However, from my perspective it appears the R's avoided their responsibility to fully attempt to determine whether Ford was a credible accuser.
This may be excusable and warrant R acceptance if the vote for confirmation is a slam dunk; i.e. there would be no necessity for a bloody mess with R fingerprints.
In essence, the committee brought in a mediator, albeit one with a confrontational and somewhat biased tone. (That would also explain why Mitchell would give Ford an "Ok" after most of her responses.)
on one hand, the use of a mediator in such committee procedures may be a step forward. On the other, this may have been a missed, important opportunity to give future character assassins pause for concern.
They are not watching. They are in Character Assassination school. 99% of the American public will never do what Ford (and the rest) just did. No need to send any lessons their way. The more important goal in this hearing was to be fair for poltical apperances.