2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumFrom Karl Rove
This is one of the most important elections in our lifetimes.
The White House and our Republican Senate majority, the ideological balance of the U.S. Supreme Court and the future of the conservative agenda for Americas next generation are all at stake this year.
If the Democrats win, a President Hillary Clinton and a Democrat-run Senate will transform the Supreme Court into a rubber stamp for their leftist agenda.
This would be an absolute nightmare.
This election is so important.
We only have 6 weeks left until Election Day.
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Yea, he sums it up nicely why we must all vote and work as hard as we can to elect Hillary and a Democratic Senate in six weeks. Even if you don't like her, think of the alternative.
tonyt53
(5,737 posts)Siwsan
(26,289 posts)Yonnie3
(17,483 posts)JHB
(37,161 posts)"Do not blame me! Do not blame me! I didn't do it, nobody saw me do it!"
Thus speaketh MC Rove
C_U_L8R
(45,020 posts)They've got nothing except
scaring the bejeezus out of their base
(who will believe any old conspiracy)
BlueStreak
(8,377 posts)It is very likely that these justices would retire or expire during that 8 years:
Scalia, already gone, seat vacant
Ginsberg would be 91, SC hero, will probably resign early if Clinton wins
Kennedy would be 88, Reagan appointee, least RW of the RW mob
Breyer would be 86, Clinton appointee very progressive.
The above 4 almost certainly would be replaced within 8 years, but they are 3 of the more moderates, so only Scalia's seat would represent a real shift. Kennedy's would be maybe half a seat in terms of shift.
Those are the oldest ones. Other openings are less likely, but certainly anything can happen.
Thomas would be 76, GHW Bush appointee, completely worthless and an automatic RW vote.
Alito would be 74, W appointee, automatic far right vote
Roberts would be 69, and becomes a most interesting case. Let's say Kennedy, Alito, or Thomas is replaced (in addition to Scalia) That leaves the right wing having only 2 plus Roberts. Roberts has show signs of being a pragmatist. It just isn't much of a legacy of a Chief Justice to consistently be on the losing end of cases. Roberts would be highly motivated to try to get cases steered at least to the middle so that he could claim to be leading the court. In in effect, that would be like picking up half a seat.
In other words, if we can control POTUS for 8 years, it is very reasonable to shift it at least to the center, if not slightly progressive. The fly in the ointment is that if we don't control the Senate, then it will be hard to get very progressive appointees confirmed.