Why do Democrats and Republicans see Kavanaugh in such different ways? | Marc Hetherington and Jonathan Weiler

Given that sexual assault is not a political matter, the deep party divide is a sign of how partisan the US is becoming

Party polarization is tearing at the fabric of American society. The partisan reaction to sexual assault allegations against Brett Kavanaugh demonstrates how far the threads have frayed. An Economist/YouGov poll shows Democrats by about an eight to one margin believe that Kavanaugh committed assault, while Republicans by a similar margin believe he didn’t.

Given that sexual assault is not a partisan matter, the deep party divide suggests something both important and unhealthy. The Kavanaugh controversy might be especially emotional, but differing reactions to the exact same events are not rare these days. More than at any time in memory, partisans are more highly motivated to see the world the way they want to see it, rather than how it actually is.