# Can Democrats actually stop the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [September 4, 2018, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733 "2018-09-04T12:49:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 185
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2018, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/3681 "2018-09-26T14:06:06Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > … There was an event that occurred while they were admittedly drinking … No, they were not “admittedly” drinking. Some posters have SPECULATED (there’s that word again) that he must have been drinking because apparently it’s impossible to go on a boating trip without drinking (except for in Utah). His email did not state / admit / allude to drinking on the trip. You may think it’s probable, and that’s fine, but “admittedly” is the wrong word for that. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2018, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/3682 "2018-09-26T14:07:16Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > Publications like that aren’t looking to interview mainstream experts; they’re looking to interview people that have the same worldview. That may well be so. But, as you say, the content of the interview shows that they got a mainstream expert in this particular case. I get that the GOP hired her for optics. But it is also genuinely better to have a woman who understand sexual assault and reporting to be the person questioning Dr. Blasey. We will see how it plays out, but I also strongly suspect that her questioning will be fairer and less politicized than questioning from the likes of Cornyn, Hatch, and Cruz. In other news, a new [poll](https://www.npr.org/2018/09/26/651647131/poll-nearly-6-in-10-to-closely-watch-kavanaugh-ford-hearing-many-undecided-on-tr)says a majority of Republicans don’t care if Kavanaugh tried to rape Ford. I am reminded of this [sketch](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hn1VxaMEjRU). ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2018, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/3683 "2018-09-26T14:10:56Z")
Majority of Republicans would not care if he raped her and got her pregnant and then paid for her to have an abortion. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2018, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/3684 "2018-09-26T14:13:15Z")
> [@Richard\_Parker](#): > > That may well be so. But, as you say, the content of the interview shows that they got a mainstream expert in this particular case. > > I get that the GOP hired her for optics. But it is also genuinely better to have a woman who understand sexual assault and reporting to be the person questioning Dr. Blasey. We will see how it plays out, but I also strongly suspect that her questioning will be fairer and less politicized than questioning from the likes of Cornyn, Hatch, and Cruz. > > In other news, a new [poll](https://www.npr.org/2018/09/26/651647131/poll-nearly-6-in-10-to-closely-watch-kavanaugh-ford-hearing-many-undecided-on-tr)says a majority of Republicans don’t care if Kavanaugh tried to rape Ford. I am reminded of this [sketch](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hn1VxaMEjRU). Yep: “A majority of Republicans (54 percent) say they think Kavanaugh should be confirmed regardless of whether Ford’s allegations are true, according to the poll.” Says a lot (none of it good) about millions of our fellow Americans, including perhaps a handful of posters in this thread. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2018, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/3685 "2018-09-26T14:19:33Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > What did he say, precisely, that you think was lying about his hard-drinking days during the Fox interview? That he presented himself as someone who, at most, may have been at some parties where some people drank. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2018, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/3686 "2018-09-26T14:21:16Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > That he presented himself as someone who, at most, may have been at some parties where some people drank. “Presented himself as” HOW? He certainly danced around some questions, but that does not make him a “liar”. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2018, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/3687 "2018-09-26T14:24:38Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > “Presented himself as” HOW? He certainly danced around some questions, but that does not make him a “liar”. You’re right, it makes him a dissembler. Whatever: he was painting a picture of himself that was basically Wally Cleaver. Maybe there was no specific statement that his hard-drinking days would have directly contradicted, but that’s the pixel level rather than the picture, which was intentionally quite dishonest. ---
**Author:** ![Ashtura](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ashtura/32/2963_2.png) [@Ashtura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtura)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2018, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/3688 "2018-09-26T14:26:03Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > None of this matters. It’s increasingly clear that the Republicans will vote to confirm him into office, no matter the evidence against him, damn the consequences. It’s their Hail Mary pass. Nah, the “Hail Mary Pass” was holding on to Ford’s letter for 6 weeks and dropping this right before the vote. Kavenaugh’s confirmation has always been about getting 4 Republicans to vote for him, and still is. This vote has been moved multiple times, and based off Collins saying she wants to hear Ramirez, will probably be moved multiple more times. The Friday vote is just to see if they’ll have a full vote. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2018, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/3689 "2018-09-26T14:27:23Z")
> [@Modesty\_Blaise](#): > > …I think a whole lotta people, mostly men are drastically underestimating just how much female rage is going on since the moron in chief stole the white house. I hope you’re right and I hope women turn out in historic numbers for the mid-terms. It’s troubling to me that 53% of white women voted for Trump. ---
**Author:** ![Ashtura](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ashtura/32/2963_2.png) [@Ashtura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtura)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2018, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/3690 "2018-09-26T14:35:18Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > I hope you’re right and I hope women turn out in historic numbers for the mid-terms. It’s troubling to me that 53% of white women voted for Trump. And I think Democrats are underestimating how fired up this issue is making Republicans. If Kavenaugh is still in limbo in November, I predict Republicans getting the Senate goes from probably to almost certainly. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2018, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/3691 "2018-09-26T14:39:59Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > No, they were not “admittedly” drinking. Some posters have SPECULATED (there’s that word again) that he must have been drinking because apparently it’s impossible to go on a boating trip without drinking (except for in Utah). His email did not state / admit / allude to drinking on the trip. You may think it’s probable, and that’s fine, but “admittedly” is the wrong word for that. Weird that during the discussions of what boat to book, they mention the prices “[w/o food and booze](https://www.scribd.com/document/388011904/Kavanaugh-emails?campaign=SkimbitLtd&ad_group=38395X1559799X67da3294f66a5de5980616f4f4c66e36&keyword=660149026&source=hp_affiliate&medium=affiliate)” then, huh? ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2018, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/3692 "2018-09-26T14:42:42Z")
The false memory accusation against Donald Thompson is offered without comment. > **[Eyewitness Memory Is Unreliable](https://www.visualexpert.com/Resources/eyewitnessmemory.html)** > > Expert witness for accidents involving human error in vision, perception and attention: highway,legibility, lighting, warnings, interfaces, etc. Intellectual property disputes where visual similarity is at issue. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2018, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/3693 "2018-09-26T14:43:42Z")
> [@Ashtura](#): > > And I think Democrats are underestimating how fired up this issue is making Republicans. If Kavenaugh is still in limbo in November, I predict Republicans getting the Senate goes from probably to almost certainly. Kavenaugh doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who fires up voters. Maybe you’re right, though. Personally, I don’t see Trump’s base as people who get worked up over privileged white guys who drink too much and lie to Congress. (they probably do like the lying to Congress part, even if Congress is controlled by the Republicans currently). ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2018, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/3694 "2018-09-26T14:43:44Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > So the fact he blacked out 20 years after the alleged incident is relevant…how? Because if he blacked out, he can’t say it didn’t happen. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2018, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/3695 "2018-09-26T14:46:11Z")
> [@Ashtura](#): > > And I think Democrats are underestimating how fired up this issue is making Republicans. If Kavenaugh is still in limbo in November, I predict Republicans getting the Senate goes from probably to almost certainly. For the sake of our democracy, I really hope not. I keep waiting for this white nationalist movement wave to crest, but I’ve been bitterly disappointed before. I take comfort in the fact that most polls show that Republican voters are less enthusiastic than non-Republican voters. ---
**Author:** ![Ashtura](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ashtura/32/2963_2.png) [@Ashtura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtura)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2018, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/3696 "2018-09-26T14:47:46Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > Kavenaugh doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who fires up voters. Maybe you’re right, though. Personally, I don’t see Trump’s base as people who get worked up over privileged white guys who drink too much and lie to Congress. (they probably do like the lying to Congress part, even if Congress is controlled by the Republicans currently). It’s not about Kavenaugh. It’s the perception that Democrats are playing very dirty tricks and are throwing innocent until proven guilty to the wind. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2018, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/3697 "2018-09-26T14:48:42Z")
> [@Ashtura](#): > > It’s not about Kavenaugh. It’s the perception that Democrats are playing very dirty tricks. By letting women have a voice? ---
**Author:** ![Modesty\_Blaise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/77aa72/32.png) [@Modesty\_Blaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Modesty_Blaise)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2018, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/3698 "2018-09-26T14:52:25Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > I hope you’re right and I hope women turn out in historic numbers for the mid-terms. It’s troubling to me that 53% of white women voted for Trump. Yeah, it hurts my heart. Make no mistake, I’m just as angry at them. I think \*everyone \*who voted for him is a shitty human being. ---
**Author:** ![Ashtura](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ashtura/32/2963_2.png) [@Ashtura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtura)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2018, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/3699 "2018-09-26T14:53:18Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > By letting women have a voice? No. Ford’s going to have a voice this Thursday. Well, maybe, unless she changes her mind. More like holding on to Ford’s letter until right before a vote. Many people have criticized that, and not just Republicans. ---
**Author:** ![Modesty\_Blaise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/77aa72/32.png) [@Modesty\_Blaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Modesty_Blaise)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2018, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/3700 "2018-09-26T14:56:24Z")
> [@Ashtura](#): > > It’s not about Kavenaugh. It’s the perception that **Democrats are playing very dirty tricks** and are throwing innocent until proven guilty to the wind. Bolding mine. HAHAHAHAHAHA! \*Democrats \*playing dirty tricks! :smack: Sometimes there just aren’t enough eyerolls. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733.md?page=184) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733.md?page=186)