Friday, October 05, 2018

No Winners Here

Let us, for a moment, step out of believing either Dr. Ford or Judge Kavanaugh. Let us, for a moment, examine if we believe them both.  There are no winners, and this should not have been a fight.



If you believe Dr. Ford, that she was attacked and she is sure the attacker was Brett Kavanaugh, this has been a mockery. She has faced death threats for owning up to a story she did not want to share - and went out of her way not to share. She has been shamed by Senators - Ben Sasse called her "hysterical" without meeting her and Senator Grassley now wants to supenna her therapy records. She has been attacked in the media on talk radio and Fox News. I was much happier with the original Republican line that "Clearly something happened to Dr. Ford, we just don't 100% trust her memory from thirty years ago after she had a few drinks." It was rude, but it gave us an out.

But instead we have a process that has convinced more people that Senators in general and Republican Senators in particular actively disbelieve and  rhetorically abuse women who stand up for themselves.

If you believe Judge Kavanaugh, then this has also been a mockery. A good and righteous man has had his reputation shattered so that liberals can prevent the ascendancy of a Judge to the Supreme Court that liberals disagree with. His reputation has been tarnished. He family has been hurt and there is no coming back.

Both Ed and I wanted a simple response from Judge Kavanaugh, the answer we would have given (and believed). "I am positive that I did not attack Dr. Ford. However I was a kid and drank and there may have been times in my past I screwed up. I don't remember everything I ever did. But I am sure I did not attack Dr. Ford."

That gives an out. But by claiming certainty he didn't do anything wrong, ever - there is no compromise. And no man that has ever been 17 believes we were all choir boys.  So. we are left that either a smart, intelligent believable woman is lying OR Democrats are lying in wait.

Even if Kavanaugh acknowledged Dr. Ford's pain or attack (still claiming he did not do it), there is a chance of a compromise. Dr. Ford did acknowledge that Judge Kavanauagh might not remember correctly, without claiming he was lying.

Instead, we are left with no bridge to try to build. He will (or might not) get on the court believing that women lie to sabotage men - and 1/2 the country believes that same thing.

And when he joins the four other white men to outlaw abortion, things turn ugly.