This is a very Neustadt / @joshchafetz moment in national politics. The fight over Kavanaugh isn’t really a direct fight over a confirmation vote—spoiler: he’ll be confirmed; we know the rough vote total (~53-46)—but a fight over the public sphere understanding of that vote.
Politics doesn’t occur in a vacuum, and actions taken today influence future politics and arrangements of power. Political actors battle for future power by trying to shape the public understanding of today’s action, in hopes of influence voters, public opinion, and other actors.
Would Dems like to bring down Kavanaugh? Sure. But they know they can’t. Their actions during the are focused on shaping public sphere beliefs that (1) the GOP is radical; (2) Kavanaugh is recklessly political; (3) Trump is a pawn of hard right interests; (4) Roe is toast.
This is totally legitimate. The goal is to influence future politics: turnout in the the 2018 election, public opinion about POTUS, and the belief in other political actors that they too can take on POTUS/GOP and win on issues, because of their weakness in the public.
The GOP, of course, wants to do the opposite. And that’s fine too.
But remember that this fight isn’t about Kavanaugh’s confirmation. Barring some exogenous shock, that’s gonna happen. This is a fight over the public understanding of the confirmation, the GOP, and the POTUS.
But remember that this fight isn’t about Kavanaugh’s confirmation. Barring some exogenous shock, that’s gonna happen. This is a fight over the public understanding of the confirmation, the GOP, and the POTUS.
I discussed a few weeks back why this strategy is preferable for the Dems to a procedural strategy of trying to block the nomination in the Senate:
yalejreg.com/nc/scotus-nomi…
yalejreg.com/nc/scotus-nomi…
