I think, in general, it's really a lot to ask for most people to be cool and analytical about an allegation that is raised RIGHT before a confirmation vote to seat someone on the swing SCOTUS seat. 1/
I'm not saying it's right, I'm saying it's a natural reaction. The timing of this could not possibly be less calculated to lead to an honest discovery of the truthfulness (vel non) of this woman's accusations. So what should be done? 2/
I think more should be done to encourage an ethos where women feel safe and empowered to come forward in the immediate aftermath of sexual assault. If Ford had raised her accusation when Brett Kavanaugh was just a 17-year-old high school student... 3/
Not only would the atmosphere have been less charged, but it would have been exponentially easier to objectively assess her allegations because it would have been easier to find witnesses, check vital details of the story, etc. 4/
I realize that there are reasons women don't come forward immediately even still, and what I am saying is that THOSE are what need to be addressed. Because I think that the notion that people on either side are going to be actually fair (to accuser and accused) ... 5/
... literally days before a judiciary committee vote on the most hotly contested Supreme Court in history is ludicrously optimistic. And I mean this for both sides. The "we must believe her" people have zero more factual basis than "she's a lying whore" people at this point. 6/
Rarely are you going to get a situation like Roy Moore where there is enough cumulative evidence, many decades later, to develop a level of confidence one way or another. We are likely never going to know the truth about what did or didn't happen between Kavanaugh/Ford 7/
at this point, and that's sad. At least 95% of people are just reflecting whether they want him confirmed or don't want him confirmed. The whole thing would be hilarious if it weren't so important to the future of the country. End. 8/
