Sadly, this is not surprising after watching Republicans rally around Donald Trump despite all of the allegations against him.

I guess we'll see how well being the party of sexual assault defenders works out for them in the midterm election.

Here's former spokesman for Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal, Brian Robinson, on CNN this Saturday telling a stunned Victor Blackwell that there are "different grades of sexual assault" and that Brett Kavanaugh should still be confirmed even if the accusations against him are true, because what he did, if true, "is not a crime."

BLACKWELL: We are now just four hours away from the deadline Senate Republicans set for Christine Blasey Ford to decide if she will testify about sexual assault allegations she's levied against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. Joining me now for a breakdown on this and today's other political headlines, Tharon Johnson, the former south regional director for the 2012 Obama campaign, and Brian Robinson, former spokesman for Georgia Republican governor Nathan Deal. Gentlemen, welcome back.

Let's start. There are four points on which that we know that Ford's attorneys and Senate Republicans are on either side of on, so we'll see if we can get some of those solved here. Let's put them up on the screen. First, with the opening statement, Miss Ford would like to -- or Professor Ford would like a statement with no time limit. Do you think she should?

BRIAN ROBINSON, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Look, give her her say. I think Republicans have bent over backwards to make sure she can tell her story. So don't set any arbitrary rules. And obviously we don't want her to filibuster this. We have given her enough time. This process does need to move forward. But give her as much time she wants as long as it's reasonable. Let her tell her story because we're going to confirm him, he's going to be on the Supreme Court. And we need to get going on this. We've been more than fair.

BLACKWELL: You're going to, and I want to get to the other points, but you're going to confirm him, it doesn't matter what she says?

ROBINSON: Look, no.

BLACKWELL: Clarify that, Brian.

ROBINSON: More than likely he is going to be on the Supreme Court, right, because nothing that has even been alleged to this point, and I don't know why you would hold anything back, but nothing that has been alleged up to now is disqualifying from the Supreme Court. There's a reason what we treat 17-year-olds different in our criminal justice system than we do adults. Their brains aren't even fully formed. We have a lot of growing up to do when we are 17. We don't even know that this is true.

[...]

BLACKWELL: More than 400 days. Let me come back to this statement from you, though, that nothing that she has alleged has disqualified him from the Supreme Court. Even if it is true. Even if he sexual assaulted her when he was 17 and she was 15, that's not disqualifying. He should be confirmed?

ROBINSON: Look, there's one eyewitness to this and that witness says what she is saying happened didn't happen. Both have been named. We know who they are. They say that didn't happen. But this was not a rape. Everybody was fully clothed. Is it inappropriate? Absolutely. Is that how any young man should treat any young woman? Absolutely not.

But if we went back and put this in a larger context, they were 17 years old, no crime was committed. Something terribly inappropriate that we should teach young men not to do for sure, but this is not something for a 17 should disqualify them when they're in their 50s and have shown to be responsible adults. No other accuser has come out. And what I am looking for is a pattern of behavior. And if we haven't seen any other example of this --

BLACKWELL: One sexual assault is a give-me?

ROBINSON: As a 17-year-old, sexual assault is, look, there are gradations. There are different grades of sexual assault. And I think we need to be careful about criminalizing 17-year-old behavior.

BLACKWELL: And this is an acceptable level of sexual assault?

ROBINSON: I said it is inappropriate. It is not a crime.

BLACKWELL: All right, you have been clear about that. We can't press any more on that because you have been clear this is an acceptable level of sexual assault.

ROBINSON: That's not fair.

BLACKWELL: I've asked you that. You said it is not a crime. He was 17 years old. And it should not prevent him from being confirmed, even if he did it.

ROBINSON: If the story as we know it is true, this should not prevent him being confirmed.

BLACKWELL: OK, that's your position. We've tested it, and you still hold to it. Let's go to another one here, that she should testify second after Judge Kavanaugh. Why should he defend himself and then she'll accuse him? Why is that order appropriate?

h/t Raw Story