The year was 1991. The accuser was Anita Hill. The nomination of Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas hung in the balance. The accusation was that Mr. Thomas, then head of the EEOC, sexually harassed Ms. Hill, then a subordinate of the now Supreme Court Judge Clarence Thomas. The drama of her and his testimony in the Senate Judiciary Committee room nearly sucked the oxygen out of the room.
The year is 2018. The accuser is Christine Blasey Ford. The nomination of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh hangs in the balance. The accusation is that Mr. Kavanaugh, then a seventeen year old teenager, sexually harassed Ms. Ford, then a fifteen year old teenager at a party. The drama of her testimony and his testimony in the Senate Judiciary Committee room as early as next week will suck the oxygen out of the room.
This allegation, that seeped out of Senator Diane Feinstein’s office over the weekend, smelled strongly of partisan politics. Why wait till now? Thirty two hours of testimony, Ms. Feinstein’s questions on many areas included, had concluded over a week prior.
Yesterday a Republican push to converse via phone with the accuser and the accused, deemed by the Democrats as an attempt at rubber stamping , lost momentum when a few Republican Senators expressed deeper concern. By late afternoon President Trump stated the following.
“He is somebody very special; at the same time, we want to go through a process, we want to make sure everything is perfect, everything is just right,” Mr. Trump told reporters at the White House. “If it takes a little delay, it will take a little delay — it shouldn’t certainly be very much.”
By nightfall the parties agreed to testify under oath one proclaiming his steadfast innocence and the other proclaiming steadfastly that her memory of the events that included a third person in said room were correct.
Predictably those in favor of his nomination quickly defended the honor of His Honor. Those opposed yelled nay.
Back then the battle lines were drawn. The Anita Hill hearings were in a different era. Bill Clinton wasn’t President Bill Clinton yet. Numerous allegations of his dalliances in Little Rock, AR. did little to derail his candidacy and eventual election. 
Based on the evidence we can conclude that Bill Clinton was no saint.
Now, the battle lines are drawn. Or, maybe the era isn’t so different. Donald Trump wasn’t President Donald Trump two years ago. Numerous allegations of his dalliances and mistreatment of women did little to derail his candidacy and eventual election. 
Based on the evidence we can conclude that Donald Trump is no saint.
The court of public opinion put both presidents in office.
The opinion of 52 senators (41 Republicans and 11 Democrats) out of 100 in 1991 put Thomas on the Supreme Court. The opinion of 100 senators will either eventually confirm Judge Kavanaugh or not. The current Senate has 51 Republicans and 49 Democrats (two of whom claim to be independents).
Given how polarized this country is its probable that 51 senators (likely every Republican) will vote yes, while 49 senators (likely every Democrat) will vote no. It would take something quite substantive to sway that. He said and she said is what Thomas said and Hill said.
Then they will fly home and campaign in their state’s November midterm election(33 races) or to their colleagues home state to offer support. They’ll tell their constituents that they did the right thing. And, they’ll tell them that they need the votes to continue the fight. Oh, and some support money wouldn’t hurt either.
Maybe nothing has changed. Or, maybe we are even further divided.
