Politics: Its just like Sports

During the steroid scandals that plagued baseball an interesting thing happened.   If a player suspected of  using illegal performing enhancing drugs (PED's) could help your team make the playoffs or even win a pennant or world series you were likely to give that player a pass.  Barry Bonds remained popular among Giants fans, but was hated at every other ballpark in the league.  His case was not unique.  Most of the suspected players Clemens, Giambi, McGwire, Sosa, were popular at their home parks until new league rules kicked in and their performance dropped off.   As long as they performed and their team won, the cheating was OK.   The exception that proves the rule was A-Rod, who would never be loved in New York, because he could never live up to the expectations Yankee fans put upon him.  Since he would never measure up it was OK to take an honest look at him.

Politics works much the same way in our era.    The Kavanaugh confirmation fiasco is a morality play that exactly mirrors how sports fans look at a player who cheats for their team.   As long as they see a victory for the team over the horizon, the player gets a pass.   In the 1990's Democrats gave President William Jefferson Clinton a pass.   By any rational standard he proved to be sexual predator who used the power of both the Governor's office of Arkansas and Presidency of the United States to prey on  young women (at least one was half his age).  Today Bill Clinton would no longer get a pass, because he can't play for the team any more.

Judge Kavanaugh may or may not be guilty, but Dr. Ford's testimony seems very plausible.  His reaction to the accusations were troubling and show that he is indeed the worst type of team player.  The strategy from the beginning has been to appeal to the home team.   Cry foul, argue that there is a conspiracy,  complain that people are unfairly picking on him, and maybe even kick some dirt on the umpire.   Like a wrestler whipping up the crowd on Monday night RAW, the fans just eat it up.   The victory is in sight, so they stand behind their man.

I don't.  I do not expect judges to be without ideological bias, but I do ask them to treat all persons under the jurisdiction of the Constitution of the United States with dignity and respect.   After his testimony I doubt he can do this because he has demonstrated that he cares about his party more than he does the country as whole.  I doubt he can even see members of the opposing party as Americans.

My preferred outcome would be for Justice Kennedy's seat to go unfilled.  Eight justices means that the court would need a majority plus one to reach a decision.  Meaningful dissent would still be registered, but decisions would require a higher degree of consensus.   In our divisive political climate this might be a way to show that we really ought to figure out how to work together.  I  have no problem with people representing partisan positions, I only have a problem with people looking past common decency.

Alas, I realize that I am dreaming, neither team republican or team democrat would go for it.   While the republicans have home team bias for Kavanaugh and the President, democrats are overlooking the very shady dealings of Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey.    He too will get a pass from his home team, for they see a chance (albeit a slim one) for a majority in the Senate.

It does not have to be like this.  Watergate brought down Richard Nixon because republicans of conscience like Senator Howard Baker and Chief Counsel Leon Jaworski stood with democrats when it was obvious the President had obstructed justice by using campaign funds for bribing witnesses to the the hotel break-in.  Because of the sports team like atmosphere of our politics today, I am skeptical that we will see such a phenomenon again.

In the end it is up to us voters.  We need to realize this is not a game, it is our country. Until we see the wisdom of voting for candidates who put country before party, our republic will be in peril.  Until we look past the party labels and cable news propaganda and look at the woman or man actually asking for our vote we can expect neither justice nor peace.