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A PARTY OF RICK LAZIOS.
Several GOP Senators, including Hatch, Kyl, and Sessions, attempted to faze Sotomayor through some pretty insistent questioning about her views on race. Sotomayor, for her part, was unmoved: Her calm, staccato delivery never wavered. Her composure made Lindsey Graham's reading of Jeffrey Rosen's laundry list of anonymous complaints about Sotomayor's temperament almost surreal--it's completely at odds with her performance in the hearings. Under prolonged questioning that suggested she was racist or biased, that her record as a judge was tainted by racial prejudice, or, in Graham's case, scolding her as a "bully," Sotomayor's tone of voice and calm expression never betrayed single flash of anger. She is, like the president who nominated her, not easily shaken.
Yet, it's pretty clear that the right is feeling triumphant about the Republican Party's performance in these hearings. I'm not really sure why--I think the GOP is wearing some pretty serious demographic blinders here. They're immersed in a like-minded crowd that takes satisfaction from the white male identity politics being played in these hearings, but they're unable to see how this plays to a larger, more diverse audience. I'm guessing a lot of professional women watching the hearing recognized Graham's gendered, patronizing "advice" ("Maybe these hearings are a time for self-reflection”) to Sotomayor regarding her "temperament." That's just not a tone of voice you using when speaking to an adult.
Despite what Graham seems to believe, Sotomayor isn't going to give the GOP of the satisfaction of losing her cool, which is probably the only thing that would draw attention away from their aggressive and occasionally rude questioning. Which leaves only the spectacle of a posse of graying Senators sounding like a Rick Lazio cover band.
-- A. Serwer
COMMENTS (7)
I'm glad to see you calling out Lindsey Graham for his incredibly condescending treatment of Judge Sotomayor...
I was listening on and off while working, and of all the questioning I heard, his was the most cringe-inducing for it's extremely patronizing and condescending tone of voice and attitude.
Posted by: AnonymousInMA | July 14, 2009 6:14 PM
Ooo, ooo, ooo! I know, I know why they're feeling triumphant.
It's because they have roughly the same diplomatic sense as a tribe of apes. They think bluster and posturing is the heart of persuasion or negotiation. The GOP Senators have, essentially, thrown out their chests and strutted around aggressively, and that's exactly what the right think's works.
*Why* they think it works, well... I have to admit I don't know. I've yet to see any figures on how many on the right are *actually* orangutans. I think it's a lot, though, since they're famous for denying any connection. They dost protest too much, methinks.
Posted by: V.O.R. | July 14, 2009 7:54 PM
In addition to losing the Latino vote, the GOP can kiss goodbye any other ethnic minorities, women, young people, rational men...
They'll be able to have their 2012 RNC convention in the party room at the Bubbaville Applebees.
Posted by: CParis | July 14, 2009 11:58 PM
Thank you so much for pointing out Graham's offensive attitude. Like many other professional women, I've heard that tone a thousand times before, and it never fails to disgust me.
Posted by: madmad | July 14, 2009 11:59 PM
Gosh, you are so right. The gentlemanly thing to do would have been to accept Sotomayor's desperate attempts to deny her own frequently made statements without betraying a hint of disgust for her disingenuousness. How rude of Graham. Especially after Leahy carefully explained to everyone at the beginning that Sotomayor is a saint walking the earth and no one is allowed to question her character.
If any of you seriously think that a male nominee would have been treated with more deference, you'd don't know much about Washington.
Posted by: Sanity Injection | July 15, 2009 10:21 AM
Really, "Sanity Injection"? Do tell me when someone told John Roberts he needed to take 'time for self-reflection.' I think it'd be quite educational.
Posted by: Persia | July 15, 2009 11:13 AM
Oh, maybe it's time for poor old Lindsey to do a little "self-reflection"...after all, the White Men's Club might not be so interested in having him as a member once he finally comes out of the closet.
Posted by: SKH | July 15, 2009 1:50 PM