh a scapegoat for every jerk or even criminal who has hurt a woman. That is the antithesis of everything America stands for.
If I had a son, I’d be scared spitless for what I see unfolding if this is allowed to happen to Kavanaugh. And not just a son. Your husband, brother, father, or friend could be accused of almost anything now by a woman and he is automatically assumed guilty because the accusation is coming from a woman. That is insanity. There are plenty of horrible and dishonest women. Being a woman does not make you an oracle of truth and righteousness any more than being a man makes you a depraved criminal who should always be assumed guilty. It’s madness to even contemplate going down this path.
I also seriously question the Democratic Party’s commitment to men. They are rapidly becoming the anti-men party with leaders such as the Senator from Hawaii telling men to “shut up.” Seriously? The Democratic Party has been commandeered by the most extreme elements, especially those who truly hate men and I DO mean HATE men, especially white men. I think they have way overplayed their hand with this situation.
My freshman year of college I was subject to sexual harassment. I didn’t even realize that’s what it was until many years later. I just thought of it as a guy who was a jerk and embarrassed me in my class. The professor thought that I was a willing participant but I was not. When she spoke up about it in class, I was MORTIFIED. But I was too naive to know what to do. It was a completely different time. Attitudes and communication were very different. But I can tell you in detail pretty much everything that happened including:
- the class it happened in (small and very specific – very few of them offered)
- the hall it was in
- where I was sitting
- where he was sitting
- his first and last name and what he looks like
- a very specific organization he was involved in on campus
- my instructor – can’t remember her name off the top of my head, but I can describe her in detail including a significant life event that had just happened in her life that fall and she was probably the only woman in that department teaching this class
- two other people in the class who witnessed it – a guy whose first name I remember and the name of the fraternity he was in and a woman whose first name I remember as well as the sorority she was in. I could describe both of them in detail physically so there is no doubt who they are.
All that and I remember almost nothing else about my freshman year classes. Nothing. Maybe if I looked at my calendar and grades more would come to me. (Yes, I’m a dork like Kavanaugh. I have all my calendars and such from that far back.) But I remember all those details. They are etched in my brain. This was the fall of 1985 so almost as long ago as the events in the headlines. I remember plenty of details and my harassment wasn’t even as “traumatic” as Ford claims hers to be.
I certainly hope we don’t continue to ruin a man’s life with no supporting details. I’m sorry for whatever happened to Dr. Ford and the obvious pain in her life. But I sincerely fear for our country if the Democrats are allowed to delay this to the point where Kavanaugh is destroyed. I sincerely fear for our country if the Republicans can’t find the intestinal fortitude to do what is right. People who can’t see how much is at stake in terms of our very existence as a constitutional republic are blind. Pure and simple. And, no, a sexual assault claim does not negate the incredible value of the way our legal system is set up. Period.
So I am angry. And I am stressed. I think there is a lot at stake here and it sickens me deeply that people cannot see it. We cannot become a country that is run by feelings. As Ben Shapiro says, “facts don’t care about your feelings.” We’re a constitutional republic that governs by truth and facts, not a democracy of mob rule based on feelings. If I hear one more person say we are a democracy, my head is going to explode. We are specifically and purposefully not a democracy. We’re a constitutional republic governed by the rule of law, if we can keep it. I hope we can. Or God help us all.
Truly.
Create A Quiet Time Routine
Not what I would have expected from Politico, but this woman gets it. As one might expect, she gets absolutely shredded in the comments.
I’m a Liberal Feminist Lawyer. Here’s Why Democrats Should Support Judge Kavanaugh.
I have a question for anyone still reading these comments. David and I discuss this a lot, especially since the polls were so wrong regarding the 2016 election.
If you are a conservative, Republican, or plan to vote that way this time and you are called for a poll this election cycle (mid-terms), would you answer truthfully? Would you decline to answer any questions?
Have you discussed this with other people who say they will not answer polls?
David and I are both convinced there is a significant percentage of people who are conservatives and/or Republicans who no longer like and/or trust pollsters and will not answer truthfully. I think this has the potential to impact the polls this election cycle as well.
I answer truthfully but I don’t expect it to be reported correctly nor do I think those polled are a correct representation of the country.
Sallie, I don’t answer polls or surveys any more. It’s bad enough with Google and Twitter skewing search engine results and suppressing truly thought-provoking articles and columns by folks like Ben Shapiro, Michelle Malkin, etc… I don’t feel like giving biased news outlets my true responses because I somehow feel they’ll be used against me and/or the candidates I support — almost as if I’m giving free opposition research to them!
“giving free opposition research to them”
Oh, I like that! I’m going to ponder that angle today!
Sallie
From a Georgetown professor. You can see her Twitter profile if you look her up. This is mild compared to what she typically says.
https://twitter.com/RubinReport/status/1046936278439276546
I just listened to Jordan Peterson’s interview with Haidt and Lukianoff, the authors of the book, The Coddling of the American Mind. After the 15 minute mark, their conversation addresses something they call “the perfect rhetorical fortress.” They go on to explain that group identity politics are post-modernism’s darling child because it does away with the need to actually address reason. If a person can be categorized into one of many questionable groups, then they are effectively marginalized without there being a need to turn to logic.
Their insights on social media’s role in whipping up emotional frenzy due to incendiary and hyper-inflated comments/videos (these being the most likely clips to be reposted and discussed) are so timely for the events unfolding around Kavanaugh.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqCNTopdBBs
I just informed David and Caroline that the latest allegation against Kavanaugh is that he was questioned by police while at Yale for throwing ice at someone in a bar.
Without skipping a beat, Caroline informed us she had it on good authority that someone once saw Kavanaugh go to the bathroom and not wash his hands so we should lock him up for at least two thousand years.
She’s my daughter, folks.
And she’s smarter than most of the “professionals” supposedly covering this event.
Red-state Dems face nightmare scenario on Kavanaugh
Well, duh. He’s holding on for the very reason you don’t want him on the Supreme Court. He’s a CONSTITUTIONALIST. He understands what’s at stake not just for him and his family, but the ENTIRE REPUBLIC AND RULE OF LAW. I know that’s an impossible concept for the Democrats to understand, but short of Trump asking him to withdraw, I would be shocked if he backed down. He knows what is at stake is WAY BIGGER than him and his situation.
Some interesting points. By defending himself by accusing Democrats of an unfair hearing, Kavanaugh hasn’t shown nonpolitical jurisprudence. Can’t say I disagree.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2018/10/why-i-wouldnt-confirm-brett-kavanaugh/571936/
Hi Cristy,
Sorry I haven’t replied to your other lengthy comment yet. I read part of this article from The Atlantic and then started skimming. It’s full of holes and I’ll try to refute a few.
One, the more that this process has gone on, the less credible Dr. Ford is. Even the Democrats who are honest know this. The only people propping up her credibility are people who will not try to be impartial. This author goes on and on about how credible she is. No, she isn’t and that’s become more and more clear with each passing day. Unless the FBI turns up something new, her testimony is not credible. The Mitchell Report shredded Ford’s case to bits. There is nothing there.
(The Swetnick claim of gang rapes has been blown to smithereens in the past 24 hours. That was never even remotely believable, but she has been steadily backtracking for the past 24 hours. Even NBC couldn’t find a way to make it sound plausible after they had their sit down interview with her. The Ramirez stuff is being reviewed by the FBI.)
This comment the author kept making:
“His defense needed to make it possible for a reasonable pro-choice woman to find it a legitimate and acceptable prospect, if not an attractive or appealing one, that he might sit on a case reconsidering Roe v. Wade.”
How often do the Democrats worry about whether or not a reasonable pro-life woman finds one of their candidates a legitimate and acceptable prospect? NEVER. They do not care ONE WHIT about what a pro-life woman thinks about their nominee. That is because the Democrats put people on the bench who will legislate from the bench the way they want them to. It’s all they know now. Since when do pro-choice people care about things being done constitutionally? They don’t. That’s why the prospect of Kavanaugh scares them spitless.
(Imagine what happens if Ruth Bader Ginsberg dies and Trump can nominate Amy Coney Barrett to take her place. If you think the left was unhinged this time around… I cannot imagine.)
Elections have consequences. Isn’t that what Obama said? There were a WHOLE LOT of people who voted for Trump for two reasons – keep Hillary out of the White House and the list of Supreme Court nominees that Trump put forth. That’s what won him the election, especially the list. He won, he gets to pick. The Democrats are cry babies and poor losers.
They have tried every dirty trick in the book because usually Republicans will fold almost immediately. They’ve never run into anyone like Trump before who does not like to lose. They also have never run into someone like Kavanaugh who is not going to quit.
Re: the temperament thing and the way Kavanaugh went after the Democrats…. If this was a “typical” nomination process of a Republican president’s nominee, I would agree that what he did going after the Democrats on the Judiciary Committee would have been inappropriate. This has NOT been a typical process. This has been so ridiculously partisan with their flat out acknowledgement that they were going to do everything they could to destroy his nomination that I will not fault him for going after them. Dianne Feinstein’s office was advising Ford on which lawyer to pick while she was meeting with Kavanaugh as part of his nomination process. That is VILE and horribly unethical. She deserves everything she got from him. I mean, this process has been so bad that Lindsey Graham (of all people) went ballistic. I think the Republicans have finally grown a spine and are going to stand up to the bullies. It’s about time.
According to the ABA, Kavanaugh has NO history of being anything other than impartial and I will not fault him for lashing out at the joke that the Democrats on the Judiciary Committee are.
The theory about the July 1 drinking gathering as the potential party Ford was at has been discredited thoroughly. One of the papers floated that out on Twitter I believe and it was thoroughly debunked. I don’t have a link.
So, no, I don’t buy at all what that author is selling.
Fair enough. I have been pretty steamed for AWHILE at the politicking by SCOTUS, with both liberal and conservative justices speaking out inappropriately. I was disappointed Kavanaugh did, and frankly thought he would step out, making way for Trp to put forth an iron-clad even more conservative judge. I’m okay with this taking awhile. We are in pretty good shape to have a right-leaning bench for awhile LOL
Here’s Thomas’s rebuttal. I think Kavanaugh could’ve changed a couple of words and delivered the same speech. Thomas held the ENTIRE committee responsible, as do I.
https://youtu.be/ZURHD5BU1o8
So apparently Dr. Ford’s ex-boyfriend of six years has made a sworn statement to the Senate Judiciary Committee that she lied about the polygraph, committed credit card fraud, never told him about the alleged assault, and never expressed a fear of flying and/or small spaces.
If this is true, she is toast.
https://twitter.com/ShannonBream/status/1047293294567456770
BREAKING: Fox’s @johnrobertsFox obtains letter from Ford ex-boyfriend alleging: dated for 6 yrs, never told of sex assault, Ford coached friend on taking polygraph, flew frequently w/o expressing any fear of flying/tight spaces/limited exits. Doesn’t want to b/c “involved”.
Letter Senator Grassley sent to Ford’s lawyers. They want the polygraph results and info because of the sworn statement from the ex-boyfriend. Sorry I can’t put the images here. This link is from Charles Cooke, editor of National Review.
https://twitter.com/charlescwcooke/status/1047293889089032192
http://thefederalist.com/2018/10/02/christine-blasey-fords-ex-boyfriend-told-senate-judiciary-witnessed-coach-friend-polygraphs/
These are interesting times we are living in. I’m working on another post, but had to get some other things done as well. I’m also waiting to see how the vote officially shakes out in the next day or so.
So many things to share, but hopefully tomorrow!
Oh my word. Lindsay Graham 2.0!
“…a swift response for a protester who told Graham that Kavanuagh should take a lie-detector test. Without missing a beat, Graham turned to the protester and snapped, “Why don’t we dunk him in the water and see if he floats?””
https://www.dailywire.com/news/36704/lindsey-graham-does-it-again-hilarious-response-hank-berrien
That bit was so funny. Thanks for sharing the link. I said on Twitter that Lindsey Graham is becoming Must See T.V. That was an epic comeback.
What’s sad is how many people under the age of thirty probably don’t even understand the reference.
It’s like his comment at The Atlantic yesterday. That was EPIC. And funny!
https://www.dailywire.com/news/36642/amazing-lindsey-graham-sets-trap-quoting-clinton-amanda-prestigiacomo
This was rich, could NOT believe the trap he set … Like I said above, maybe the Right is seeing it is time to take the gloves off….
Glad for a new post, the replies are getting tiny LOL
Looking to see if Pence is a tie breaker!
I pulled this post and some other ones from the same time out of the unpublished archives. Some of my newer readers who are interested in politics and culture might like to see these discussions.
I’m leaving a comment on each one I’ve republished so people will know they are live again.
Very interesting to go back and read them a few years later given where we find ourselves now in this country.