Top Republicans stood by in support and defended Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, who is facing a string of sexual misconduct accusations. However, analysts have warned that this move will alienate voters in the upcoming midterm elections, particularly women voters.
“The emotions surrounding this have been extremely high, and most Republicans are on record already showing they wanted to go forward with a vote. Those things can’t be walked back,” Grant Reeher, a professor of political science at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School, told The Hill.
The professor added that he is doubtful that Senator Jeff Flake will have any success reconciling angry voters with his last-minute efforts for an FBI probe.
“Women are not going to forget what happened yesterday – they are not going to forget it tomorrow and not in November,” Karine Jean-Pierre, a senior adviser, and national spokeswoman for the progressive group MoveOn said on Friday, according to the Washington, D.C. newspaper.
Demonstrators rallied early Friday in the hallway of the Senate, chanting “November is coming!” after Republicans in the Judiciary Committee decided to push through with the nomination of Kavanaugh, regardless of the testimony of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, a Newsweek article reported.
“Democratic enthusiasm and motivation is going to be off the chart,” Stu Rothenberg, a nonpartisan political analyst, told the news site. “People are saying it’s already been high; that’s true. But it could be higher, particularly among swing women voters in the suburbs and younger voters, 18- to 29-year-olds, who while they don’t like the president, often don’t vote.”
Even before Ford’s public testimony detailing her allegations of sexual assault against the Supreme Court nominee, analysts suggested a backlash could follow if Republicans pushed forward with the confirmation.
“This has become a muddled mess for the GOP,” said Michael Steele, former chairman of the Republican National Committee, early last week, according to NBC News.
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