This week, the Sotomayor hearings have begun. I don’t know how much this historic event is on everyone else’s minds around the country, although I hear that only 43% of Americans even know who Sotomayor is. Which means most Americans could care less about the confirmation hearings. But I live in Washington, so it’s the talk of the town this week. Oh, and the talk of Tweeters the world over.
Since I can’t just watch TV all day at work (although I did keep CSPAN on in the background on mute for effect!), Twitter has been my primary source of coverage of the Sotomayor hearings. And really, when you have Twitter, who needs C-SPAN? I have learned everything I need to know about the Sotomayor hearings from the oft-loathed Twitter. Old media, you should be worrying.
Behold:
Day 1: Monday
10:54 am: LeslieBradshaw: RT @kbladow RT @blogdiva & @TheRootBuzz & @BreakingNews: An abortion protester was removed from Sotomayor’s hearing. #sotoshow
11:18 am: LeslieSanchez: OMG – who taught Sen. Schumer how to say #Sotomayor. Stop, please
12 pm: HumanFolly: What’s up w/ all the sports metaphors in the Sotomayor hearing? #sportsbias
12:13 pm: AnaMarieCox: Coburn endorses SS as “a better judge than some but not as good as others.” Well, said, Dr. Obvious.
2:32: mikemadden: Abortion protesters getting very half-hearted: Lady yells, “You’re wrong, Sotomayor,” but she was already on her way out of the room.
2:58: AmandaCarpenter: Sotomayor’s mom is crying. I remember Alito’s wife crying for much different reasons the last time we confirmed a judge.
3:04: AmandaCarpenter: #Sotoshow is over! Chris Matthews says he knows he shouldn’t say this, but he’s “feeling one of those thrills again” No joke.
Day 2: Tuesday
11:15 am: HowardKurtz: Sotomayor says Roe is settled law. That is a big deal. Most of the cable channels weren’t live and are now going back to it.
11:16: NishaChittal: Something tells me the right-wing blogosphere is going to go nuts over this “settled law” comment.
11:44: AnaMarieCox: #sotoshow DISCUSSION OF NUNCHUCKS FTW!
11:45 am: cbellantoni: Nunchucks sticks FTW! #sotoshow “If there’s anybody near you, you are going to be seriously injured.”
11:50 am: JonHenke: I only regret that David Carradine couldn’t have lived to see this. And perhaps testify. With nunchucks. #sotoshow
12pm: mikemadden: Reasons the media is dying, part 3,872: Can’t even agree on how to spell “nunchucks.”
12:23: MotherJones: Dem staffers are circulating rebuttal points in real time to GOP questions. War room in high gear. #sotomayor
2:15 pm: GottaLaff: Grassley: “People always say I have the ability to turn people on”
3:12 pm: jdickerson: Sotomayor about Obama’s 5 percent rule: “I wouldn’t approach the view of judging the way the president does.”
4:24 pm: stevemlucas I don’t know enough about NYC, but did Schumer really need to ask Mets or Yankees at a confirmation hearing? lol
4:43: rkref: Graham is wiggling in his seat like a little boy who needs to go potty. #Sotomayor #Sotoshow
4:44: rkref: What is Graham doing with these questions about 9/11. She lives blocks from ground zero, asshat. She wasn’t in SOUTH CAROLINA on 9/11.
4:46: rkref: Does Sen. Graham think she’s been nominated to be head of the CIA? DOD, perhaps? #Sotomayor #Sotoshow
4:46: mikemadden: Lindsey Graham’s questions to #Sotomayor were, basically: Why does everyone hate you? Aren’t you lucky you’re not white? Isn’t al-Qaida bad?
4:47: rkref: More misleading attacks by Graham. As a board member, she had nothing to do with the cases selected by the PRLDF or the briefs. #Sotoshow
5:52 pm: rkref: Roger Simon says Lindsey Graham was a condescending gamecock today bc Rush Limbaugh beat him up on his show. Pathetic.
Day 3: Wednesday
9:30 am: CitizenCassidy: Coffee + John Cornyn talking about white firefighters = #BreakfastOfChampions. #Sotomayor
9:45 am: rkref: Cornyn trying to get #Sotomayor to say “UNCLE” — disavow it! Repent! Sin no more! #Sotoshow
10 AM: rkref: #Sotomayor has two cups of clear liquid in front of her. One is water, the other vodka, depending on if questioner is GOP or Dem. #Sotoshow
10:15: OKnox: Wait a moment. I think @OrrinHatch may have just filed the first Senatorial tweet from the #Sotomayor hearings (Unless that’s staff).
10:30: mikemadden: Coburn: “Let’s say I’m 38 weeks pregnant.” Hell of a way to make an announcement like that, Senator.
11:30 am: OKnox: Lights flicker at #Sotomayor. Leahy: “That was not a comment from above. I have certain powers as chairman, but not that one.”
12 pm: cbellantoni: Things I learned today, #sotoshow edition: #Sotomayor a fan of Perry Mason.
12:20 pm: TheFix: Sotomayor: “I am not an expert in marijuana growing” Bullet dodged 😉
12:30: DavidCornDC: video of Sen. Coburn saying to Soto: “you have lots of ‘splaining to do.” http://bit.ly/2AjQqe #sotomayor
2:30 pm: jdickerson: Senator Coburn says “Americans want to see what your gut says,” but I though it was wrong to pick a judge based on gut?
3 pm: JDickerson: Franken makes first joke! Asks why Sotomayor– a Perry Mason fan– doesn’t know the one case he lost. “Didn’t the White House prepare you?”
4 pm: OKnox: Grassley now asking #Sotomayor to comment on merits of Defense of Marriage Act. She says matter is pending or impending b4 SCOTUS.
Twitter coverage of the Sotomayor hearings does lead me to wonder where the substance is, since you can’t learn much more from this than who made what dumb joke. But I think the point is that the whole event, from what I can see, has turned into pure political theater. Unless Sotomayor has a “complete meltdown,” as Sen. Graham said, she’s going to get confirmed. So all the TV, cable news, and Twitter hoopla is mostly for show. And for fun.
Politicoholic by Nisha Chittal 