The now well-established playbook for responding to accusations of sexual abuse is to be deferential, calm, and above all else, not angry or give any indication that you are blaming the victim. In an extraordinary display watched by millions of Americans, Senator Charles Grassley threw that playbook right out the window with the opening bell. Far from being on the defensive, Grassley came out swinging. Before bothering to hear from any of the witnesses—the ostensible purpose of the hearing—Grassley eviscerated Senator Dianne Feinstein, blaming her for all of the procedural problems on the committee he chairs and is responsible for. Imagine a judge giving instructions like to a jury before a trial even begins.
Ms. Feinstein spoke next and responded briefly, forgoing a response to partisan attacks in an effort to move the committee towards its agenda by introducing Dr. Blasey Ford. As soon as she began, Senator Grassley interrupted her, a time-honored patriarchal technique of controlling the narrative.
Dr. Blasey Ford gave her testimony and was then questioned by the prosecutor and members of the committee. She was clearly upset at various points in her testimony but remained calm and respectful of everyone involved, including Judge Kavanaugh.
Judge Kavanaugh then read his statement.
After two brief paragraphs addressing some of the facts, he launched into a blisteringly partisan attack on the Democrats for conspiring to block his nomination and conducting a “search and destroy” mission, a phrase eagerly picked up on and repeated ad nauseum by the Republican members of the committee. In a throwback designed to make his position unmistakably clear to his Republican base he even blew the dog whistle of including the Clintons in his harangue.
Most network commentators believed that Judge Kavanaugh’s testimony was effective, essentially balancing the testimony of Dr. Blasey Ford and leaving many people unsure of who to believe. Many of the network commentators also agreed that what swung the balance in favor of Judge Kavanaugh was the “questioning” of Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who did very little actual questioning of Judge Kavanaugh and instead used his time to deliver an attack on the Senate Democrats that shocked even seasoned political observers with the intensity of its hyperbole and vitriol.
What were the Republicans up to?
Their repeated use of shared language like “search and destroy” suggests that there was a coordinated strategy, a mutual decision to forgo the traditional response to accusations of sexual abuse in favor of a more aggressive approach. I believe that the strategy of the Republican senators on the judiciary committee is consistent with the strategy increasingly employed by the Republican party for several decades. Faced with the demographic realities of an increasingly non-white electorate, the Republican party has increasingly appealed to the fear and anger of their constituents who believe they have the most to lose. Rather than speaking in aspirational terms to that constituency, with proposals for new national infrastructure projects and job training programs on the scale of the New Deal, the Republican calculation has been that playing to this group’s fears of being forgotten and replaced will be more effective. Rather than speaking aspirationally to Republican women and reaffirming their commitment to a zero-tolerance policy on sexual abuse, they chose instead to inflame the fears of Republican men, reassuring them that their privilege will be protected.
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