Why didn’t she file charges earlier? That is the endlessly predictable accusation offered by those who don't want to believe a sexual assault victim. The Abuser in Chief came out with that accusation today, of course. The man that 13 women credibly accused of sexual assault is defending a man who is being credibly accused of sexual assault.
The answer is obvious - fear.
The sexual assault victim is traumatized twice. The first time when the assault happens - a rape, or in this case an attempted rape. Make no mistake. This is a traumatic event that the woman will never forget. The assaulter may think it was no big deal, but the assaulted has been humiliated, wounded, damaged, and can't stop remembering.
The second time the sexual assault victim is traumatized is when she makes the assault public. The reaction is inevitable, and terrible for the assault victim - why didn't you come out earlier? what were you wearing? had you been drinking? wasn't it your fault? how many men have you had sex with? aren't you just a disgusting low life slut? and in this case, what political party do you belong to?
Actually, there are multiple other times the assault victim is traumatized, and that is every time she or he sees their assaulter lauded in society, or promoted, or honored as some kind of good person. The assaulted knows better and has to relive the memories each time the assaulter shows up in his or her world. Dr Ford had to endure watching her assaulter be glorified by - Christians? - for his high moral character as he climbed his way up the Republican and judicial ladders. The Supreme Court was apparently a ladder too high for her to remain silent.
There are two things that make it clear to me that Christine Blasey Ford should be believed. First, she has so much more to lose than gain by having her good name exposed. She has already received death threats. She has had her home address published on line by the haters and had to move her family. She will forever be known for one thing - being a victim of a rape attempt. She will be suspected as being sexually promiscuous and irresponsible.
The second thing that makes me believe her is that she did not say that this happened to her, but she said it happened to her and there was a second person in the room. A witness. A witness who was Kavanagh's friend. That is not just a she said he said. Naming a witness would be way too dangerous for her to say if it was just made up.
So, I believe Dr. Ford.
Trump was given a list of about 20 hand selected judges known and trusted to be anti-abortion and pro-gun by his evangelical base supporters. He can pull the Kavanagh nomination and put in another trusted judge. But he won't for two reasons.
First, of course, the Abuser in Chief never admits a mistake and never backs down.
Second, and by far the most important thing, he sees Kavanaugh as his get out of jail free card. Kavanaugh is on record as writing that a sitting president shouldn't be indicted. This is by far the most important thing to the Criminal in Chief.
Trump will force the Reps to confirm Kavanaugh. The abused women of America are watching (and one of the surprising revelations of the MeToo Movement is that a vast majority of women in America can say ME TOO!) and they will vote.
We may be watching the Fat Old White Men driving the Grand Old Party off the cliff. If so, good riddance to this amazing level of corruption that Trump has brought to our government with the full cooperation and approval of Trump voters and the frightened little men in the House and the Senate. Mustn't upset the Trumpsters, you know. The elected Reps just swallow any dignity they may have and go along with El Trumpe.
They may think that eventually Trump will be gone and they can go back to being the amazingly courageous people they think themselves to be, but I think that once one has thrown one's dignity and character away, one may never get it back.
