Kavanaugh confirmation process needs a good scrubbing

You have to pity everyone involved. This is like one of those science-fiction movies where machines rise up against people. In this case, the institution of government -- which is supposed to serve and represent constituents like Kavanaugh and Ford -- now seems determined to destroy them. And why is that? Because doing so serves the interest of the political parties. Kavanaugh and Ford are both collateral damage in this drama, which is being completely driven by politics and politicians.

People are asking why anyone in their right mind would accept a nomination to anything in this climate. But it's also fair to ask why anyone in their right mind would dare to speak out against a nominee to anything in this climate. Either way, you'll be raked over the coals.

Conservatives are not thinking clearly. Many reflexively shrug off every allegation against Kavanaugh. There ought to be a trigger number. For me, as a journalist who has covered many scandals, the tipping point is the number five. One or two instances might be explained away. But by the time you get to five, you're looking at a pattern. Besides, if Republicans are right that Kavanaugh is innocent and this is just politics, why didn't Trump's first Supreme Court nominee -- Neil Gorsuch -- meet a similar fate?

Liberals are also not thinking clearly. They tend to believe wholesale every woman who comes forward with any accusation against Kavanaugh. They do so, they say, because women don't make this stuff up or because the same thing happened to a woman they know. The hashtag -- #WhyIDidntReport -- is trending, as scores of women share their stories of being sexually abused or harassed. How long before we see another hashtag trending among men: #TheTimeIWasFalselyAccused?

Showers all around. But if the goal is to get totally clean, I doubt the country has enough soap.

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Ruben Navarrette's email address is ruben@rubennavarrette.com. His daily podcast, "Navarrette Nation," is available through every podcast app.