While many in the media have claimed Democratic efforts to thwart Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee are pointless stunts, Rachel Maddow said on Thursday that Brett Kavanaugh is no shoe-in for confirmation.
Instead, the MSNBC host said Democrats clearly believe they can successfully block Kavanaugh, and they are acting like it.
“If [Democrats] just wanted to make a stink, there are easier and more fun ways to do that,” Maddow said. “That’s not what they’re doing.”
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Maddow explains why Democratic efforts to thwart Brett Kavanaugh could be successful. #ctl #p2 #Maddow pic.twitter.com/yu94KP6KZI
— PoliticusUSA (@politicususa) September 7, 2018
Maddow said:
If Democrats were just trying to make a spectacle out of the Kavanaugh confirmation process, if they knew it was a futile effort, he was definitely going to be confirmed anyway no matter what they did, if they just wanted to make a stink, there are easier and more fun ways to do that. That’s not what they’re doing. What’s now become clear after these three long days of hearings is that the Democrats aren’t just trying to make a spectacle of the confirmation process here. They appear to be actually trying to block Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation. They appear to be actually trying to win. Democrats aren’t used to seeing this in their elected officials, so I’m not sure this is being recognized widely coast to coast, but look at what they’re doing. They’re not just making sound and fury here. They’re doing something specific to try to win, to try to stop Kavanaugh’s nomination – and they may not win. But I think it is worth being clear that that is what they’re going for. They are apparently aware that it is sort of a close question here, for a number of reasons. This nominee is actually super unpopular.
Democrats need just two Republican votes to sink Kavanaugh
Democrats are actively trying to pick off two key Republican Senate votes – Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine.
Maddow further explained the Democratic strategy during her program on Thursday.
Maddow explains the Democratic strategy on stopping Kavanaugh: Picking off Republican Sens. Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski. #ctl #p2 #maddow pic.twitter.com/bfL2kPi6IS
— PoliticusUSA (@politicususa) September 7, 2018
“This strategy is aimed at two specific Republican senators,” Maddow said. “It has an audience, a very specific audience. And those two senators have admitted that they will base their vote, in part, on that issue.”
By exposing Brett Kavanaugh as an extremist enemy of reproductive rights for women, Democrats are pushing a strategy that could ultimately pay off. As it continues to reveal Kavanaugh’s dangerous views, it makes it increasingly uncomfortable for Murkowski and Collins to support his confirmation.
After all, the two GOP lawmakers know that if they vote in favor of a nominee who goes on to overturn Roe v. Wade, their constituents will raise holy hell.
If Democrats remain united and continue to pound this drum and stand up for women’s rights, it could give them the votes they need to prevent a nightmare on the Supreme Court.
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Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.
