ROBERT E. HEILER: Democratic Playbook’s Only Page: Division.

The current moment in American politics is large, consequential, and just another variation on the theme. This time, the arena of division is not race, but gender.

Remember the requirement for the emotional thread cited above: victimization by an identified class of villainy. If the arena is gender, and the requirement is a villain, then clearly the required crime is rape.

Enter Brett Kavanaugh. Never mind that he has had a huge number of successful female clerks, many subsequently requested by sitting Supreme Court justices and none of whom have a bad word to say about him. Ignore the dozens of women who have worked closely with him and characterize him as a gentleman. Do not credit the six extensive background checks already performed on him, which routinely include questions to associates regarding the subject’s alcohol use, and which have produced not a hint of sexual impropriety, or even subtle misogyny. The arena of division is gender. A rapist is required. Brett Kavanaugh is replacing a “swing vote” on the court and is a known conservative.

Seen from this angle, it becomes obvious why the atrocious circus we have all witnessed has come to be. The Democrats are, of necessity, trying to jam the square peg of Kavanaugh into the round hole of rapist.

If they succeed at it, we’ll get more of the same. Based on her statement yesterday, I’m not sure Senator Murkowski understands that.