Cory Booker (D) - Presidential Hopeful, Sexual Assault

[_Doctor CamNC4Me]

Wait. You're cool with quoting Fox News now? Like. Moving forward if we quote Fox News you won't say or feel that it's partisan or erroneous? I just want to make sure we're all good and that Fox News is a legitimate source now. Yes? Because if that's the case then I need you to not flip flop in the future.

- Doc

They posted a poll. Those are the results of the poll. Other sources reported on it but I tend to go to the original source whenever possible. If you want to make a big to-do about that then knock yourself out.

Following general rules of critical thinking, a poll coming from a conservative source showing support for a conservative justice eroding carries more weight than if it came from a more liberal source. Given the choice between a poll from Fox News and MSNBC on this same issue, I'd be curious to see where they deviated from one another, where they aligned, and see where the outcome runs against the direction of the source's political leanings to judge it. And I'd be more interested in what Fox reported than MSNBC precisely because it would be the sort of thing MSNBC would be all over while Fox would have less of a reason to tote the negative aspects of the public opinion towards Kavanaugh.

I see you're not going to cooperate. That's fine. You do you. I'll just have to note, that in the future, if you make a stink about using Fox News as a source, I'll have to link you back to this thread.

Anyway. I'm not really sure what your point is pointing this out? You think Kavanaugh is toast? I'm fine with Democrats getting a bump in the November elections, their allegiance to kafkatrapping aside, but I don't think the Repubs pass this nomination up and risk a confirmation process that could be turned on its head after November.

- Doc

[_honorentheos]

If the source shows poor journalism or bias, count on it. It is always on a case by case basis no matter the source. Doing otherwise is for stupid people who just blindly follow partisan allegiances...or troll on the webz.

[_honorentheos]

If something crazy happens this week and Kavanaugh gets dropped, I'd guess we'd still see a candidate confirmed before the next Congress is seated. They have plenty of time for that, and will probably be more careful which should help the process.

[_Doctor CamNC4Me]

If something crazy happens this week and Kavanaugh gets dropped, I'd guess we'd still see a candidate confirmed before the next Congress is seated. They have plenty of time for that, and will probably be more careful which should help the process.

If Kavanaugh gets dropped I'll publicly acknowledge your intellectual superiority and buy you a virtual beer.

- Doc

[_honorentheos]

No need to make it into a virtual pissing contest. I have no prediction on whether or not something new will come out of the process or Kavanaugh's confirmation will get derailed. I've stated my position multiple times, and given the discussion to date I'm sure you get it if you want to push it into a box it doesn't belong in. My point with the Fox poll was to comment on the impacts from this episode on the broader body politic since it's been a subtopic. As mentioned yesterday, it doesn't look like there are real upsides for Republicans as things are playing out even if there are those who get riled up by so-called identity politics on either side. This seems to be a bad look for Republicans, and there are crazy attempts to walk a thin line between wanting to see Kavanaugh confirmed and not appear to be on the wrong side of the current movement when it comes to sexual assault claims. The most crazy example was last week's "doppelgänger" theory being floated to suggest Ford was being truthful but just misidentifying Kavanaugh as the person involved. That fell apart quickly while making things worse for the Republicans.

We'll see if anything new comes out of the testimonies. It currently sounds like Judge won't be testifying despite Ford's lawyers wanting that as a condition of her testifying but according to Lindsey Graham the Senate will only hear Ford and Kavanaugh. At this point, it probably comes down to the questions, and the female Republican Senators such as Collins being satisfied that it's at best a case of he-said, she-said.

[_Doctor CamNC4Me]

I guess we'll see if this is bad for the Republicans or not. I really don't see them rolling over on this if they haven't abandoned President Trump thus far. The partisan divide online is pretty clear:

Conservatives really don't believe the allegations of a Leftist partisan who scrubbed her online profile, paired with a lawyer activist, and will only testify if it's advantageous for her to do so.

Leftists, Liberals, and Progressives (pick one since they're all worthless terms, apparently), whether they believe her or not, will keep acting hysterical in the hopes the media will aid and abet their efforts to see Kavanaugh ditched.

This, of course, is p'shawed away stating the Repubs will just crap out another equally Conservative nomination, thus this is really about optics, but no one believes that. The hope is the Repubs will be forced to pick a moderate for the seat.

- Doc

[_honorentheos]

I don't think it is just about optics. If Kavanaugh did do what he is accused of and is lying about it, I absolutely do not think he should be confirmed. Of course that won't change the fact another conservative would be confirmed instead.

[_Gunnar]

I don't think it is just about optics. If Kavanaugh did do what he is accused of and is lying about it, I absolutely do not think he should be confirmed. Of course that won't change the fact another conservative would be confirmed instead.

Whether he did it or not, he certainly should not be confirmed (but probably will be, unless Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski have enough backbone and integrity to vote their consciences).

[_EAllusion]

Fox News polling exists independent of its editorial content. It's part of its legitimate news opeeation which is easy to forget exits. 538 rates them as a B pollster with a .5% Republican lean. That's decent, but not great.

Thinking a Fox poll has discussion value doesn't commit you to trusting their fever swamp content.