# 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:** 84
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2018, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/1661 "2018-09-19T13:47:37Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Again, why is your focus \*not \*on the nominee to a lifetime position instead of on his job interviewers? :dubious: Because this particular job interviewer appears to have aspirations of being our president one day soon. ---
**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 19, 2018, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/1662 "2018-09-19T13:48:25Z")
It’s being reported that a forth person has identified himself as being someone Ford says was at the party, but he doesn’t remember there being a party as described. Apparently, Ford names someone as “PJ” as having been at the party in question, and this guy is Patrick. J. Smyth, but he isn’t named as such in the letter. We don’t know for sure if this is one of the alleged attendees at the party. Also, there is some confusion about whether there was also another person, a girl, at the party in addition to Ford, Kavanaugh, Judge and “PJ” (whoever “PJ” is). ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2018, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/1663 "2018-09-19T13:50:20Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > Tell me HD about your first kiss. > > [Insert sweet story here] > Well that is your side. That could have been a rape. Believing that was not rape is taking your side. > You do see that as being a different circumstance than someone coming forward with a credible story of how you had raped them, don’t you? My sweet story doesn’t contain any indication of either groping or unwanted sexual touching. Spartacus’ does. I see that as being different. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2018, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/1664 "2018-09-19T13:52:45Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > It’s being reported that a forth person has identified himself as being someone Ford says was at the party, but he doesn’t remember there being a party as described. > > Apparently, Ford names someone as “PJ” as having been at the party in question, and this guy is Patrick. J. Smyth, but he isn’t named as such in the letter. We don’t know for sure if this is one of the alleged attendees at the party. Also, there is some confusion about whether there was also another person, a girl, at the party in addition to Ford, Kavanaugh, Judge and “PJ” (whoever “PJ” is). So now it’s 3 vs 1? ---
**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 19, 2018, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/1665 "2018-09-19T13:57:24Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > So now it’s 3 vs 1? No, not quite. It’s still 2 vs 1. We don’t know if Smyth is “PJ”. ---
**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 19, 2018, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/1666 "2018-09-19T13:57:54Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > No, not quite. It’s still 2 vs 1. We don’t know if Smyth is “PJ”. Judge didn’t even deny it. He just didn’t recall anything like that. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2018, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/1667 "2018-09-19T13:59:00Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > I can’t remember now, was it you that recently told me something like “try Google”? Or was that another poster? > > ETA: it WAS you. Yeah, try that. You’re a bright guy, I’m sure you’ll figure it out. Oh yeah, I did say that - because you wanted me to spoon-feed you a bunch of info about something I’d mentioned **once** in answer to another poster’s question - **which info had nothing to do with my answer** , and affected its rightness or wrongness not one whit, but you seemed to feel it was my job to dig it out for you and spoon-feed it to you anyway. Anyhow, having taken your advice, I see what’s going on: an offhand remark by Booker in the hearings got blown up on pukey right-wing websites, because it’s the best they can do these days: when you don’t have actual policy goals, other than looting the country for the rich, and throwing enough culture-war bones to your base to placate them, stuff like blowing up a remark like that into a big deal, kinda like they did with Obama and 57 states, is the best your side can do. Got zero play anywhere I’ve been following, because we’ve got real shit to talk about. ---
**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 19, 2018, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/1668 "2018-09-19T14:01:57Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Judge didn’t even deny it. He just didn’t recall anything like that. As noted, it’s hard to deny that X happened when we don’t know when or where X supposedly happened. “I don’t recall such an event” is the best we can expect to get wrt any sort of denial. ---
**Author:** ![Tired\_and\_Cranky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@Tired\_and\_Cranky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tired_and_Cranky)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2018, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/1669 "2018-09-19T14:03:43Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > It’s being reported that a forth person has identified himself as being someone Ford says was at the party, but he doesn’t remember there being a party as described. > > Apparently, Ford names someone as “PJ” as having been at the party in question, and this guy is Patrick. J. Smyth, but he isn’t named as such in the letter. We don’t know for sure if this is one of the alleged attendees at the party. Also, there is some confusion about whether there was also another person, a girl, at the party in addition to Ford, Kavanaugh, Judge and “PJ” (whoever “PJ” is). Who is reporting this? > [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > So now it’s 3 vs 1? Why do you assume that “PJ” isn’t supporting the accusations against Kavanaugh? ---
**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 19, 2018, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/1670 "2018-09-19T14:03:56Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > As noted, it’s hard to deny that X happened when we don’t know when or where X supposedly happened. “I don’t recall such an event” is the best we can expect to get wrt any sort of denial. Kavanaugh explicitly denied it. His denial was very different than Judge’s inability to recall. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2018, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/1671 "2018-09-19T14:04:21Z")
[At GHW Bush’s request, the FBI investigated Anita Hill’s allegations.](https://twitter.com/jimsciutto/status/1042364809105362945) ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2018, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/1672 "2018-09-19T14:06:59Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Judge didn’t even deny it. He just didn’t recall anything like that. That’s false. We’ve already been over that. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2018, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/1673 "2018-09-19T14:07:40Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > Because this particular job interviewer appears to have aspirations of being our president one day soon. The topic is the nomination hearings going on right now, not an election more than two years away. Glad I could clear that up for you. Now it’s the turn of the guy I asked. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2018, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/1674 "2018-09-19T14:08:42Z")
> [@Tired\_and\_Cranky](#): > > … Why do you assume that “PJ” isn’t supporting the accusations against Kavanaugh? Because JM wrote “he doesn’t remember there being a party as described”. There are a lot of ways to parse that, but none that I can see that can be reasonably interpreted as “supporting the accusations against Kavanaugh”. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2018, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/1675 "2018-09-19T14:11:38Z")
[The ever-asture Ivanka is now telling her dad to cut bait and pull the nomination.](https://www.politicususa.com/2018/09/19/ivanka-tells-her-dad-to-cut-bait-on-the-kavanaugh-nomination.html) > [@](#): > > According to a new Vanity Fair article Ivanka has told her dad to “cut bait” and withdraw the Brett Kavanaugh nomination. Nobody thinks that Ivanka can really convince the president to do this. If she’s trying to help her dad politically, it certainly will backfire. > “NEW: White House advisers are worried that more damaging information about Kavanaugh could come out. Two sources relayed rumors that Ford’s account will be verified by more women. Another said Ivanka Trump has told her father to “cut bait” and drop him” As much as I agree that the nomination should be pulled, it never should have been made in the first place. Now along comes the most tone-deaf person in the nation recognizing that it’s a no-win situation. Which of course means that the Republicans will just force it down our throats. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2018, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/1676 "2018-09-19T14:13:16Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > … Got zero play anywhere I’ve been following, because we’ve got real shit to talk about. I’m kind of skeptical of this. What are the sites you’ve “been following”? ---
**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 19, 2018, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/1677 "2018-09-19T14:13:25Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > That’s false. We’ve already been over that. False, we’ve already been over that. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2018, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/1678 "2018-09-19T14:17:49Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > … it never should have been made in the first place. … Why do you think this? ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2018, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/1679 "2018-09-19T14:20:18Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > Why do you think this? Even McConnell said “pick literally anybody else”. He has a very unhealthy view of presidential power and I don’t want him having to be among those deciding whether a sitting president can be indicted nor do I want him deciding if Donald has to honor a subpoena. This is all on top of his anti-choice views on abortion. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2018, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733/1680 "2018-09-19T14:21:23Z")
From the Franken harassment thread, less than four hours in: > [@Now, Al Franken](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-al-franken/801770/136): > > If there’s a easy-to-understand standard that can be applied consistently besides “has/hasn’t committed sexual assault/harassment,” I’m all ears. > > But in the absence of such a standard, that’s where we’ve got to draw the line. It’s probably where it should be drawn, period. Even when one of my favorite politicians falls on the wrong side of it. It’s true that not all Dems felt that Franken should have to resign, but clearly a sufficiently critical mass of Dems expressed that sentiment that it became untenable for him to stay. But our focus was on whether he’d done something sufficiently wrong that he ought to resign from the Senate. In the Franken thread, the interest of our friend **HD** and his buddy Nosegay-Phipps seemed to mostly be about getting ready to point out our hypocrisy if we gave Franken a pass. (Sorry to disappoint you guys.) Yannowhat, though, **HD**? If you feel Booker’s done something worthy of any consequence now, go ahead and start a thread about it. In terms of whataboutism, his actions fall way too far short of what Kavanaugh is alleged to have done to even bother with in this thread. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733.md?page=83) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-democrats-actually-stop-the-nomination-of-brett-kavanaugh/820733.md?page=85)