As I watched Judge Kavanaugh blubber-rant incoherently last Thursday, several thoughts went through my mind.
First, emotion-shaming. Turns out, I’m old-school. I cry sometimes. But not often. It’s not for long. Right or wrong, I think a man who can’t keep it together is undignified and unworthy of respect.
Second, this is not a guy who does well under stress. No doubt, the stress was undeniable. But we’ve all seen other men and women under tremendous stress and they behaved with considerably more composure. Consider Dr. Ford. Her eyes watered but she kept it together. A Supreme Court Justice, I think, should pretty much be like Spock from Star Trek. Highly logical.
Third, and I think this is most damning, I wouldn’t trust this guy to hear my case.
It could happen. I’m suing the LA Times for defamation and wrongful termination in the California court system. Theoretically, there could be appeals all the way to the US Supreme Court. How on earth could I trust Justice Brett Kavanaugh to vote intelligently about my fate?
He has made very clear during his testimony that he dislikes Democrats. I lean further to the left than the Democratic Party. I assume he would despise me. When you go to a court of law in search of justice, you shouldn’t have credible reason to believe that one of the judges is biased against you, but that would certainly be the case.
My case, like many others, is complicated. It has a lot of moving parts. There’s a lot of case law to consider. As I watched him the other day, I did not see a disciplined logical mind. He jumped around from one concept to another, repeated himself constantly, failed to make points that might’ve helped him and said things that hurt him.
I wouldn’t trust him to judge my case. Not because he’s a conservative. I know plenty of conservatives who are logical, fair, and very intelligent. I wouldn’t trust him because I don’t think he’s any of those things, and I think ultimately the U.S. Senate should vote against him for that reason.
6 Comments.
Kavanaugh is a CONSPIRACY THEORIST.
He believes the Democrats (or, as the Right Wing Nut Jobs misguidedly know Democrats, the “Left”) are CONSPIRING to deny him HIS personal extension of HIS class privilege.
This is HILARIOUS!
The Democrats could not, or would not, rally a public outcry even when the Republicans stole Obama’s (to use familiar Republican lingo, the “surrender monkey’s”) right to appoint his own choice for an open seat on the Supreme Court during his administration.
It’s unimaginable that the Democrats will be doing more now than riding the wave of public discontent, a public outcry that they have studiously avoided inciting on their own.
Of course, the Democrats will be more than happy to march at the head of the parade, should one form on its own, and pretend to be its leaders and inspiration if only they can find a way to capture its intensity to serve their own electoral aspirations.
No, the two headed Class Enemy is the enemy of the people, the small d democracy.
A judge should be true middle-of-the-road, as both sides have their days in court.
Liberal: Willing to apply new ideas to new situations
Conservative: Upholding precedent and avoiding radical changes
As Ted says, a judge also needs to calmly and rationally decide important matters. I’ll add that he also needs compassion of the sort that rapists got none of.
You’re such an idealist.
I, too, would like the world to be populated by people who are driven by a sense of justice.
But call a Congressional Representative about an issue of general importance and the first thing they want to know is if you live in their district (unless you want to contribute to their campaign fund). All they care about is getting votes from their own district’s constituents (and their cash donations).
I can’t imagine many in this culture of egoists, including judges, ruling against their deeply held convictions just because it serves the general interest.
> You’re such an idealist.
Guilty, but then I’m also a realist.
i.e. which of the following two people are more likely to become judges in the real world?
1) a happy, accepting, live-and-let-live type.
2) an angry, hateful, superstitious, authoritarian who believes that people are inherently sinful and need stern guidance from someone with better morals.
I think we can both agree on number two.
Ted, were you a law professor rather than an editorial cartoonist, you could add your name to the signers of this opinion piece, published in yesterday’s New York Times. 1000 signatories (and counting)….
Henri