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| How Americans Across the Country Are Reacting to Christine Blasey Ford’s Testimony | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Across the country, Americans tuned their televisions Thursday to the live footage of two lives, and two stories, brought together in Room 226 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. | Across the country, Americans tuned their televisions Thursday to the live footage of two lives, and two stories, brought together in Room 226 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. |
| After the TV countdown clocks ticked down to the 10 a.m. opening, Christine Blasey Ford came forward for the first time on camera to describe the night that altered her life forever, when she says a 17-year-old Brett M. Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her. | After the TV countdown clocks ticked down to the 10 a.m. opening, Christine Blasey Ford came forward for the first time on camera to describe the night that altered her life forever, when she says a 17-year-old Brett M. Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her. |
| Like the Watergate hearings, the O.J. Simpson trial, the Anita Hill hearings before it, the hearing on Judge Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination promised to collectively rivet the nation, with political history unfolding in real time. | Like the Watergate hearings, the O.J. Simpson trial, the Anita Hill hearings before it, the hearing on Judge Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination promised to collectively rivet the nation, with political history unfolding in real time. |
| While many people went about their days, other Americans watched in hopes of seeing, finally, a fuller portrait of Dr. Blasey, a Palo Alto University professor who for days had been mostly known from a blurry photo that showed her smiling, in a happier moment, behind a pair of wraparound glasses. | While many people went about their days, other Americans watched in hopes of seeing, finally, a fuller portrait of Dr. Blasey, a Palo Alto University professor who for days had been mostly known from a blurry photo that showed her smiling, in a happier moment, behind a pair of wraparound glasses. |
| They watched to analyze the work of Rachel Mitchell, a sex-crimes prosecutor from Maricopa County, Ariz., who was plucked from relative obscurity by Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee to question Dr. Blasey. | They watched to analyze the work of Rachel Mitchell, a sex-crimes prosecutor from Maricopa County, Ariz., who was plucked from relative obscurity by Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee to question Dr. Blasey. |
| They watched to see what might become of Mr. Kavanaugh — and whether he will soon ascend to one of the country’s most powerful positions. | They watched to see what might become of Mr. Kavanaugh — and whether he will soon ascend to one of the country’s most powerful positions. |
| Follow along with our national correspondents as they gather reactions from around the country. | Follow along with our national correspondents as they gather reactions from around the country. |
| The Democrat Women of Mercer County and others with similar sympathies decided to gather on Thursday morning to watch the hearing live. | The Democrat Women of Mercer County and others with similar sympathies decided to gather on Thursday morning to watch the hearing live. |
| More than a dozen people sat around tables and in plush armchairs at Cravings coffeehouse: mostly older women and men, retired schoolteachers and nurses, three college Democrats, some people new to the crowd and others who were steadfast activists. | More than a dozen people sat around tables and in plush armchairs at Cravings coffeehouse: mostly older women and men, retired schoolteachers and nurses, three college Democrats, some people new to the crowd and others who were steadfast activists. |
| They planned an afternoon protest at the local Republican congressman’s office, should the president fire Rod J. Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general. But first, they had to watch the hearing. | They planned an afternoon protest at the local Republican congressman’s office, should the president fire Rod J. Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general. But first, they had to watch the hearing. |
| During opening remarks, the spectators shared the commentary that passed across their phones and maintained a call-and-response with the senators who were speaking on the television set. | During opening remarks, the spectators shared the commentary that passed across their phones and maintained a call-and-response with the senators who were speaking on the television set. |
| “Don’t you have investigators?” | “Don’t you have investigators?” |
| “Because we don’t trust you!” | “Because we don’t trust you!” |
| Chris Renz, 57, had just moved back to the region to take care of her aging parents, and was sitting alongside Nancy Griffin, 72, a retired small retail business owner and longtime member of the Democrat Women. The two women had met for the first time that morning. | Chris Renz, 57, had just moved back to the region to take care of her aging parents, and was sitting alongside Nancy Griffin, 72, a retired small retail business owner and longtime member of the Democrat Women. The two women had met for the first time that morning. |
| “Do you believe he was a virgin at that time?” Ms. Griffin asked. | “Do you believe he was a virgin at that time?” Ms. Griffin asked. |
| “You can do an awful lot and still claim that title,” Ms. Renz said. | “You can do an awful lot and still claim that title,” Ms. Renz said. |
| When Dr. Blasey’s testimony began, the room fell into transfixed silence, but for the humming of refrigerators and the murmur of incongruously bouncy pop songs on the radio. The phone scrolling around the room came to a pause. Then the question-and-answer segment began, a few people left, the phones again came out, and the gathering briefly relaxed. | When Dr. Blasey’s testimony began, the room fell into transfixed silence, but for the humming of refrigerators and the murmur of incongruously bouncy pop songs on the radio. The phone scrolling around the room came to a pause. Then the question-and-answer segment began, a few people left, the phones again came out, and the gathering briefly relaxed. |
| “She’s doing great,” Ms. Renz said. | “She’s doing great,” Ms. Renz said. |
| She perked up when Senator Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat, began to ask Dr. Blasey why she waited to come forward, which, Ms. Renz said, was precisely the source of skepticism she had heard from those she knew. | She perked up when Senator Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat, began to ask Dr. Blasey why she waited to come forward, which, Ms. Renz said, was precisely the source of skepticism she had heard from those she knew. |
| “Women of a certain generation can’t understand this,” she said. | “Women of a certain generation can’t understand this,” she said. |
| — CAMPBELL ROBERTSON | — CAMPBELL ROBERTSON |
| Sitting together and chatting on a couch in a living room that overlooked a ridge of mountains, two conservative-leaning friends fell silent as Dr. Blasey began testifying. | Sitting together and chatting on a couch in a living room that overlooked a ridge of mountains, two conservative-leaning friends fell silent as Dr. Blasey began testifying. |
| This was the moment they had been waiting to see, that their families had been debating at dinner and they had spent days researching online. Roughly two hours in, they were not convinced it was enough to disqualify Judge Kavanaugh from the Supreme Court. | This was the moment they had been waiting to see, that their families had been debating at dinner and they had spent days researching online. Roughly two hours in, they were not convinced it was enough to disqualify Judge Kavanaugh from the Supreme Court. |
| “It sounds like it’s real to her, I can’t judge that,” said Susan Kennedy, 57, who watched with her hand at her chin. “I go back to: When you hire somebody you look at who they are now. Even if he was part of that, it’s not who he is now.” | “It sounds like it’s real to her, I can’t judge that,” said Susan Kennedy, 57, who watched with her hand at her chin. “I go back to: When you hire somebody you look at who they are now. Even if he was part of that, it’s not who he is now.” |
| “Her story sounds credible. But just because she’s had a credible story does not mean it’s correct,” said Louellen Welsch, 62, who watched with her arms folded. “I need to have a lot more questioning.” | “Her story sounds credible. But just because she’s had a credible story does not mean it’s correct,” said Louellen Welsch, 62, who watched with her arms folded. “I need to have a lot more questioning.” |
| Ms. Welsch and Ms. Kennedy were sipping coffee at the home of a friend, Tamra Farah, a conservative activist in Colorado whose husband unsuccessfully ran for the Republican governor’s nomination this year. The three had met in church about 20 years ago when they moved to this pine-filled corner of Colorado, and now reunited several times a year for wine festivals and to catch up on how their children and grandchildren were doing. And now, for this. | Ms. Welsch and Ms. Kennedy were sipping coffee at the home of a friend, Tamra Farah, a conservative activist in Colorado whose husband unsuccessfully ran for the Republican governor’s nomination this year. The three had met in church about 20 years ago when they moved to this pine-filled corner of Colorado, and now reunited several times a year for wine festivals and to catch up on how their children and grandchildren were doing. And now, for this. |
| Ms. Welsch recalled how she herself had survived multiple attempts at sexual assault as a girl and a young woman, and reflected on how some 30 years ago she had been forced to avoid a boss who made sexually charged jokes. | Ms. Welsch recalled how she herself had survived multiple attempts at sexual assault as a girl and a young woman, and reflected on how some 30 years ago she had been forced to avoid a boss who made sexually charged jokes. |
| “I have a problem with this coming out now,” she said. “I would be glad to have those people prosecuted. I want those people punished, not ‘I’m going to keep this secret.’” | “I have a problem with this coming out now,” she said. “I would be glad to have those people prosecuted. I want those people punished, not ‘I’m going to keep this secret.’” |
| As Ms. Welsch described what had happened to her, Mrs. Farah came over and hugged her. | As Ms. Welsch described what had happened to her, Mrs. Farah came over and hugged her. |
| The friends criticized the Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee, saying they were grandstanding and were using Dr. Blasey’s testimony merely as a political weapon to block Judge Kavanaugh’s confirmation. Exasperated, they urged the senators to stop talking and allow Dr. Blasey to testify. | The friends criticized the Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee, saying they were grandstanding and were using Dr. Blasey’s testimony merely as a political weapon to block Judge Kavanaugh’s confirmation. Exasperated, they urged the senators to stop talking and allow Dr. Blasey to testify. |
| But as the questions continued, Mrs. Farah said the testimony was not providing her any certainty about what happened to Dr. Blasey in 1982. | But as the questions continued, Mrs. Farah said the testimony was not providing her any certainty about what happened to Dr. Blasey in 1982. |
| “We’re back to ‘he said, she said,’” Mrs. Farah said. “There’s no way to prove it.” | “We’re back to ‘he said, she said,’” Mrs. Farah said. “There’s no way to prove it.” |
| Ms. Kennedy said it was clear that Dr. Blasey was legitimately shaken. | Ms. Kennedy said it was clear that Dr. Blasey was legitimately shaken. |
| “I’m not going to deny that it was terrible in her mind,” Ms. Kennedy said. “I just think too much time has passed and there’s too much good information to support him.” | “I’m not going to deny that it was terrible in her mind,” Ms. Kennedy said. “I just think too much time has passed and there’s too much good information to support him.” |
| — JACK HEALY | — JACK HEALY |
| Even as the hearing drew rapt audiences elsewhere, it was barely perceptible at the Raleigh-Durham International Airport in North Carolina. | Even as the hearing drew rapt audiences elsewhere, it was barely perceptible at the Raleigh-Durham International Airport in North Carolina. |
| The television sets at Terminal 1’s A.C.C. American Cafe remained fixed on ESPN’s channels, and the gate area for a Southwest Airlines flight to Atlanta was empty of people who were conspicuously watching the proceedings in the capital. | The television sets at Terminal 1’s A.C.C. American Cafe remained fixed on ESPN’s channels, and the gate area for a Southwest Airlines flight to Atlanta was empty of people who were conspicuously watching the proceedings in the capital. |
| The most noticeable sign of the embattled nomination was on a newspaper rack midway through the terminal, where The News & Observer featured a large photo of Judge Kavanaugh. | The most noticeable sign of the embattled nomination was on a newspaper rack midway through the terminal, where The News & Observer featured a large photo of Judge Kavanaugh. |
| But one passenger, a woman from the Raleigh area named Judy who declined to give her last name, said she planned to use the in-flight WiFi to watch the hearing. | But one passenger, a woman from the Raleigh area named Judy who declined to give her last name, said she planned to use the in-flight WiFi to watch the hearing. |
| “I’m just curious to see why she waited so long,” she said, referring to Dr. Blasey. “I’m interested in why so long and what she has to say.” | “I’m just curious to see why she waited so long,” she said, referring to Dr. Blasey. “I’m interested in why so long and what she has to say.” |
| As they settled into their seats for a short flight from Raleigh to Atlanta, a few women watched the hearing on their cellphones. Their eyes were trained on their screens, not the parade of still-boarding passengers. | As they settled into their seats for a short flight from Raleigh to Atlanta, a few women watched the hearing on their cellphones. Their eyes were trained on their screens, not the parade of still-boarding passengers. |
| — ALAN BLINDER | — ALAN BLINDER |