Whew. That was close.
We almost didn’t survive our final round of political chemotherapy: The confirmation today of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.
Please understand: I don’t think Kavanaugh should be anywhere near a federal bench. Or a public bench near a bar, for that matter. Brett Kavanaugh deserves to be a stunt groin in kung fu movies.
But his confirmation was critical to diagnosing just how serious our cancer is. We ingested a president that brags of taking women by the vagina. Not considering the personal allegations, Kavanaugh’s sworn testimony that he believes that one of America’s two political parties orchestrates “hit jobs” demonstrated how metastatic our illness. So long Roe v. Wade and affirmative action. Your runs were noble.
But it’s best for Kavanaugh’s confirmation to come a month before the midterms. (It would have been better if Jeff Flake didn’t feign being conflicted and waste America’s time with a GOP investigation of itself). Still, for a news cycle that has the attention of a carnival goldfish, the confirmation will seem a gazy recollection. (At least for news; not, certainly, anyone who wants an abortion or a job).
So it’s up to us to remember come radiation therapy day Nov. 6. But whatever the outcome, we asked for it.
Who could claim to be swindled? Now all political cards, on both sides, are on the table.
The right was willing — pardon the pun — to shove Kavanaugh’s nomination down our throats, demonstrating where Republicans feel a woman’s place is. That is strategy incarnate: The party is betting that enough women will agree with them, galvanized by an odd support for the judge. A Quinnipiac Poll about the believability of Kavanaugh versus Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, conducted before Saturday’s confirmation turned prophetic:
- 80% of black voters believe Dr. Ford over Kavanaugh, as do 66% of hispanic voters. Only 40% of white voters do.
- When split by gender, 46% of white women believe Dr. Ford and 43% believe Kavanaugh, a statistically insignificant difference.
- Only 37% of white men believe Dr. Ford.
What a snapshot of America.
Of course, the left has plenty of self-inflicted wounds of its own, namely the desire to silence those who disagree with them (is that the serotonin of power?) Most recently, the New Yorker, an otherwise sublime publication, proved itself gutless by disinviting Steve Bannon to its annual “Festival of Ideas” this fall. If that’s not the heavyweight of idea discussions, what is? But celebs threatened to boycott the festival, and Economic Darwinism took over.
