Joe Biden would nominate Obama for SCOTUS.

[Gothmog]

Link to tweet

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

1. Why?

And what makes him think Obama would even remotely consider the position?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

3. Why not?

He was asked if he'd be interested in nominating Obama and he said yes, if he'd take it. He wouldn't offer it unless he knew Obama would take it, which he might not.

[Gothmog]

25. Obama would be a great SCOTUS Justice

Last edited Sun Dec 29, 2019, 01:30 AM - Edit history (1)

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

26. I can't believe he'd want it.

Can you imagine how difficult it would be for a former president to take the position of the most junior associate justice - both for him and for the other justices? Biden was asked the question, and he said yes, if Obama would accept. What else could he have said? No?

[StarfishSaver]

39. I can't imagine him wanting it at this stage of his life

Once a person ascends to the bench, they pull a curtain of silence around themselves, almost like entering a nunnery or monastery. They no longer have the ability to speak freely or get involved in issues and activities to the degree they wish. That's why elected politicians rarely go on the Court - they have to give up much of the very essence of themselves that brought them to politics in the first place.

That said, I do think the Supreme Court would be something Obama would love later in life because, although he's an activist, he's also a thinker, analyst and philosopher very well-suited to the life of a jurist. He would love it. Just not yet.

I agree with you that being an Associate Justice would be a step down. But I imagine that when Roberts retires, if a Democrat is in office and Obama is under 70, he could be appointed Chief Justice, which would be a perfect culmination of his life and career.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

55. I think he'd be happier playing with his grandkids, if his girls decide to have them.

Barack and Michelle would be the ultimate grandparents -- doting, fun, and you know they'd spoil the hell out of their grandchildren. I don't think even a seat on the SCOTUS would compare to that experience.

Besides, Obama has already made his mark on the history of this nation; he might be thinking of taking a couple of years off. He doesn't need a lifetime job, much less one with a limited amount of contacts with the general public. I imagine him working on the world stage at some point, much like Bill Clinton is doing through the Clinton Global Initiative.

[StarfishSaver]

56. That makes a lot of sense

[Gothmog]

64. I still can see Obama doing this

It would be something that he is good at and would make history

The downside is that I would prefer a younger new associate justice

[Lexee]

5. I think it would be an aewesome lifetime position for Obama. Further,

The republicans could not very well say he is unfit. And Obama will go down in history even more so which will piss the right off. I like the idea.

[Hekate]

19. Of course the Repubs would say Obama was unfit. They said he's not even American...

They've been saying vile things about him for 10 years -- why stop now?

[Demsrule86]

31. And if we have the senate...they can pound sand.

[Hekate]

33. Fingers crossed

[Hassin Bin Sober]

20. Obama has purchased $20 plus million in real estate since he's been out of office.

I doubt he plans on living on a civil service salary.

[Demsrule86]

32. He doesn't have to with his book sales and all...

he could have property and be a SCOTUS justice.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

41. The upkeep, taxes, and insurance is probably a couple $ million a year.

That eats through wealth pretty quickly when serious new money isn’t flowing.

Also, they have a deal through Netflix and their production company. The Supreme Court obviously isn’t in his future. Unless we want a Supreme Court Justice tinning a Netflix production company.

The Obamas have big plans for using their production company for good. That would all go away if he sits on The Court.

[Demsrule86]

44. Obama has done very well...he could sit on the court and I imagine if asked he would.

No reason Michelle can't run the show too...the days of wives sitting in a corner waiting for men to support the family is over.

[mahina]

48. I bet between Barack and Michelle they've figured out

How to take their future on their own terms

[Hassin Bin Sober]

52. Yes and I betcha it doesn't include a $15 million dollar pay cut.

[Cha]

37. Well, President Obama wouldn't have to, would he?

[TidalWave46]

62. Why would he have to live on a civil service salary?

That makes no sense. Does the Notorious RGB. Did Sanders get his millions from his civil service salary(well, guess he kind of did)? Still, what you state literally makes no sense.

[dem4decades]

11. Biden was asked if he would and he answered yes. What should he answer? No?

What would that have accomplished?

[Loki Liesmith]

15. He was asked if he'd consider him.

What’s he gonna say? No?

[TidalWave46]

59. How did you miss fifty percent of a very short sentence?

Just amazing.

[NYMinute]

2. K&R

A really thoughtful and intelligent choice -- no republican can dare oppose. Brilliant

[pangaia]

6. EVERY republican would oppose....

[Demsrule86]

45. A big who care who they oppose? Do they care when they nominate the shite that we

object to. No they don't give a damn and neither should we...what now we need to let the right choose whom we nominate to SCOTUS? I don't think so.

[pangaia]

46. "...what now we need to let the right choose whom we nominate to SCOTUS?"

I never said that in my comment...

I just said every republican would oppose because the OP said 'what repub would dare oppose?"

[Demsrule86]

50. I wasn't implying you said that...just that we shouldn't care what the GOP thinks or does.

[Golden Raisin]

7. I think you're giving Republicans WAY too much credit.

If Trump/McConnell/Barr and their posse in Congress have taught us anything these past 3 years it is that the old norms and rules no longer apply.

[NYMinute]

9. There are a lot of Republican PACs and organizations

who care about their party maintaining power regardless of Trump.

They are the one who have compiled the oppo on Bernie and they will bury Bernie with his own words and actions.

[PoliticAverse]

4. Note that Obama has said in the past he has no interest in being a Supreme Court Justice. n/t

[ramen]

30. Thanks for the reminder.

No sense getting too riled up over a nonstarter.

[lordsummerisle]

8. I think Michelle would be an interesting choice n/t

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

12. Neither of the Obamas has ever held a position as a judge.

As far as I can tell, neither has ever done much trial work at all, either. They both have more than enough intellectual ability for the job but it's very rare to appoint someone to the Supreme Court who had not been a judge. William Rehnquist was one exception, but he'd been an associate AG in Nixon's Office of Legal Counsel. Elena Kagan is another exception, but she had worked as Associate White House Counsel, and later as a policy adviser under Clinton and eventually the Dean of Harvard Law School. While both of the Obamas are clearly capable of doing the job and would probably be good at it, I don't think they'd accept an offer precisely because they have never been trial lawyers, government lawyers or judges.

[lordsummerisle]

21. I said interesting, not likely n/t

[Polybius]

23. Elena Kagan turned out great

She's my second favorite on the Court after Ruth.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

24. I did point that out.

Rehnquist, who also hadn't been a judge, didn't turn out so well, though.

But that wasn't my real point anyhow. Both Obamas have been away from the law as a discipline for a good 20 years; Michelle hasn't had an active law license since 1993. I doubt very much that either would want to step into a position that would not only be outside their recent experiences but politically and personally awkward for reasons that can easily be imagined.

[babylonsister]

10. I don't think he's interested, but

that would be a dream.

[Mike Nelson]

13. Michelle would be...

... a great choice!

[George II]

14. Imagine when Biden wins if he had two openings and he appointed Obama AND Hillary Clinton???

[Lexee]

17. That would be fun. Not gonna happen, but a good little chuckle imagining it.

[George II]

42. Right. Hillary Clinton is in her '70s, and probably wouldn't want it.

[Loki Liesmith]

16. This is a deceptive tweet

Dude was asked if he’d consider it.

[Lexee]

18. Reading thru the thread, it is. I thought Biden had freely made the statement, not answer a question

[aikoaiko]

22. SCOTUS would hold Obama back.

I'm sure he'll be our greatest former president, but being a SCOTUS judge would confine him too much.

[James48]

27. Barrack? Or Michelle?

I’d think Michelle might enjoy that work too. She would make a fine Justice.

[at140]

28. Not a beneficial idea

because it would remove president Obama from any further political activity.
A SCOTUS justice is not supposed to do anything which smells of partisanship.
So why tie Obama's hands permanently from helping future democratic candidates?

It is not like the Obama's need a civil servant's salary to supplement their lifestyle.

[myohmy2]

29. "Joe Biden would nominate Obama for SCOTUS."

...I could go along with that...

...I would bet if asked, Bernie would match that offer...

[The Valley Below]

35. But what would Cornel West say?

[myohmy2]

36. hummm...

...one at a time?...

[ehrnst]

57. ...he'd have to actuallly win the nomination and then GE in order to do that, wouldn't he?...

... ...

[catchnrelease]

34. Not good!

I know Biden was asked the question but I think if he says anything about appointing Obama to any kind of position it will really incite the haters to come out and work against him with a vengeance. As much as those people hate Obama, any hint of a possibility that he might be in govt again could be a final straw for anyone thinking about voting for Biden. It would be same idea if he were to say he'd think about picking Hillary for his VP. Those right leaners would go back to the current occupant*.

When asked something like this, which sounds like a 'gotcha' question to start with, an answer that is more non-committal needs to be given. Like maybe 'My first choice would be Merrick Garland' or 'I'll look at a list of the most qualified and make my choice from that'. I don't know, I hate mealy-mouthed, vague answers as much as anyone, but you also don't want to turn potential supporters away with a more direct answer that you know could start trouble.

Plus, I think the Obamas are getting to enjoy their lives now and he has a great legacy in the bag. And I think they can do more good from outside of the govt now. Why would he want to get back into the DC meat grinder environment?

[Buzz cook]

38. To balance the court we would need the most liberal justice ever.

Unless we can get rid of Thomas for lying under oath and beer boy for sexual assault and lying under oath; we need a far left wing justice to balance out this right wing court.

[The Valley Below]

43. Seems like you are confusing "most liberal" and "far-left."

Hardly the same thing.

[Buzz cook]

49. Let me disabuse you.

The current court is the most illiberal in the modern era. It is also the furthest right. So calling for most liberal and furthest left are synonyms when calling for balance.

I realize that you have a knee jerk reaction against anything of the left. But try to keep up.

[The Valley Below]

54. Wrong. Completely wrong.

The furthest left isn't "liberal" by any stretch of the imagination.

[Buzz cook]

60. You are stuck on one definition

And one idea of balance. Try to calm down and think it through.

How do you balace against the right? By moving left. How does balance work? By having an equal counter balance on each side.

Trump has appointed 130+ judges. You won't balance them out with centrists.

[The Valley Below]

61. Calm down? LOL.

One doesn't "balance" the right by moving far-left.

For sake of example, if one takes a Nazi and adds a Communist together they don't make a liberal. All one has is two anti-liberal extremists. See how that works?

We don't need "centrist" Justices, or far-left Justices, we need good liberals.

[Buzz cook]

70. Take a communist add a nazi

Well an anarcho syndicalist would be further left.


So what kind of communist, because it makes a difference.
But yes you example does work. The Nazi is a slavish big business cheap labor racist. The communist is not any of those things.

Here's another point. In the United States there are many example of communists being law abiding citizens. While today we see hundreds of example of republicans breaking the law.

The sociopolitical belief that there will be an inevitable proletariat revolution is not an insult to the constitution. The belief that voter suppression is fine as republicans do is.

[The Valley Below]

71. Deflection. Your premise that if you take two extremists and you end up with something positive

is dead wrong.

All you get is two extremists.

[Buzz cook]

72. Denial is not just a river in Egypt.

You have no argument, only denialism.

[The Valley Below]

73. LOL. Sure.

Your premise is totally bogus.

Bye now!

[Joe941]

40. Obama is not qualified and he would be the first to say that.

This is not good politics Joe.

[Demsrule86]

51. He is absolutely qualified.

[Gothmog]

53. Presdient Obama was a law professor at U of C and is very qualified

President Obama was a law professor at the University of Chicago before he ran for Senate. President Obama is very qualified to be on the SCOTUS if he wants to do this.

[Hortensis]

58. Wow. Of course he is. In addition to having a fine mind,

a strong liberal personality, and genuine expertise in constitutional law, he's also an expert in the operations, legalities and issues of the legislative and executive branches. Before all that, he could have gone the standard route and clerked for a justice or headed straight for a top Wall Street firm, he was that good from the beginning, but he chose instead to work for peanuts and less prestige as a community organizer for betterment at the grassroots level.

[Turin_C3PO]

63. He absolutely is qualified.

C‘mon.

[book_worm]

47. "If he'd take it" is the qualifier. If he would I wouldn't offer him anything

but Chief Justice as William H. Taft had after his presidency. But, of course, that position is not likely to open up anytime soon.

[jrandom421]

65. I see oen BIG obstacle.

Since Michelle has said on several occasions that she's done with DC, who's going to be the brave soul to tell her that Barak is being offered a lifetime position in DC? Personally, I'd rather wrestle with several angry Republicans, than to be the person delivering that news to Michelle.

[Raine]

66. He was put on the spot it's

kind of hard to give any other answer.

[SharonClark]

67. Stupid question but good answer

[Gothmog]

68. MAGA Heads Explode After Joe Biden Hints At Nominating Barack Obama To Supreme Court

This makes me smile

Link to tweet

It would be hard for Republicans to hijack this Obama SCOTUS nomination
Nominating a former president to the Supreme Court would be an uncommon occurrence, but it has happened once before when William Howard Taft was nominated to the court by Warren G. Harding in 1921.

The potential Supreme Court nomination of Barack Obama, though unlikely, would be hard for Republicans to stop, even if they remain in control of the Senate following the 2020 election.

After all, Obama isn’t just qualified for the position with his experience as president and as a civil rights attorney and constitutional law professor, but he isn’t plagued with a sexual misconduct scandal like Trump’s most recent SCOTUS pick, Brett Kavanaugh.

[Gothmog]

69. This amuses me

Link to tweet