Conservative columnist describes Kavanaugh hearing as 'a frightful episode of white male anger'

On Friday, members of the Senate Judiciary committee heard final arguments ahead of a vote on Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation to the Supreme Court. Democratic members pleaded with their Republican colleagues to withhold their vote until an FBI investigation is completed. Republicans steamed ahead, certain that they had enough votes to ram through Kavanaugh's nominated.

The spectacle appalled even some staunch conservatives.

Writing in the Washington Post, Jennifer Rubin—a "never Trump" conservative—lamented the decline of conservatism evident in the hearings.

"Conservatism seems to have lost all meaning," she argued.

"The day after a gut-wrenching and at times infuriating display by elected leaders and a Supreme Court nominee, one might be left despondent. Can a temper tantrum by an all-male majority of the Judiciary Committee stifle a victim just as surely as a hand over her mouth?" she wondered.

"For now, yes. Has the GOP irrevocably given up on any semblance of fidelity to conservative values — respect for truth, comity, civility, decency, fairness? For now, yes. Have we seen a frightful episode of white male anger determined to prevent non-white-males from depriving them of their due? For now, yes."

She also had some words of hope for people sickened by the proceedings.

"For those who can only look on in horror at our politics, the issue is no longer “What are you?” (Republican/Democrat/independent, conservative/center-right/progressive); it is “What do you believe in?” If truth, decency, rationality, the rule of law, respect and empathy are your core values, find the people who exemplify those qualities and work to build your politics around those values," she wrote.

"Politics, after all, is nothing but the public expression and implementation of values."

She encouraged Americans to get to the polls.

"So the solution, as always, rests with the voters. Election Day can vindicate the values we saw trampled this week. They can bring fresh faces and new voices. America is not a lost cause, not yet," Rubin concluded.

You can read the whole column here.