AFTER President Obama's second term, I'd like to see the next Democratic president appoint ...

[Tx4obama]

President Obama to The Supreme Court.

When President Obama leaves office January 20, 2017 - he will be only 55 years old.

So, if a Democrat is elected president after Obama,
then Obama could still take a couple of years off and then if/when an open seat on the Supreme Court comes up he'd still be the perfect age for the seat

I believe that would make him the first person in U.S. history to be a U.S. Senator, U.S. President, and a U.S. Supreme Court Justice.

How cool would that be?

[Firebrand Gary]

1. I think Obama transcends the Supreme Court.

But I agree with your optimism.

[LooseWilly]

2. I think we should have middle schoolers compete to write a myth about how Obama achieves godhood...

They can frame it in the context of the Greek gods' struggle with the Titans, or the Hindu gods' struggle against the Asuras... or even just have him sipping the blood from the live hearts of Aztec sacrifices with Tlaloc on a tropical ziggurat... the possibilities are endless.

The important thing, methinks, is that we deify the man post-haste... before Republicans can come up with a framework for a "blow-job-impeachment" of some sort.

If Bill Clinton were a mythological character before, rather than merely after, the hearings... then maybe he wouldn't've been so persecuted.

Obama really needs to look to his mythicality...

[RZM]

3. While it's way too early to predict

I would go on record today saying that 2016 will actually be a Republican year, at least when it comes to the presidential election. You'll have had 8 years of Obama and I see no breakout Dem star on the horizon (remember in 2004 Obama was the one breakout star). Nor has Obama built a dynasty or cultivated a strong acolyte yet.

Of course, the Republicans might have their own problems. But while the Dems will be coming off of 8 years in the WH, the Republicans will be champing at the bit.

LOL. How ridiculous is it that we're already making predictions about the next cycle and this one isn't even in full swing yet?

[Tx4obama]

4. Maybe 'our next break out star' will give the keynote address at the 2012 Dem National Convention?

Ya never know

It will be interesting to see who President Obama picks to give the keynote this year.

[RZM]

5. Well certainly rising stars will be given a platform at the convention

But I can't really name any breakout stars . . . at least none that hit the way Obama did. Maybe Elizabeth Warren is the closest?

[Tx4obama]

8. Former Virginia Governor, current U.S. Senator, Mark Warner delivered the 2008 keynote address

I'm sure he won't give the address again, but he might run in 2016 - never know.

He sure is a lot younger and more saner than any of the GOPers running this year

[ellisonz]

7. Fuck that shit.

No Republican will ever be elected President until the crazy is gone...

[RZM]

10. Except probaby most people don't see them as crazy

That's perhaps the biggest flaw here at DU. While DU considers having conservative beliefs to be crazy, most people don't. First off, you have all of those people who are themselves conservatives. But you also have moderates who share some beliefs with the right and also some Dems (like me) who don't begrudge people solely for having different beliefs.

That being said, there's plenty of deserving criticism of the right out there. And plenty more for the Republican establishment. Some of the most scathing and effective examples of that actually originate over on the right, with this as the most prominent recent salvo:

http://nymag.com/news/politics/conservatives-david-frum-2011-11/

But the idea that the country won't elect Republicans because they are 'crazy' is itself crazy. It's pretty well divided down the middle, give or take a little here and there. It can go either way any given year, depending on the circumstances and people running. Just look at 2010. A breakout Republican star and a weak Democratic field and you've got 2008 in reverse. Not saying that's going to happen, but I don't think it's a good idea to get complacent.

[ellisonz]

11. FDR was elected 4 times.

I think sometimes a tidal wave comes along and changes the whole game. I think 2012 is going to be a tidal wave. I mean really, we'd have to really blow chunks to not be able to turn Romney or Gingrich into a massive fail for the GOP. I think we're taking back the House and are going to get a few more Senate seats. Look at the fear in Boehners face...they do polling too and it sucks for the GOP right now. I'm not talking about being complacent, I'm talking about taking the steel toes to the GOP ribcage.



Change you can believe in....

[RZM]

13. I doubt it

2012 won't be a landslide year. We already had those in 2006 and 2008. You don't get to just keep going back to the well every cycle, as 2010 showed. It probably will be a Democratic year. As usual, the Republicans are serving up losers for the presidency that even they don't like, so Obama will probably win, though not by as large a margin.

As for Congress, I don't really know. Scott Brown is probably gone, but that was kind of expected anyway. He was a fluke and I don't think many people expected him to last. I don't know enough about the other House and Senate races. My gut is that there will be gains in the House and we'll keep the Senate, though I'm not sure those gains will be quite enough.

[ellisonz]

16. Wanna bet $10,000 on that?

I think the GOP presidential candidate will be so pathetic and Obama and the Democrats so persuasive that GOP turnout will depress dramatically and we'll see a landslide. The anti-Obama polling is really soft support. The issues numbers are horrible for the Republicans. Like I said, FDR served 4 terms...and I think we've got more farm talent than it would seem.

We have 53 Senate seats

Senate pickups:

AZ - The Republicans have weakened here and we have good candidates.
Indiana - the Dems are running a 3-term Congressman. Mitch Daniels is unpopular.
MA - Duh
Nevada - it's going to be a shootout, but I think the Ensign scandal hurts.

I think we lose Nebraska - so I think that gets us up to 56 votes.

Israel: House ‘In Play’ in 2012

By Abby Livingston
Roll Call Staff
Jan. 18, 2012, 3:30 p.m.

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Steve Israel told reporters today that control of the House in 2012 is “absolutely in play.”

“I’m not saying that we’ve got the 25 seats that we need in the bank,” the New York Democrat said. “I’m not saying that the majority is a guarantee. I am saying that we are nipping at [Republicans’] heels, and we have the potential to overtake them over the next nine months.”

Israel also addressed House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi’s tall order of a 35-seat pickup in November — 10 more than would be needed to gain control of the House.

http://www.rollcall.com/news/israel_house_in_play_in_2012-211567-1.html

[vaberella]

12. Whitehouse? n/t

[Capitalocracy]

6. I still say Ralph Nader should be appointed to the Supreme Court.

But that's quite literally just me.

[Tx4obama]

9. Ralph Nader will be 78 years old a month from today.

That is way too old to be a Supreme Court nominee.


The 'majority' of current Justices were well under the age of 60 when appointed.

Current Justices here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Supreme_Court#Current_justices

The fifth column on the Chart on the link above shows their age at appointment.

Early 50s appears to be the median age.

[Bolo Boffin]

14. I don't know that he would accept it

Or allow himself to be considered, rather.

I really see him setting up his own NGO and giving Jimmy Carter a run for his money for best former president.

[WCGreen]

15. Taft was President and Chief Justice of the Supreme Courtt....

No Senator though...

[Tx4obama]

17. Thanks for posting that! I thought that one ....

of the ex-presidents had become a SC Justice but when I looked through the list (before posting my OP) somehow I missed Taft's name.