# 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:** 226
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2018, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/4501 "2018-09-28T00:08:56Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > ^ This was posted pages ago but deserves highlighting. > > Kavanaugh’s performance today was horrifying to those who value integrity, honesty, fair-dealing, and (not least) mental stability. > > But it was catnip to those who get their news from Alex Jones. That 25% or so of Americans adored the red-faced yelling, the crying, the claims that the Clintons are behind it all, and most of all the profound self-pity of the aggrieved white male. > > And of course Trump will have loved it. Not the crying so much, but the rest of it. > > So the Republican Senators—and possible the red-state Dems—WILL fall in line and vote to confirm this blatantly, flagrantly, and brazenly unfit candidate for the SCOTUS. But this is no surprise; it’s the remaking of America into something other than a democracy. I don’t think people understand how these events are connected, but they are. This country is fucked; it just doesn’t know it yet. My prophecies will become reality – mine, and yours. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2018, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/4502 "2018-09-28T00:13:18Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > Anyone else find it like beyond weird that he kept a calendar from 35 years ago? Like I’ve found a calendar or two that was older than some of my wine bottles, but never intentionally kept them for decades. What the crap? I’ve got my old journals going back to 1968. If I used calendars in a way that genuinely reminded me of what was going on in my life at various times, I’d probably keep them too. 35 years of calendars might fill a standard moving box; not like you can’t find somewhere to put them. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2018, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/4503 "2018-09-28T00:14:52Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > But it was catnip to those who get their news from Alex Jones. That 25% or so of Americans adored the red-faced yelling, the crying, the claims that the Clintons are behind it all, and most of all the profound self-pity of the aggrieved white male. Who knew they’d love Judge Whiny McTantrum? ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2018, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/4504 "2018-09-28T00:16:08Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > But this is no surprise; it’s the remaking of America into something other than a democracy. I don’t think people understand how these events are connected, but they are. > > This country is fucked; it just doesn’t know it yet. > > My prophecies will become reality – mine, and yours. “Win at any cost” is certainly the motto (well, one of them) of the authoritarian would-be dictator, and of his supportive would-be oligarchs. But I’m waiting to see the shake-down of passion on this topic. The Alex Jones folks are all-in, but are the independents? Will the remaining ‘moderate Republicans’ (voters, not politicians) just decide to go along to get along, or will they be disturbed enough by what they saw today to say ‘just pick another guy off the list, okay?’ Yes, things are trending toward the boot crushing the human face forever. But: we’re not quite there yet. Where there remains a particle of independent thinking, there’s hope. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2018, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/4505 "2018-09-28T00:17:53Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > What’s your bottom line: do you believe the allegations or not? Unfortunately I couldn’t listen to much of the testimony. The sad reality is that the truth of the allegations are meaningless. The testimony will be twisted by every side and no matter who says what the Dems will believe he is a quasi-rapist and vote accordingly and the liberals here will hold the unproven claims (because at this point can there really be proof of something 30 years ago that wan not handled at the time) over his head so that in 5 years elucidator or BobLibDem or some other board-liberal will point to an opinion\* of his and say “of course a rapist would write that.” And Pubs will use the fallacy that not proving a positive proves a negative and that he was “exonerated” and Bricker, shodan or another conservative will refer to this as “Anita Hill 2” \*Whether on SCOTUS or Circuit ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2018, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/4506 "2018-09-28T00:18:24Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Honestly, do you believe ANYONE on the committee did not make up their mind before this testimony started? I’m sure you’re right, but having heard a very interesting day’s worth of testimony, you’d think they’d at least want to go through the _pretense_ of thoughtfully considering and debating what they’d heard before voting. Voting tomorrow pretty much says, “We were only doing this because we knew we couldn’t get away with _not_ doing it. But it was still just for show.” ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2018, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/4507 "2018-09-28T00:20:54Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > Who knew they’d love Judge Whiny McTantrum? As I was watching I figured Kavanaugh was toast–Trump wouldn’t like the crying, so therefore the Breitbart/Alex Jones followers wouldn’t like it, either. But I guess Trump needs Kav too much to reject him, no matter what. No one else on that Federalist Society list, apparently, has, like Kavanaugh, pledged to keep Trump safe from subpoenas and other pesky intimations that Presidents aren’t above the law. (I’m kind of surprised that none of them have either volunteered to keep Trump safe, or been approached by Trump’s people to see if they’d make that pledge. Of course maybe that _has_ occurred and we just don’t know about it.) ---
**Author:** ![nate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nate/32/13085_2.png) [@nate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nate)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2018, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/4508 "2018-09-28T00:23:40Z")
I’ve always had assumed that the judges on the supreme court were above believing in conspiracies, so K’s testimony crushed that belief. I’m sad about that. Are we really going to vote for a justice that believes in a Clinton conspiracy to keep him off the court? Is this real life? Why isn’t everyone talking about this? Fuck the politics, I’d happily have a pro-life judge appointed that was actually otherwise sane, but why are republicans dying on this hill? It blows my mind. ---
**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 28, 2018, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/4509 "2018-09-28T00:23:41Z")
The poem about Renate in the yearbook from one of Kavanaugh’s classmates: “You need a date / and it’s getting late / so don’t hesitate / to call Renate” Anyone who says he wasn’t lying about the Renate thing is full of shit. Kavanaugh is a fucking liar. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2018, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/4510 "2018-09-28T00:27:05Z")
> [@nate](#): > > I’ve always had assumed that the judges on the supreme court were above believing in conspiracies, so K’s testimony crushed that belief. I’m sad about that. Are we really going to vote for a justice that believes in a Clinton conspiracy to keep him off the court? Is this real life? Why isn’t everyone talking about this? Fuck the politics, I’d happily have a pro-life judge appointed that was actually otherwise sane, but why are republicans dying on this hill? It blows my mind. Yes, that’s what happens in an authoritarian society; it’s often the judiciary gets contaminated first. Authoritarians can discredit claims that they’re violating the rule of law because it’s ultimately the judiciary that determines what’s lawful and what’s not. So pollute those waters first, and then it’s easy after that. Wanna make black people in Alabama drive 2 hours to the nearest voting booth? No problem: the Court’s got your back. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2018, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/4511 "2018-09-28T00:28:08Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > The poem about Renate in the yearbook from one of Kavanaugh’s classmates: “You need a date / and it’s getting late / so don’t hesitate / to call Renate” > > Anyone who says he wasn’t lying about the Renate thing is full of shit. Kavanaugh is a fucking liar. Doesn’t matter, dude. That’s Supreme Court Justice Kavanaugh to you, boy. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2018, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/4512 "2018-09-28T00:29:49Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Maybe, but how is that relevant to how senators should vote? Either they think the allegations might be true or they don’t. That should be based on the words of Ford and Kavanaugh and ideally others called as witnesses. See that’s where I’m having trouble with this. 1. Of course we want the facts but … 2. The Dems purposely delayed this so intellectually I would love the Pubs to say “You had your chance during the regular investigation. You chose not to pursue it then so you lost that chance.” coupled with the worry that … 3. If the Dems can force a delay based on allegations, then what’s to stop new allegations from cropping up causing more delays, at least until after January 3rd. But all of that is tempered by … 4. It’s not Ford’s fault for the delay (well some of it is when she delayed her testimony) so her claims shouldn’t go uninvestigated because Feinstein wants to play her games. I guess what I’m saying is let’s not delude ourselves that Feinstein is concerned over whether or not there was an assault or Ford for that matter. She’s using this for a calculated political gain just like any asshole politician. ---
**Author:** ![jshore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5e925/32.png) [@jshore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jshore)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2018, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/4513 "2018-09-28T00:31:51Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > And Pubs will use “exonerated” and Bricker, shodan or another conservative will refer to this as “Anita Hill 2” Are you aware that history has not been too kind to Clarence Thomas and that much of the negatives dug up by Anita Hill are considered to be "character assassination by [the now-repentant author of the book “The Real Anita Hill”](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Real_Anita_Hill), who has disavowed the book’s entire premise? ---
**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 28, 2018, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/4514 "2018-09-28T00:34:42Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > See that’s where I’m having trouble with this. > > 1. Of course we want the facts but … > 2. The Dems purposely delayed this so intellectually I would love the Pubs to say “You had your chance during the regular investigation. You chose not to pursue it then so you lost that chance.” coupled with the worry that … > 3. If the Dems can force a delay based on allegations, then what’s to stop new allegations from cropping up causing more delays, at least until after January 3rd. But all of that is tempered by … > 4. It’s not Ford’s fault for the delay (well some of it is when she delayed her testimony) so her claims shouldn’t go uninvestigated because Feinstein wants to play her games. > I guess what I’m saying is let’s not delude ourselves that Feinstein is concerned over whether or not there was an assault or Ford for that matter. She’s using this for a calculated political gain just like any asshole politician. Who cares, with regards to what to do about Kavanaugh? He might be a sexual abuser. Maybe even a serial abuser. He’s certainly a liar, at least about the yearbook thing, and IMO about his drinking as well. If the senate isn’t going to fully investigate these allegations, including calling all potential witnesses, then are you saying they should confirm a lying possible abuser just to teach Feinstein a lesson? ---
**Author:** ![xenophon41](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xenophon41/32/253_2.png) [@xenophon41](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xenophon41)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2018, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/4515 "2018-09-28T00:38:03Z")
> [@jshore](#): > > …much of the negatives dug up by Anita Hill… (Underline added.) I’m pretty sure you meant to write “regarding” or “smearing” Anita Hill, instead of implying she had done the digging up of negatives. (Everyone who knows the history understood, I’m sure, but for those who don’t…) ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2018, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/4516 "2018-09-28T00:40:49Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Who cares, with regards to what to do about Kavanaugh? He might be a sexual abuser. Maybe even a serial abuser. He’s certainly a liar, at least about the yearbook thing, and IMO about his drinking as well. If the senate isn’t going to fully investigate these allegations, including calling all potential witnesses, then **are you saying they should confirm a lying possible abuser just to teach Feinstein a lesson?** It’s a really, really, _really_ weak argument. But it’s all they’ve got. (emphasis mine) ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2018, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/4517 "2018-09-28T00:42:45Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > See that’s where I’m having trouble with this. > > 1. Of course we want the facts but … > 2. The Dems purposely delayed this so intellectually I would love the Pubs to say “You had your chance during the regular investigation. You chose not to pursue it then so you lost that chance.” coupled with the worry that … > 3. If the Dems can force a delay based on allegations, then what’s to stop new allegations from cropping up causing more delays, at least until after January 3rd. But all of that is tempered by … > 4. It’s not Ford’s fault for the delay (well some of it is when she delayed her testimony) so her claims shouldn’t go uninvestigated because Feinstein wants to play her games. > I guess what I’m saying is let’s not delude ourselves that Feinstein is concerned over whether or not there was an assault or Ford for that matter. She’s using this for a calculated political gain just like any asshole politician. Well, so what? This isn’t ultimately about what the players did or didn’t do. This is about we, the people of the United States of America. There are serious allegations not just about Kavanaugh’s behavior towards women, but about his honesty, and after today, certainly about his judicial temperament. Obviously the latter can’t be investigated, but the first two can. And _should_, for **our** benefit. ---
**Author:** ![Lamoral](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lamoral/32/16078_2.png) [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2018, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/4518 "2018-09-28T00:43:39Z")
Lindsey Graham is one strange dude. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2018, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/4519 "2018-09-28T00:44:36Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Who cares, with regards to what to do about Kavanaugh? He might be a sexual abuser. Maybe even a serial abuser. He’s certainly a liar, at least about the yearbook thing, and IMO about his drinking as well. If the senate isn’t going to fully investigate these allegations, including calling all potential witnesses, then are you saying they should confirm a lying possible abuser just to teach Feinstein a lesson? Well, obviously. Feinstein’s just a _woman_. It’s not like her opinion matters. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2018, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/4520 "2018-09-28T00:47:09Z")
According to Ford’s testimony, it was her intention that her letter and claims about Kavanaugh would be kept confidential, period. I guess she was hopeful that Feinstein could do something to stop Kavanaugh’s confirmation without her claims being made public. That was really an unrealistic position. Even though she eventually was forced into publicly sharing her story, it appears that her goal of stopping Kavanaugh’s confirmation is not going to work. Also Feinstein’s claim that one of Ford’s friends must have been the leaker of the letter makes no sense. It doesn’t seem realistic that Ford would have given her friends a copy of the letter to Feinstein. The Interceptor received a copy of the letter. Other than Ford, the only people that we know had the letter were Ford herself, the California rep, Feinstein’s office, and likely Ford’s attorneys. Who is most likely motivated to leak the letter, in light of Ford’s insistence that it be kept confidential, which the politicians in the know, knew would result in nothing? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733.md?page=225) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733.md?page=227)