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Kavanaugh Wrapup

KEVIN DRUM

I have no idea how this is all going to work out. Ford’s testimony was very credible. Kavanaugh’s was too in some senses, but it was also obvious that he was lying about certain things. For example, there’s not much question that he was a pretty heavy drinker in his teens. There’s not much question that “boofing” doesn’t refer to farting. There’s not much question that “Renate Alumni” was not an affectionate reference to a girl that everyone liked. There’s also not much question that Kavanaugh’s scorched-earth outrage was, at least to some extent, rehearsed.

At the same time, I don’t think there’s any question that Republicans are really and truly furious about this whole affair. They’ve convinced themselves that the entire affair is some kind of coordinated operation that was planned and executed in minute detail by Democrats and shadowy liberal groups. I’d be happy to suspend disbelief and believe this in, say, a Mission Impossible movie, but not in real life.

At this point, I suspect the only thing that matters is what Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski thought about the hearing. If they believed Kavanaugh, he’ll be our newest Supreme Court justice. If not, he won’t.