If Trump were politically astute and not an egomaniac, he would rescind the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh and select a new justice. His pride will not allow him to see this potential move as anything other than a “loss”, but he should hear me out. He won’t.
First off, the allegations against Judge Kavanaugh should absolutely be taken seriously. As a general rule of a civilized, modern society, any time a potential victim of any crime comes forward, we owe it to them to take their claims seriously. It is obscene that there is an entire news network granting Kavanaugh (and Trump) a platform to demean, obfuscate, and disparage Kavanaugh’s accusers. We should feel compelled to grant the potential victims the same courtesy. Yes, the accused has a presumption of innocence and the right to face his accusers, but the women who came forward are not on trial, and they are not in a position of power that allows them to exploit the media like Kavanaugh has been granted.
The accuser and the accused deserve to have their day in court, and rescinding the nomination would hasten the progress towards a real trial, not one played out in the court of public opinion or the absurdly partisan halls of congress.
For his part, the President could get to work on vetting and selecting a new nominee to the Supreme Court. He claimed to have an extensive list of candidates, and I’m quite sure that they all have “astounding conservative credentials”. The Republicans lose nothing by losing Kavanaugh.
Additionally, the Democrats would be forced to come to the table for a confirmation hearing and vote. Any new allegations that surfaced against a new nominee would be reasonably viewed with skepticism. I believe that the general public actually want a full, functioning, Supreme Court, and slow-playing another nomination for some unspecified time (the end of Trump’s term?) would turn public opinion against them. If Kavanaugh’s nomination is rescinded, a new Trump appointee would probably be far more rigorously examined, and that gives Democrats a chance to posture for a 2020 run.
Sure, Kavanaugh misses out on an opportunity. Cry me a river, Brett. Merrick Garland would like to have a word with you, speaking of obstruction.
A Fool Speaks Loudest 