Steve Hilton: Kavanaugh hearing shows divisive Democrats must be defeated before they destroy America

Millions of Americans have been deeply and emotionally engaged by Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court confirmation hearing and the astonishing spectacle that unfolded in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

It is absolutely right to say that we are in a vital cultural moment. Ending sexual misconduct and the abuse, exploitation and harassment of women by men is long overdue.

For as long as I can remember I have done what I can to uphold the principle of gender equality – not just in my own life and behavior, but where I’ve had the chance to be an advocate or shape policy too.

But we are also in a vital political moment. Just as we're moving in the right direction on gender equality, we're moving in the wrong direction when it comes to politics.

And sadly, one party is overwhelmingly to blame. We discovered that Thursday at the reopened Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing for Kavanaugh.

I came away from watching the hearing convinced that both Christine Blasey Ford – who accused Kavanaugh of attempting to rape her when they were high school – and Kavanaugh are two good people caught up in an ugly war. Kavanaugh said repeatedly that he has never sexually assaulted anyone.

Before Thursday, I just disagreed with the Democrats. Now I'm frightened of them. They strike me as truly cruel. Calculating. Crazed with their own self-righteousness.

It was a small detail that gave the game away: the revelation that Sen. Diane Feinstein, D-Calif., did not disclose the sexual assault allegations to Republicans, the FBI and Kavanaugh himself for weeks after she was contacted by Ford. And on top of this, Feinstein recommended anti-Trump resistance lawyer Deborah Katz to Ford, who went on to hire Katz and her law partner.

Had Feinstein informed the Judiciary Committee back in July, when Ford contacted her, of Ford’s allegations, the public hearing of those allegations could have been avoided. The committee could have investigated the allegations privately and confidentially, as Ford requested, and there could have been a thorough FBI investigation.

This could have prevented the unimaginable pain and pressure on Ford, Kavanaugh and their families involved by airing the allegations that have dominated the news

But Feinstein chose not to do any of those things. And that tells us what her true intentions were. Now we know.

By holding a public hearing on Ford’s allegations in which she testified, Feinstein and her follow Democrats on the committee were preparing Ford for use as a political weapon.

And as a result, when I watched that hearing Thursday something changed for me. I woke up to the truth about today's Democratic Party establishment.

The Democrats remind us of the snarling authoritarianism we have seen abroad all too often. It is an authoritarianism I know well, from my family’s roots in once-Communist Hungary.

For the Democrats, this whole episode is not actually about women's rights. If that was the case, Democrats would be equally outraged about the alleged conduct of Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., who is also deputy chairman of the Democratic National Committee and is now running for attorney general in his home state.

Ellison’s former girlfriend has accused him of emotional and physical abuse. He has denied the allegations.

Nor are Democrats motivated by “social justice,” the “arc of history” or overturning the “patriarchy.”

This is all about overturning the 2016 election.

The Democrats fear that if they let President Trump fill the vacant seat on the Supreme Court, their power is lost for a generation or more.

So as they have now shown us, Democrats will pay any price to keep their power. Ford can be thrown to the wolves. Kavanaugh can be destroyed – after all, he's just a white male Republican.

Trust in the Senate and the Supreme Court can be casually undermined – as long as the Democrats win. Worst of all, the fabric of our society can just be ripped to pieces, as long as Democrats hold on to the biggest piece.

This has changed my personal view of Democrats profoundly. I try to be reasonable, positive and open-minded. I hate partisanship. I want to help build a populist movement beyond party, one that's pro-worker, pro-family, pro-community, pro-America. If you read my new book, “Positive Populism,” you will see that it is a long way from being a partisan tract.

But I have lost patience with the establishment Democrats. Their mania for identity politics is recklessly dividing this country: black against white, young against old, gay against straight, urban against rural. And yes, men against women.

The Democrats strike me as truly cruel. Calculating. Crazed with their own self-righteousness.

Before Thursday, I just disagreed with the Democrats. Now I'm frightened of them. Frightened because the mask was ripped off. Underneath all that pompous, sanctimonious, self-righteous preening about "social justice" and the "right side of history," they disdain actual justice.

Democrats have overnight abandoned one of the foundational principles of a civilized society: the concept that everyone accused of a crime is innocent until proven guilty.

In fact the Democrats remind us of the snarling authoritarianism we have seen abroad all too often. It is an authoritarianism I know well, from my family’s roots in once-Communist Hungary.

It is a frightening future if these Democrats and their approach are allowed to prevail. A future, to borrow from George Orwell, of a boot stamping on America's face – forever.

These divisive, dangerous Democrats must be defeated before they destroy America.