(1)\u00c2\u00a0 The political game is weird.\u00c2\u00a0 You watch and formulate opinions, not necessarily straight forward or free of conflict, but also have to end up with an eye toward how things will be seen by the public or a segment of the public, and throw in a “theater review” portion, and the strange effects where one is defined into one of two (or perhaps three) spots from the get go.<\/p>\n
(The good news for me is that ad sense has decided that I am alternatingly a Republican and a Democrat.\u00c2\u00a0 So comes all of those Republican Congressional Committee “click here if you hate the mainstream media” and all those Senator Harris “STOP KAVANAUGH” ads.)<\/p>\n
(2)\u00c2\u00a0 Under that rubric, we knew that today would be a public relations debacle of one sort or the other for the Republicans.\u00c2\u00a0 Because the witness, Blasey Ford, is human after all.\u00c2\u00a0 But be that as it may…<\/p>\n
(3) Take on step away from your politics, and never mind the reason (don’t want the batch of old white guys to be seen kicking about this vulnerable not\u00c2\u00a0wanting spotlight woman where every “dear” will be viewed as a slight), putting in that sex crime prosecutor is… good.\u00c2\u00a0 As good as we’re going to get for the “search for the truth” concern in this environment.\u00c2\u00a0 As it plays out here, the five minute increments of slow testimony allows for some cohesion in getting some facts out of this, as opposed to how the Democrats spend it in throwing up speeches.\u00c2\u00a0 Whether or not this gave any headlines, there’s at least some minutiae to look at here.\u00c2\u00a0 [Nit-pick situational fear of flying, and also it’s evident we’re trying to get at something of when this gets politicized.]<\/p>\n
(4) That being said, they were wise to drop her in the Kavanaugh portion… even though they probably were planning on having her move forward with these forensics.<\/p>\n
(5)\u00c2\u00a0 Memo to Lindsey Graham regarding how “we’re supposed to have you as Bill Cosby in high school”… despite years of exemplary service following:\u00c2\u00a0 Um… Bill Cosby got away with it for decades, in part because of his public persona of exemplary character.\u00c2\u00a0 Not the best example.
\nAlso noted:\u00c2\u00a0 Graham has adopted the John McCain tic of using the “my friend” refrain.<\/p>\n
(6)\u00c2\u00a0 On Kavanaugh’s temperament: damned if he does, damned if he doesn’t<\/a>.\u00c2\u00a0 Personally, I want to side-step making issues of this double-bind.<\/p>\n (7) That being said, he loses me completely when he tasks this as being “revenge on behalf of the Clintons”.\u00c2\u00a0 Notably I’m not faulting him for placing it with something of a left-wing plot, but specifically citing the Clintons.\u00c2\u00a0 Still fighting his battles as a charter member of the Clinton era Right Wing Conspiracy.\u00c2\u00a0 Not good.<\/p>\n (8)\u00c2\u00a0 I like how Cory Booker, in his damnedably grand-standing content less speech for the Ford testimony, praises Jeff Flake and that even handed to the point of irritating everyone speech he made yesterday.\u00c2\u00a0 The Democrats need two Republicans to join them with any “no” vote, and he’s one of three who might cross over… so gotta butter him up, I suppose.<\/p>\n (9)\u00c2\u00a0 I single out Ben Sasse as the one who got to the bottom line question on behalf of the Republican side, devoid of all the\u00c2\u00a0irritating histrionics.<\/p>\n (10)\u00c2\u00a0 Memo to Ted Cruz, on “one of the most shameful chapters in the history of the United States Senate”.\u00c2\u00a0 Sure.\u00c2\u00a0 Except for the nineteenth century’s constant upholding of Slavery or Indian extermination. (11)\u00c2\u00a0 Jeff Flake again pisses everyone off with his one minute call for civility when everyone votes whatever way they vote.\u00c2\u00a0 THE CENTER CANNOT HOLD.<\/p>\n
\nAlso noted, the politically minded misdirection of bringing up the other two allegations (and, I suppose fourth) — playing the Democrats’ punting of them as evidence or proof.<\/p>\n