The Very Public Indignities that were the Kavanaugh/Ford Hearings

A few short thoughts on yesterday's Kavanaugh hearings...

That shame and discredit this brought on the Senate chamber is undeniable. If there was any truth to Ford's charges they should have been brought up far earlier in the process. And they would have required *some* level of corroboration beyond a women's rather confused and contradictory statements.

The political aspect, however, was consistent and obvious beyond words. Thus the amazing power of Lindsey Graham's cold and righteous anger.

It now appears that Judge Kavanaugh will be approved, first, tomorrow morning, in committee. Then later by the entire Senate.

Assuming that proves true was all of this just another quick-to-pass-from-the-collective-memory senate happening?

I think not.

The hurt done to the people involved will last. The Kavanagh family. The reputation of Professor Ford -- a sad thing to the extent that whatever her personal experience she was used for political gain and abused by Sen. Feinstein and others. But more important than even those personal stories is the damage done to the Senate as an institution, and the loss of stature of the government as a whole.

Connected to the later is this question: What honest and conscientious person who saw this horror will consider putting themselves forward for high public office? And that means the nation will be limited to at best 2nd tier candidates, and at worst to the type of bloviating charlatans we repeatedly saw on display over the last several days .

Could any good come from all this? I think yes. For it put on display what in fact the Democratic Party has become. Shallow. Power hungry. And ineffective to the point of incompetence.

That the nation is so closely divided politically makes even a small shift in public thinking here -- how each party is viewed -- important. And in that respect the Democrats truly blew it for themselves.

If even one percent of the voting public saw with understanding what was on public display these last few days the nation will benefit. And frankly I expect the percentage who "saw," and who will be influenced by what they saw, quite a bit higher.

As for those who did not see because they could not see -- well their craziness is likely to be on even greater display in the weeks and months to come. And that will swing yet more people towards the president and his party.

That these affairs have been ugly goes without saying. But, sad to say, that is the way democracy sometimes works. One group of people work against even their own selfish interests. And from that 'negative' comes a positive that moves things ahead for the greater number and the greater good.

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