Oops!
You just knew that thought had to have shot across CNN reporter Randi Kaye's mind when she asked for a show of hands from a group of five Republican women in Florida about if they believe Brett Kavanaugh in regards to the accusations against him by Christine Blasey Ford. The reason was that all five women immediately raised their hands. As a result, for most of the rest of the interview poor Kaye took on the role of advocate for the accuser.
This segment was part of Thursday's Anderson Cooper 360 with the host introducing the interview:
ANDERSON COOPER: More now on tonight's top story, what Christine Blasey Ford's legal team wants as conditions for her testimony against Brett Kavanaugh. They want Thursday as the date not to have Judge Kavanaugh in the room with her at the same time, and questioning by senators, not outside counsel. Of course the question hanging over all of this will be about credibility and believability.
Our Randi Kaye spoke with a group of Republican women in Florida.
RANDY KAYE: A show of hands. How many of you believe Judge Kavanaugh when he says this didn't happen?
(All hands rise.)
WOMAN #1: I believe him.
WOMAN #2: I believe him too.
WOMAN #3: I do believe him.
WOMAN #4: I believe him.
Oops! And now more of the answers that probably made CNN quite uncomfortable:
LOURDES CASTILLO DE LA PENA: How can we believe the word of a woman from something that happened 36 years ago? This guy has an impeccable reputation. Nobody, nobody that has spoken ill will about him. Everyone that speaks about him. This guy's an altar boy, you know, a scout. You know, because one woman made an allegation, sorry, I don't buy it.
IRINA VILLARINO: But in the grand scheme of things, my goodness, you -- there was no intercourse. There was maybe a touch. Can we -- really? 36 years later? She's still stuck on that? Had it happened?
These answers seemed to cause Kaye to take on the role as advocate for the accuser:
KAYE: Why would she come forward if this wasn't true? Because it has basically destroyed her family. She's had to move, she's gone undercover. She's gotten death threats. So if she's lying, why come forward?
VILLARINO: She's also destroying his life, his wife's lives, his children's lives, his law career. I mean, why didn't she come out sooner if she's telling the truth?
Something that seems to have slipped pass the notice of Kaye. But now back to her role as advocate for the accuser by playing the woman's card:
KAYE: And as women, though, do you have some sympathy for her for what she's going through?
DE LA PENA: No, I have no sympathy. And perhaps maybe she at that moment she liked him and maybe he didn't pay attention to her afterwards and he went out with another girl and she got bitter or whatever the situation is. They're kids.
Oops! The women's sisterhood solidarity play didn't work so back to square one with a silly question that assumes the guilt of Kavanaugh:
KAYE: If it is true, would it be OK with you if he became a justice on the Supreme Court?
Another case of "facts first" CNN assuming a harvest of politically correct apples from expected answers but ending up slipping on a banana.
