Did he or didn't he?

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I am writing this as Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the United States Supreme Court has become an emotional firestorm.  Dr. Christine Ford provided very convincing testimony that she was assaulted by Kavanaugh when they were both high school teenagers.  Kavanaugh vehemently denies it ever happened.  Watching the all day hearing on Thursday, September 27th, I thought both of them appeared to be truthful.  Obviously, one of them is either wrong, or a very good liar.  Despite the allegation, the Republican majority wants to push his nomination through before the mid-term elections.  Democrats are doing all in their power to block his confirmation.  

Make no mistake, the combustible in this conflagration is abortion.  Kavanaugh would take the seat of Justice Kennedy, a swing vote on the court.  Those on the left fear that Kavanaugh’s conservative record could overturn Roe v. Wade that legalized abortion.  Those on the right see that as a hopeful possibility.  I watched the Kavanaugh interviews before the assault allegations came out.  I thought he gave great answers, and as an opponent of legalized abortion myself, I favored his confirmation, but now, I have reservations.

Yes, If the process extends beyond the mid-term elections, the Republicans could lose their majority, and any hope of putting a conservative judge on the court could be lost.  But if the Republicans strong-arm his confirmation while the allegation of sexual misconduct is still an issue, they most certainly face disaster in the mid-terms.  As of this writing, it looks like the vote may be delayed a week while the FBI does an investigation.  

I’m not one to make predictions, but my gut tells me Kavanaugh will not be confirmed.  Whether he is innocent or not, he has been damaged.  Unless the FBI can find evidence that Kavanaugh is falsely accused, and I doubt that they can, a cloud hangs over his nomination.  Women who have been victims of sexual assault are very vocal these days, and voting for an accused abuser could be political suicide.  Conservative Christian groups still calling for Kavanaugh’s confirmation should be cautious.  In the event Kavanaugh’s nomination is eventually withdrawn or negated, President Trump would be wise to nominate a woman. 

 UPDATE: So, I was wrong.  Kavanaugh was confirmed on a close party-line vote.  I really thought a few Republicans would acquiesce to those opposing his confirmation while considering the possibility something inappropriate may have happened under the influence of alcohol when he was a teenager.  While the Supreme Court vacancy has been filled, the controversy remains.  Protests, talks of impeachment, threats, and vicious comments permeate the airwaves and social media.

Once upon a time, the news media reported on the activities of the day.  Sometimes at the end of the newscast, someone would give an editorial comment, clearly labeled as such.  Now, most every media report seems to have an editorial slant, and the real story is how social media reacted.  We hear how Twitter lit up in response to some event of the day.  The problem is that people say things under the anonymity of usernames that they would never say in person.  Deliberate agitation adds fuel to the already intense fire.  Will things will cool down after the mid-term election in November?  Probably not.