He punched the clock
Then there’s the whole “I got into Yale!!” thing.
At one point, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse pursued a line of questioning about the “Beach Week Ralph Club,” a phrase that appeared in Kavanaugh’s yearbook next to his senior photo. Kavanaugh told Whitehouse that “Ralph” probably referred to vomiting, something that Kavanaugh attributed to his “weak stomach, whether it’s with beer or with spicy food or anything.” Whitehouse asked if the “Ralph Club” reference had to do specifically with alcohol, and Kavanaugh responded:
Senator, I was at the top of my class academically, busted my butt in school. Captain of the varsity basketball team. Got in Yale College. When I got into Yale College, got into Yale Law School. Worked my tail off.
It was a deflection, but the particular shield he raised was telling. His response seems to suggest a belief that a prestigious education stands as evidence of moral rightness.
I interpreted it a bit differently. Whitehouse was pressing on the drinking too much theme, and I think Kavanaugh was saying “Drunk or not, I still worked hard and got into Yale.” I think it was more about not being a sloppy drunk, a loser, a wastrel, a schmuck who drank away his future. He got drunk on his ass, he ralphed a lot, but by god he also put in the hours and grabbed the brass ring.
Which is true, and even sort of relevant if his point is that drinking a lot doesn’t mean he won’t do the work of a Supreme Court justice. It’s sort of relevant that he can both drink and do his job.
Sort of relevant, but also sort of not, because it’s more than the hours, it’s more even than the work. There is also for instance the matter of judgement: problem drinkers tend to have bad judgement. Maybe Kavanaugh is the exception to that tendency, but by god he spectacularly failed to demonstrate any such immunity on Thursday. I can’t begin to express how much I do not want an entitled enraged screaming asshole like that on the Supreme Court, and I am far from the only one.
You are FAR from the only one…
http://farcornercafe.blogspot.com/2018/09/next.html
Yesterday was interesting because we got to see raging white male a-holes in (potentially) all three branches of govt (Trump of course and a shout out to Lindsey Graham for representing Congress in the triassvirate)
There’s a photo composite of Trump, Kavanaugh and Graham in full mouthfart spate. It speaks volumes about the current state of all three branches of US government.
‘Ralph’ is the sound often heard emanating from the youthful mouth mid-chunder, particularly during or after a student drinking contest. Also as emitted during a big spit, a technicolour yawn and a heave; not to be confused with a heave-ho, which is what friend Kav is currently getting from the US Supreme Court job-recruiters
The Kavanaugh case here is really one that says once you get into Yale, and then through Yale, you are entitled to anything.
It certainly dovetails neatly with the philosophy of President Pussygrabber.
See also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_McKenzie
Omar, no list of euphamisms for the drunken vomit is complete without my personal favourite; calling God on the big white phone.
The deflection is absolutely classic. ‘I can’t be an alcoholic because….’ There is ALWAYS some goalpost that can be moved further. No DUI, no firings, no convictions etc. etc.
Hitchens would actually blurt out the ‘I never missed a deadline’ cliché when his drinking was mentioned. Not that there weren’t plenty of times he’d have been better off NOT filing the story he produced under the wire.
It’s clear that Kavanaugh is a high-functioning alcoholic. Such people can hide their addiction from all but their closest family and friends for years. If anything is going to bring their problem into the open it is direct questioning about their relationship with alcohol, as it puts them on the defensive and causes some degree of panic because their biggest fear, that of being found out, has materialised. It’s why their answers to specific questions about their drinking tend to avoid the mention of alcohol at all, talking instead about their work, family, church, and so-on. Even when they do refer to alcohol when answering, it’s to make it sound perfectly normal, something evetybody does, hence Kavenaugh’s ‘Yes, I like beer, do you?’ This, of course, is to distract from the quantity and frequency of their own drinking by pointing out that most people like a drink now and then, it’s normal behaviour. The insinuation in the latter tactic is obvious; ‘I like a drink, you like a drink. We’re no different, you and I, so if I have a problem, you have the same problem’.
AoS, that last tactic you describe is certainly common. I’ve run across that with a loved one before. It led to some very hard, sober, conversations that were nearly relationship ending.
It was interesting following the comment threads in the locally reported versions of the Kavanaugh news items. I assume that most of the commentators were from NZ and Australia, but from time to time it’s obvious that we get Americans and I could swear some are Russian bots. So many people seemed to be convinced that he was in a court of law. They genuinely did not get that this was a job interview with no repercussions other than being publicly turned down for a job.
It’s certainly strange seeing so many people getting irate over a job interview, Rob, but the question is really about from where they get the bulk of their information.
The conservative media are, of course, playing down the job interview aspect and exaggerating the possible repurcussions beyond recognition. To hear them tell it, if the Democrat’s vile plot’ is successful he loses his career, his family, his oh-so precious reputation and possibly even his liberty, even though there is no chance of a criminal trial over any of the alleged (cough) offences for several reasons including lack of evidence of a ‘beyond reasonable doubt’ standard and the statute of limitations. Basically, they’re spinning the allegations as attempts to destroy Kavanaugh’s life and leave him with absolutely nothing, rather than as something that can sway opinion on his suitability for the job.
They do love to create a bit of melodrama, these Republicans, and they know full well that between them and the conservative media, they can spin a tale that the gullible masses will swallow whole.
Republicans playing the victim card! I blame Obama.
On the drink issue, I assume from what you said that your loved one is winning. I know how hard the battle can be, for both the drinker and those supporting them through it. My own problem drinker is now, after several relapses early on, almost seven years sober.
Well there is some chance at least theoretically of his being charged with perjury, because he’s done a lot of lying under oath. Unlike the assault, a lot of the other lies are very well documented.
Athena @ 2 – I’ve just seen another composite, this one a four-way – with the addition of Cruz.
OB @9, I thought the terms of reference for the FBI enquiry were too narrow to make that likely? Can the FBI initiate a criminal investigation of his apparent (laughs) lying all on their own? Under the current circumstances would they? It would be a brave manager who stuck their name on that memo…
Ah well that’s why I said theoretically. I don’t know if it would be actually possible or not – but there are a hell of a lot of prominent lawyers who are taking notes.
Acolyte @#4:
Ah yes, I remember that from my own student days of worship by the Porcelain Well. And God collected a few phone calls; reverse charges as I recall.
An Irish seaman I once knew made an interesting observation: “If you ate a quince pie and it made you crook, you would never touch another. But grog… You always come back for more.”
Hmmm. Not everyone. I got violently sick from alcohol twice during the initiation period, ages 17 and 18, and I pretty much did develop a permanent aversion to the strong stuff. I don’t think that’s entirely because of the ralphing, but it’s not entirely separate from it either.