What Happened In The Brett Kavanaugh Hearing

Like Nate, I’ve been wondering exactly why so many Senate Republicans appear to be doubling down on Kavanaugh when there are so many potential conservative justices out there. The midterms loom large, even if the odds of the Democrats winning control of the Senate are low. But, and I think I might be sort of stealing this point from Nate on last week’s podcast: What is the strategy for Senate Republicans if they are still in control in their own chamber and there’s been a “wave” election in the House that favors Democrats?

It’s not a question with an obvious answer. We got a good sense in 2016 of what Senate Republicans think about confirming a Supreme Court justice in an election year, but what about after? It makes sense, given the stakes of a court appointment, for each party to fight hard for their nominees and their positions. But it’s clear that the legitimacy of the Supreme Court has been hanging in the balance for some time now.

Mitchell is still providing a useful service for the Republicans. I don’t think Hatch or any of the other male senators would have wanted to directly cast Ford as a liar, as Mitchell just did. Basically, Mitchell raised questions about Ford’s credibility by saying that she has not been very truthful in describing her fear of flying. But I don’t know that impeaching her fear of flying is that useful for the GOP’s overall purpose here.

Ford is talking about her experience, of course, but she’s also occasionally jumping into the position of expert witness — talking, for example, about the “etiology of anxiety and PTSD.” It could be an odd combination, but it feels quite effective to me.