See the New York Times Article here.
While I admire the Dowd family's love and commitment to each other, so much of this column is deeply troubling. I understand steering clear of issues that provoke family discord, especially at Thanksgiving, but all this speaks to the most superficial of relationships. Keep it all civil and make believe, like a John Wayne movie. When nothing deeper is possible, best to keep the peace. Kevin's support of Kavanaugh is a reversion to tribal loyalty ("be true to your school") rather than a transcendence of such a limited world view to something more inclusive. He "waits for the crazy to pass"? Exactly when does he witness elusive thing? We all are waiting for that, hoping for a radical change and sanity to prevail in elections two years from now (it seems to be taking hold, judging from the recent results). Finally, perhaps politics should not be "high up on your emotional scale," but if it is not a "determining factor in your life," I question what kind of life one is living. However imperfectly, our politics reflects our deepest values, and our political participation in the polity is the way we try to creat the world we want to live in. To deny the truth of this is to negate the very basis of this country. Thanksgiving (ignoring the stories of its provenance) is the to most sacred of holidays. A day to express gratitude for the foundational aspirations of the US--life, liberty and happiness for all. trump wants it for few. Happy Thanksgiving to all.