The Kavanaugh nomination fight has pulled us further into a partisan quagmire

Senate Republicans are moving ahead with voting on Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination; a floor vote could occur as soon as tomorrow.

Is this wise? Necessary? Or just another tactical partisan maneuver in a political era increasingly defined by them? My worry is that there is no good answer, and that because of how both parties have acted, we are hurtling toward a long-simmering crisis of institutional and political legitimacy that can no longer be avoided.

The case for proceeding quickly with a vote following yesterday’s sexual assault hearing goes something like this: Kavanaugh and his accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, both gave their testimonies and answered questions, and both came across as human and believable. While some questions remain about both of their stories—Is Kavanaugh being truthful about his teenage drinking? How did Ford get home after the evening in question?—it is likely that further investigation would not reveal much more than we already know, which includes sworn written statements from all the named parties said to be present on the night of the alleged assault.