Sen. Blackburn's questions were really in bad faith though, I just listened to that bit of questioning earlier today and I feel much less like Jackson avoided answering it because she doesn't know what a woman really is and more because she knew that answering it in any way was just going to open her up to more attacks one way or the other. When Blackburn tried to go after her for writing
in a college paper that judges have "personal hidden agendas" which isn't even a controversial opinion, just an uncomfortable truth she really just embarrassed herself. It showed that she was not going in there with any sort of intention of allowing Jackson to win her over, she was just going to try to set her up with questions that didn't have answers that would alienate a significant part of the Senate she needs every vote she can get, and asking her what a woman is was obviously just one of those.
The way I see it, Jackson had three options.
- "An adult human female"
- "A person who identifies with a woman"
- "I don't think that this is the appropriate time and place to hash that out"
1 would have made me very happy, but it would have cost her at least a few votes from the Democrats and probably wouldn't win her a single Republican vote. 2 would have made me very upset, but it would have cost her what few Republican votes she might get, possibly some Democratic votes, and probably wouldn't sway any Democrats who weren't already on her side. 3 Made me feel annoyed, but probably didn't cost her any votes or gain her any votes. Tactically she made the right choice, though I can still wish she went with #1.