Thread by @NerdyInNOLA

"This is hell"

Breaking down SC Senator Lindsey Graham's turn to testify; a thread

2)
First of all, was Lindsey Graham called to testify in the hearings? Of fucking course he wasn't, he has no more information than any of the other senators had. But he is ENTITLED you see! The same way a dude named Brett is ENTITLED to join SCOTUS!

3) (Btw these are the same people who rage against "entitlement programs" like, you know, food stamps and disability. We don't have a right to eat or to medical care. But they HAVE A RIGHT TO SPEAK OVER US AND BLAME US AND IGNORE OUR PAIN AND THREATEN US! Talk about entitled.)

4) And now for 4 minutes and 26 seconds that will tell you everything you need to know about #LindseyGraham
Again, we're working off this video: which contains his whole testimony. You may have seen excerpts or watched it; now we're going to parse it.

5) 0.00 Graham begins by talking about Sen. Chuck Schumer's lack of faith in this nomination. Apparently it pisses him off that Schumer had an opinion. Because Graham is so very fair and balanced, especially when Schumer's not around to defend his position.

6) At right about .35 sec, Graham actually asks a few questions to which he already knows the answer; as part of the process, Kavanaugh met with each senator individually. Ford had already tried to come forward CONFIDENTIALLY to her representative, Sen. Diane Feinstein.

7) As she had every right to do, Ford requested that her disclosure of being sexually assaulted by Kavanaugh remain confidential. The word "confidential" is not in Graham's vocabulary. At least not when it comes to victims of crime.

8) At .50 sec in, Graham's horns sprout out of his head and his eyes begin to steam as he yells at Feinstein in front of the entire committee about this. Watch his body language. Watch hers. I've never seen a woman more prepared to give less fucks.

9) Exactly 1:00 in - Graham in his diatribe attacking Feinstein yells, "You said that!!" So he is very focused on people sticking with their words, yes? Please note, because oh, we will come back to this.

10) 4.23 "I can not imagine what you and your family have gone through."
The world's tiniest violins can be heard in the background playing for what Kavanaugh has "gone through." No violins for the victim of course, she got a prosecutor instead.

11) 2.04 - Graham includes something undeniable in his testimony. "You're looking for a fair process...you've come to the wrong town at the wrong time." Henceforth we reserve the right to refer to Graham as "Hector Projector."

12) 2.25 Graham: Would you say you've been through hell?
Kavanaugh: I've been through hell and then some.

Did anyone ask Dr. Ford if she'd say she's been through hell? I guess it's just not relevant to Graham.

13) 2.35 Here's where it goes from ridiculous to downright insulting. Graham - "This is going to destroy the ability of good people to come forward, because of this CRAP!" The vicious irony of this statement is that it's true - because of him.

14) 2.50 "You're supposed to be #BillCosby when you're a junior and senior in high school." Where do we begin. Fuck you, let's start there. Use white privilege against black criminals. Use male privilege against sexual assault survivors. Use your seat in Congress against everyone

15) 3.00 "It's been my understanding that if you drug women and rape them in high school, you probably don't stop." Yes, well, YOU SEE OUR FUCKING CONERN THEN. But of course, he does not.

16) 3.18 - Remember point 9? How important people's word is to Graham? Here he refers to the American Bar Association as "the gold standard" and reads its endorsement from BEFORE any accusations were made public. It says he's a nice guy. Well, color me convinced, hearing over!

17) - EXCEPT here's what the President of the ABA wrote to senators:
This appointment “is simply too important to rush to a vote. Deciding to proceed without conducting an additional investigation would not only have a lasting impact on the Senate’s reputation...

18) ... but it will also negatively affect the great trust necessary for the American people to have in the Supreme Court." So much for the "nice guy" defense (and people, there is a very critical difference between a NICE guy, and a GOOD guy). washingtonpost.com/news/morning-m…

19) 3.40 - This, though, is the moment when I wanted to jump through the screen and physically shield someone from him. "Ashley [Kavanaugh's wife, who is suffering as surely as anyone in that room is suffering] you should be proud...that you raised a daughter who...

20)...had the good character to pray for Dr. Ford."
First of all, you feckless monster, LEAVE HIS WIFE AND CHILD OUT OF IT. Of course we all have opinions about how this has and will affect them for the rest of their lives, but not the requisite arrogance to use them as ammo.

21) The finale. Graham uses the rest of his time to once again threaten his Democratic colleagues; i.e. Diane Feinstein. Truly, his respect and deep empathy for women cannot be understated. Which makes him the perfect supporter for Kavanaugh, does it not?

The Takeaway:

Women are not to be used as ammunition for EITHER SIDE of this debate. We are not characters to support your theories. Our trauma is not entertainment, to spread publicly and be consumed by the masses.Our relationships with the men in our lives are not yours to probe and display.