I would like to offer up a game theoretic perspective on why leadership feels that the nomination of #Kavanaugh must be protected at any expense (even the possibility of taking a hammering in the midterm elections) and why #ChristineBlaseyFord’s life must be destroyed.
Thread.
Thread.
I apologize to those who see this as obvious, but it seems to me that it warrants being clearly spelled out.
The first thing to note is that no one is convinced that #Kavanaugh is of good moral character in the treatment of women. In a single interaction, the Nash Equilibrium is to withdraw the nomination, even at the expense of losing the opportunity to put their guy on the bench.
The GOPs reputation is being destroyed here. #Kavanaugh is being destroyed here. That point should not be lost.
This isn’t a single interaction – like a prisoner’s dilemma game – this is a sequential game with reputation/signalling. This is not the first round; this is not the last round. This is a game that has been going throughout human history.
In this current game (and I am genuinely sorry for the use of this word, but the truth is that while many of us feel like are hearts are being crushed in a vice, to those in control this is very much a game – a game they cannot personally afford to lose) the sequence of play...
...is that #ChristineBlaseyFord moved first and #Kavanaugh’s buddies moved second.
The response has been twofold.
The first is to work to destroy #ChristineBlaseyFord. The GOP, the President, could have appealed to their adherents to leave her alone. They have done the opposite; they have unleashed the dogs on her. Not to stop her. It had to be clear that would never work.
Just as aside, I don’t know why we have these “thrown to the dogs” expressions, since dogs are lovely and the people who are trying to destroy this very brave woman are monsters.
The second is to allow #Kavanaugh to become collateral damage. They had to have known that other women would come forward. Bravery begets bravery. He will not survive this.
Why do they do this? To send a very costly signal: We are willing to pay a very high price to see that this does not happen to us personally
You see, the thing about a train is that consists of more than a conductor and an engineer. There are others in that gang rape train. And there are other trains. Many, many other trains
The most honest thing that has been said in this whole debate is this – Gosh, if men are going to be brought down by charges like this, well then there will be no men left in Washington!
Not because all men behave this way – THEY DON’T! But power and entitlement breeds these behaviours – exactly because there have been no consequences.
Now (again) the costly signal has been sent; if you are a woman who has suffered at the hands of a powerful man, then we will pay a very high price to destroy you. We are even willing to sacrifice our own members.
This is a house of cards and the strategy to preventing collapsing it is tried and true. But will it keep working? Maybe no.
The decision of @MichaelAvenatti’s client #JulieSwetnick to publicly come forward gives me a great deal of hope. These women are not acting in their own best interest. Or rationally. The only way this horrible game ends is if more women choose to do the same.
It’s funny because women are often called irrational. Maybe now that is now our strength.
End of somewhat nerdy angry rant.
End of somewhat nerdy angry rant.
