Passing the Interview…

I logged into Facebook recently, and every post was on one thing: Brett Kavanaugh. Rightly so, I might add because these proceedings are carrying a lot of weight, for a lot of reasons. I have stayed out of the fray from the beginning, but felt I had to weigh in on this, but from a very different aspect than I have been seeing.

I am not going to talk about his guilt or innocence with regard to the women that have come forward. They need to be heard, for sure. I am not going to talk about what he did or did not do as a young/younger man, and whether “all boys do that” (which is such a cop out argument… how about training young men to be men of honor instead of excusing their behavior?)

Here is what I see. A man who is vying for the most revered judge-ship in the land. A man who wants us to believe that he will judge fairly, that he will uphold the laws of the land, that he will be impartial in his approach to matters that cross the court. That, my friends, is the job description he is applying for.

As he is applying for this role, “a case” is presented to him. This case, while not an official case, is still a case, for it involves a man who is accused of acting illegally with a woman. How does he respond to the case? Well, this candidate did not do what his job description requires. He dismisses the woman (and the rest that have presented their cases), digs his heels in, accuses her of character assassination and basically says, “I’m not going anywhere”. In other words, the case presented before this judge is not more important than the potential promotion he is about to receive.

Brett Kavanaugh has just shown us how he will occupy the office of Supreme Court judge.

That worries me.

It worries me because I am part of a group – one of many groups that has not gotten a fair shake in this country, legally. I would want someone who would not be so guarded, who would be willing to let the facts play out and would bring justice for all, but I don’t see that. I see someone that is out for himself, for his career and not for the myriad of people that represent this great country.

I have been a manager for many years and as such have had to interview countless people to add to my team. One thing that I have seen is that people put on the best front during interviews. They have been taught to say the right things,  to present the best light and to show their strengths. Makes sense, they are up against so many others trying to get that same seat. Somehow the interviewer has to get to the real person. The person behind the mask. Sometimes the way to do that is to give them scenarios in which they have to perform the job. This tells the interviewer not only the person’s ability, but their temperament, their fit within the team, and how consistent they were in what they said.

The scenario was presented to Brett Kavanaugh, and to me, unfortunately, he didn’t pass the test. He was given the opportunity to show what a fair judge would do, and he didn’t do it. Sure, he is in meetings today with Christine Blasey Ford, but why isn’t he calling for a delay to the vote so he can clear his name and prove that he is innocent? Why would he even allow the person trying to put him office to tarnish the name and reputation of Ms. Ford?

He is not passing the test.

Some people are looking at his actions from college and as a young man.  Others are looking at some markers that say there is more here that needs to come out. For me, it is all right in front of all of us. How he handles this issue tells me how he would handle my issues, and the issues of the rest of America.

Recently our country lost a lifelong servant in John McCain. One thing that will always stand out to me was how he handled a supporter of his during one of his rallies. She stood up and criticized Barack Obama, calling him a Muslim. McCain stopped her, corrected her and basically would not allow that kind of rhetoric to be part of his campaign. He gained my respect at that point, and you saw him display that same kind of honesty throughout the rest of his life. John McCain passed the test. I would hope that Brett Kavanaugh would learn from him.

Header image courtesy of Saúl Bucio on Unsplash