Boys Will Be Boys? Not Anymore.

If the current news cycle is any indication of what “boys will be boys” means, it turns out that I was a *much* better teenager than I previously thought. I had a decent-sized circle of close friends — there were around 10 of us that hung out several times a week on a regular week, and closer to nightly during the summer. The boy:girl ratio was generally pretty even, but even when it was just “the guys,” there was a noticeable lack of raging misogyny, thoughts of drugging women to get laid, and sexual assault planning. We did dumb things like toilet-paper friend’s homes, annoy neighbors with loud music late at night, and on one occasion it’s possible one of us came home with a stop sign. The girls were our friends. Some of us dated, many of us didn’t. To a man, we went out of our way to protect them from people like Brett Kavanaugh has been described. We partied — sometimes we drank too much — but I can unequivocally say that if *any* of the behavior described as routine at Georgetown Prep took place at one of our parties, we would have kicked the shit out of the perpetrator(s). None of us were violent people, but this behavior is so far beyond the pale that it’s difficult for me to understand how anyone can justify this.

The more endemic problem is not that the Brett Kavanaughs of the world exist, but that they’re frequently the ones that find themselves in positions of power. You need look no further than the United States Senate for confirmation of this. The Good Ole Boys Club is alive and well, and they’re fiercely protective of their own. This is perhaps most evidenced by the majority’s absolute refusal to to even consider the allegations into Kavanaugh’s behavior — or let the FBI investigation play out — before many of their votes were secured. 

We still don’t know how Collins, Flake, and Murkowski will vote, but the public comments from the former two aren’t encouraging. My Senate contacts are still telling me that Flake and Collins are leaning no, but at this point, I’m not sure that’s worth believing. I would have never believed that an FBI investigation would be allowed into allegations of sexual assault without interviewing either of the two primary participants, but here we are. 

To be clear: I don’t care if Kavanaugh was a raging alcohol in high school and college. That behavior is not inherently disqualifying from the Supreme Court. The rest absolutely is: The blatant partisanship shown in his public hearings, the mysterious debt that nobody can seem to explain, the numerous allegations of sexual assault, and the at least six counts of perjury before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Any one of these things would have been enough to derail a candidate in normal times.

Many of you have asked what I think will happen this morning. I am almost certain that the cloture vote will succeed, and I am less confident now than I was that the confirmation vote will be sunk, but I haven’t completely given up hope. The two things that are certain to me right now?

1. Republicans claim to be energized by this Kavanaugh process? They’ve got NOTHING on the women voters if he’s confirmed. The blue wave is going to turn into a blue tsunami, and the allegations against Kavanaugh aren’t going to stop. The people who weren’t allowed to speak to the FBI will come forward. The GOP would be far better served by nominating different conservative Judge, but the desire unfettered Presidential power seems to have eclipsed all common sense. 

2. This investigation turned out to be a total joke. When more comes out about this, people are going to be completely outraged. The FBI requested to personally interview Kavanaugh because he wasn't on the approved list, and they were DENIED by the White House -- even after the so-called "expansion" of their authority in this case, Kavanaugh remained on the "off-limits" list. 

If Kavanaugh is confirmed or if Flake holds his ground and the vote falls short, my reminder is the same: there is *nothing* more important than voting in November. Bring a friend with you.