# 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:** 50
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2018, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/981 "2018-09-16T22:34:00Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > So, where does that leave us? …it leaves us hoping that you will never be on the jury for a trial that involves sexual assault. ---
**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 16, 2018, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/982 "2018-09-16T22:36:29Z")
On TV the Republican analysts are taking the **HurricaneDitka** approach (by his posts, at least) – “what about Feinstein?”. Nothing about whether, maybe, the committee ought to seriously investigate these credible allegations of sexual assault. Only “what about Feinstein?”. Typical, but still disgusting. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2018, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/983 "2018-09-16T22:43:51Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > … these credible allegations … what makes you call them “credible”? ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2018, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/984 "2018-09-16T22:50:41Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > it’s already been stated on this thread that there is nothing to worry about - if he’s a bad guy he can be impeached later. Wouldn’t that be the best strategy for the Dems? If they vote him down, Trump will be able to find a non-rapist conservative justice who will serve for the next 40 years. If they vote him in and then impeach him when a Dem is president, he’ll only serve three years or so. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2018, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/985 "2018-09-16T22:53:06Z")
> [@Richard\_Parker](#): > > It isn’t purely he-said she-said. > > You can investigate her claims to have told people about this years ago. You can put Mark Judge under oath. You can search for evidence that she is part of some political cabal. You can give some time for others to come forward. Etc. There was at least one other person, maybe two, besides Judge at the party according to what she told the Washington Post. If Kavanaugh has any sense at all that any of those other people will implicate him, I think he’ll withdraw his nomination. I’ll just say one more thing about her memory, and that will be to quote from the article: > [@](#): > > After so many years, Ford said she does not remember some key details of the incident. ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2018, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/986 "2018-09-16T22:58:27Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > what makes you call them “credible”? > **[Definition of CREDIBLE](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/credible)** > > offering reasonable grounds for being believed or trusted; good enough to be effective; often, specifically : of sufficient capability to be militarily effective… See the full definition “offering reasonable grounds for being believed” …why is it unreasonable to not accept her claims at face value? Is her claim any less credible than Kavanaugh’s denial? How so? ---
**Author:** ![GoPostie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@GoPostie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GoPostie)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2018, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/987 "2018-09-16T23:20:17Z")
Anyone else reminded that the taxpayer has paid out $17 million in the past 20 years to compensate260+ victims of Conress(men) … Some still in office, IDs unknown: > **[Congress paid out $17 million in settlements. Here's why we know so little...](https://edition.cnn.com/2017/11/16/politics/settlements-congress-sexual-harassment/index.html)** > > Two things have become painfully clear on Capitol Hill this week: Lawmakers and staffers say sexual harassment is "rampant" -- but even members of Congress have no idea just how widespread the problem is. ---
**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 16, 2018, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/988 "2018-09-16T23:24:54Z")
> [@GoPostie](#): > > Anyone else reminded that the taxpayer has paid out $17 million in the past 20 years to compensate260+ victims of Conress(men) … Some still in office, IDs unknown: > > [https://edition.cnn.com/2017/11/16/politics/settlements-congress-sexual-harassment/index.html](https://edition.cnn.com/2017/11/16/politics/settlements-congress-sexual-harassment/index.html) does that mean he will fit right in with that group of sleazeballs? or since they are sleazy they cannot vote down someone who is sleazy? ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2018, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/989 "2018-09-16T23:26:43Z")
Kavanaugh’s friend who allegedly witnessed the events [wrote a book](https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2018/09/brett-kavanaugh-mark-judge-high-school-drunk-allegation-alcohol/) several years ago outlining his years as a high school drunken lout. From much of his writings he appears to be, and this is a clinical term, a total dick. ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2018, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/990 "2018-09-16T23:27:06Z")
To me the only amusing thing about this is that in the book that the other guy allegedly involved (Judge) wrote about his struggles with alcoholism in his younger years, he cleverly gave other people aliases. For example, I obviously have no idea who the character “Bart O’Kavanaugh” could be. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2018, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/991 "2018-09-16T23:37:20Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > Kavanaugh’s friend who allegedly witnessed the events [wrote a book](https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2018/09/brett-kavanaugh-mark-judge-high-school-drunk-allegation-alcohol/) several years ago outlining his years as a high school drunken lout. From much of his writings he appears to be, and this is a clinical term, a total dick. His vouching for Kavanaugh isn’t much of a vouch. _Dazed and Confused_ was apparently a documentary. The names have been changed… in such a way as to make absolutely no difference. ---
**Author:** ![GoPostie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@GoPostie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GoPostie)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2018, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/992 "2018-09-16T23:41:20Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > does that mean he will fit right in with that group of sleazeballs? > > or since they are sleazy they cannot vote down someone who is sleazy? They can sympathise with his manly instincts. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2018, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/993 "2018-09-16T23:48:54Z")
Flake signaling he’s not comfortable voting yes. Might be more brow furrowing but this gives others cover. And it might show the power of a Republican with nothing to lose. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2018, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/994 "2018-09-16T23:51:30Z")
> [@GoPostie](#): > > They can sympathise with his manly instincts. No, they want someone one the supreme court who will sympathize with theirs. Having a sexual predator on SCOTUS would be great for sexual abusers and rapists. Precedent would quickly be set favoring the rights of the rapist over that of their victim. Forcing women to carry a rapist’s baby to term, and then giving him parental rights would be an amazing achievement for the anti-choice crowd. When a woman gets sued for defamation because the accused gets found not guilty, and the O’Kavanaugh court upholds the suit, that will have a chilling effect on women willing to come forward. But, not as much as when it becomes a crime to lose a rape allegation, punishing women criminally if the accused is not found guilty, and that law is upheld as well. It’s a great time to be a man, unfortunately it seems a shameful time to be a human. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2018, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/995 "2018-09-16T23:56:24Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > It’s not a smear. It’s a problem with her story. > > The problem is how accurate her memory is. Memories become less accurate with time, and alcohol can also impair memory. Both would affect her ability to remember details about the event. For example, it could be that she was assaulted, but the assailant wasn’t Kavanaugh. > > I don’t think she’s lying. I think she was assaulted. But I don’t think she remembers how many beers she had earlier that evening. That adds some doubt about her ability to remember details. Did you count the number of beers you drank when you were in high school? I did. I still do. I’m pretty sure that if I ever got in a bar fight, I’d make a note to myself of the extent of my drinking. And remember it 20 years later. I don’t get into many bar fights (i.e. none so far). ---
**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 16, 2018, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/996 "2018-09-16T23:56:50Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > There was at least one other person, maybe two, besides Judge at the party according to what she told the Washington Post. **If Kavanaugh has any sense at all that any of those other people will implicate him,** I think he’ll withdraw his nomination. On the topic of Kavanaugh having a sense that others will implicate him: how was it that he had _already prepared_ that list of 65 women (who’d say he never raped them)? I guess we don’t have actual proof that the list was pre-prepared. But it’s difficult to believe that no one on Team Kavanaugh anticipated an accusation: when the news of the accusation broke, the list was offered within hours. How could that many women have been contacted and have given their consent to speak on his behalf, that quickly? (emphasis mine) ---
**Author:** ![Lance\_Turbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lance_turbo/32/6156_2.png) [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2018, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/997 "2018-09-17T00:19:40Z")
To add on about the letter from 65 women… Who was the organizer of those 65 women and when did this organizing start? It’s not clear that Kavanaugh was involved at all, but who was? Are we supposed to believe that 65 women who went to **neighboring** high schools at the same time as Kavanaugh spontaneously coalesced and decided to stick their necks out for him in less than 24 hours? If you wanted to get 65 women who went to **neighboring** high schools at the same time as you to say something nice about you, how much time do you think you’d need? Would 65 such women even know your name? ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2018, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/998 "2018-09-17T00:24:07Z")
> [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > [Credible Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/credible) > > “offering reasonable grounds for being believed” > > …why is it unreasonable to not accept her claims at face value? Is her claim any less credible than Kavanaugh’s denial? How so? Well, for one thing, Kavanaugh’s denial has a corroborating witness. ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2018, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/999 "2018-09-17T00:25:32Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > On the topic of Kavanaugh having a sense that others will implicate him: how was it that he had _already prepared_ that list of 65 women (who’d say he never raped them)? Plus, there are roughly 161 million adult women in the United States. Using the same logic as this affidavit, I conclude that Kavanaugh raped 160,999,934 of them. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2018, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/1000 "2018-09-17T00:29:41Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > Well, for one thing, Kavanaugh’s denial has a corroborating witness. Yes, one who wrote a book about how black out drunk he was at all these parties. One who wrote a book characterizing O’Kavanaugh himself as a less than stellar actor. Having him as corroborating witness is like hitching a ride on Willie Nelson’s bus to your drug screening. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733.md?page=49) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733.md?page=51)