US Supreme Court.

[nkpolitics1212]

The strict conservative justices are Gorsuch,Alito,Roberts, and Thomas. 4
The liberal justices are Ginsburg, Breyer, Kagan, and Sotomayor. 4
Kennedy is the swing vote.
Kennedy,Ginsburg,and Breyer cannot leave before the November 2020 elections.

[still_one]

1. In fairness, while Roberts is conservative, he is not an idealouge like Alito, and Thomas

Based on Gorsuch's background he most likely is an idealouge, but we won't know for certain until we actually see the decisions he renders. After all it was Roberts who saved the ACA

[nkpolitics1212]

2. How would the Republicans field if Clarence Thomas were to be impeached?

Democrats could make the Republicans believe that they are replacing Thomas with a strong white conservative, then filibuster any judge President Trump nominates until the 2020 Presidential Election when Trump wins the primary and loses the general election.

[Yo_Mama]

3. After today, there is no filibuster option. So if any justice leaves before 2018, Trump will get

another SC justice appointed. The GOP has the Senate majority at this time.

[PoliticAverse]

4. The filibuster is dead for Supreme Court nominees. Democrats wouldn't require...

a filibuster to stop a Trump nominee if they regain control of the Senate in 2018.

[Igel]

6. Nor would Senate (D) abide by their moral dicta.

If they claim on moral grounds that the filibuster is proper when faced with Gorsuch, no matter if they have somebody as partisan.

The polarization is such that intentionally abrogating one's publicly stated values for partisanship and revenge is now deemed the moral high ground.

The (R) do it, so the (D) have to do it.

[still_one]

5. Don't get me wrong, the repukes refused to give Garland a hearing. That and the

investigation of trump and his cohorts in possible collusion should be grounds that he should not be allowed to nominate any lifetime appointments until that investigation is cleared up, and if it means not allowing any lifetime judicial appointments until the next President, I am all for that. Unfortunately, the republicans insured that won't be the case

That is why 2018 is critical to stop this in its tracks

[FBaggins]

7. Kennedy is socially somewhat moderate

(at least - compared to the four conservatives).

However - he's solidly Republican on other issues and will have no desire to wait around for eight years (which is what it would take to get a different Republican president).

IOW - he's retiring pretty soon. It might have even been this summer if the current pick hadn't been a former clerk of his. My guess is that he'll announce his retirement early next year to be effective at the end of the term.

That makes Roberts the new mid-point of the court. He hasn't been all that the right-wing would have desired... but he's well to the right of Kennedy.

[Amishman]

8. this, Kennedy is still a republican

just a moderate one

he'll be retire before the senate can change hands.

I'm just hoping he hand picks his successor as his choice would certainly be more mainstream than that of the National Idiot.