Hirono’s philosophy when it comes to judges is on full display. She attempts to assert that gay marriage would not have been legalized had judges followed “originalism.” Now, I’m not sure of the legal merits of that claim (as far as whether originalism was a deterrent instead of other factors) but it’s a blatant admission that she wants her judges to be partisans who legislate from the bench. In fact, it’s an admission she wants her judges to have no limiting principles whatsoever. Call it the “wise Latina” standard set by Justice Sotomayor, who is very open about the fact that she rules based on the idea of “justice” and impact instead of what the law actually says.

Hirono, in this case, gets very angry when Cruz points out her ridiculous notion, claiming that he was “mansplaining” to her. It’s one of the more cringe moments in the video, akin to your grandmother trying to sing rap lyrics. Cruz then ties her in knots by asking her to note exactly what he mischaracterized about her silly rant.