I am my mother’s son. I am my wife’s husband. I am my daughter’s father. It is my hope they never have to do what Christine Blasey Ford did this past week in front of sniveling senators and gawking onlookers alike on national television.
I, of course, did not watch the hearings because I was working. Apparently, though, plenty of you were watching as all the networks had bonzo ratings.
In the clips I have seen, and I’ve seen plenty, the most moving line she said in her testimony was in response to a question asking about her most vivid memory. She answered with the laughter. “They were laughing with each other,” she said.
Laughing.
I have no doubt in my mind that Brett Kavanaugh did exactly what Dr. Ford outlined. I also have no doubt he has absolutely no recollection of it. Not because he was blitzed out of his mind like a 17-year-old after drinking 1 or 2 or 12 too many, but because it was inconsequential to him. It didn’t mean anything to him.
It was life changing to Ford. It was another Saturday to Kavanaugh.
He believes, as do far too many others, that it was no big deal. He denies it, of course, because in his mind it wasn’t important enough to remember. It’s why his spittle and anger at the audacity of someone impugning his character is so enraging. It was no big deal.
It was a big deal for Dr. Ford. She remembers. It affected her for the rest of her life. For example, she insisted on double front doors when remodeling her home because of the trauma.
When she learned Kavanaugh was on the short list to become a Supreme Court judge, she called her representatives to let them know what happened to her. She believed it was her civic duty. There was no left-wing conspiracy to derail Trump’s nominee.
In his testimony, when confronted by Senator Dick Durbin about what Kavanaugh himself wanted in regards to an actual FBI investigation he shut down. He stopped talking. Kavanaugh had no answer because he couldn’t say he wanted an investigation and welcomed a look at his personal life, his yearbook comments, his friends, his drinking, and his partying. He knows it will show how disqualified he truly is and what a horrible person he was as a young adult.
His rage and incredulous outbursts alone should make anyone question his fitness for the highest court in the land. If I said I like beer as many times as Kavanaugh did in my job interviews, I’d kindly be led out the door. His petulant rant about hit jobs and the Clintons showed his partisan colors.
He is an 80s high school movie villain grown up. William Zabka could play him in the inevitable movie. A frat-boy who gets his comeuppance in the third act. During the hearing, you could almost hear the underlying, “Don’t you know who I am?” with every aggressive non-answer.
His white male resentment was on full display.
And now with the last minute political maneuverings of Senator Jeff Flake, Kavanaugh might not get the votes after a real FBI investigation takes an in-depth look. They’ve got a week to do it and a lot of people to interview.
I am not optimistic anything changes, just delays what might be inevitable. I hope I’m wrong and my pessimism is unfounded. It was just so tiring to hear the sexist outrage of men being held accountable.
Dr. Ford was calm, helpful, smart, and credible. Kavanaugh was belligerent and annoyed by this entire sordid ordeal.
I believe her. You should too.
