Less than three days after the sensational charge by Christine Blasey Ford of abusive conduct toward her by Judge Brett Kavanaugh when the two were in high school, political scientists who spoke to Newsmax agree there is no immediate effect on his nomination to the Supreme Court.
"It's too early to make definitive predictions," Norm Ornstein of the American Enterprise Institute told us Monday morning, just as both Ford and Kavanaugh agreed to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee later in the week.
Henry Olsen, Senior Fellow with the Ethics and Public Policy Center, agreed.
"Right now, the allegation does nothing to change public opinion regarding Kavanagh," Olsen said. Those already predisposed to like or hate his nomination will accept or disregard the allegations depending upon their preconceptions."
Olsen added, "how both [Ford and Kavanaugh] perform in Senate testimony, and whether any corroborating or contesting information outside of the two witnesses comes to light, will determine if any major shifts occur."
Ford and Kavanaugh are now poised for the biggest clash of witnesses during a Senate confirmation hearing since Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas and accuser Anita Hill in 1991. A just-completed CNN poll showed public opinion almost divided down the middle on President Donald Trump's second nomination to the high court: 38 percent of likely voters say Kavanaugh should be confirmed and 39 percent say he should not.
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.