What do politics and UFC have in common?

Did you hear about the fight that began after it ended?

Three million people paid to view Khabib Nurmagomedov fight Conor McGregor in an Ultimate Fighting Championship title bout Saturday night. A bitter personal conflict between the two has been brewing for months. After Nurmagomedov won, he climbed out of the octagon-shaped cage in which they fought and attacked one of McGregor’s corner men. Two men from Nurmagomedov’s camp jumped into the cage and attacked McGregor.

Did the verdict settle the hostilities? McGregor: “I always say you should aim for peace, but if you can’t get peace, you should aim between the eyes. This will never be over.”

The heart of the issue

The UFC fight feels like a parable for America’s political culture this morning. After the Senate voted 50-48 to confirm Judge Brett Kavanaugh, USA Today headlined: “Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court confirmation didn’t settle this fight. It ignited it.”

A petition to impeach Kavanaugh has now gathered over 125,000 signatures. Republicans are hoping the fight galvanizes support ahead of the midterm elections in November.

The conflict over Justice Kavanaugh’s confirmation was not just another example of the divisive rhetoric that has split America into “red” and “blue” states for years. Nor is the animosity solely due to the fact that a five-to-four conservative majority now sits on the Court.

Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, explained the issue succinctly yesterday: if the conservative justices do not overturn Roe v. Wade, “they will nullify it, pretty much.” She expects the new Court to allow more state restrictions on abortion.

And this is the heart of the issue.

When the system fails

American democracy, while exceedingly complex, can be reduced to this rather simple formula: Citizens elect leaders to represent them in the White House and Congress. Congress makes laws that the courts interpret and enforce.

If citizens are unhappy with their laws, they can…