Standing at podiums beneath the proscenium of the Karen Hille Phillips Center for Performing Arts on the campus of Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, the candidates were asked how it is possible to take claims of sexual misconduct seriously while ensuring the protection of those who may be falsely accused. It was a question that touched on the primary concerns of both parties coming out of the confirmation process, laid bare after 51-year-old psychology professor Christine Blasey Ford accused Kavanaugh of assault — an accusation that Kavanaugh denies. And in what would become a recurrent approach throughout a very civil hour-long debate, both candidates tacked somewhat toward the center, rather than going to their corners in partisan fashion.

Counter to the persistent drumbeat of her party, Hutchison steered clear of concerns over false accusations. Instead, she committed her minute-long answer to claims that she has been a lifelong advocate for women, pointing to instances in her professional life where she says she fought for equal wages and fought discrimination.

Cantwell followed by doing what one would expect Hutchison to do: calling attention to false claims. After noting the national rates of sexual assault, Cantwell stated that between 2 and 8 percent of rape claims are falsified while stating that “we need to have a process for listening to them.” The point here, though, was that Cantwell found the process that was used to assess Blasey Ford’s claims wanting.

Hutchison said she had her own issues with how the allegations were handled, calling the hearings a “national disgrace” and — in the first of a few partisan broadsides from the former television broadcaster — placing that disgrace, “square at the feet of the Democrats.”