The Supreme Court, bastion of conservatism

[Non Sequitur]

More like they were leaning Biden or opting out, but are now leaning trump. But I know several. Heck, I might be one of them.

Say it isn't so. I have a strict policy of allowing myself to like people that support Trump, but I do not allow myself to respect anyone who supports Trump. I both like and respect you, and it would mean tinkering with my policy, which is a lot of bother.

[All-American]

Say it isn't so. I have a strict policy of allowing myself to like people that support Trump, but I do not allow myself to respect anyone who supports Trump. I both like and respect you, and it would mean tinkering with my policy, which is a lot of bother.

I am very proud not to have voted for trump the first go around and had no intention of voting for him this time either.

But today, I had several interactions with colleagues from law school that really troubled me. Bottom line is, if republicans fill the vacancy, a large number of democrats intend to put court packing into play. I want to believe they don’t really mean that but I’ve yet to hear anyone disavow it.

I started off presumptively being okay with Biden because he might bring some semblance of balance and normalcy to the office. But if he is taking orders from people that will get their way or burn it to the ground if they ever come back into power, maybe we really should be fighting like mad to keep them from getting into power.

(By the way, whether I vote for Biden or not, I’ll let you down sooner or later.)

[SCcoug]

It would be one of the greatest, most blatant acts of political hypocrisy in history.

Mitt has vowed to wait on a vote. Good for him.

I don't think he's said one way or another.

[SCcoug]

I am very proud not to have voted for trump the first go around and had no intention of voting for him this time either.

But today, I had several interactions with colleagues from law school that really troubled me. Bottom line is, if republicans fill the vacancy, a large number of democrats intend to put court packing into play. I want to believe they don’t really mean that but I’ve yet to hear anyone disavow it.

I started off presumptively being okay with Biden because he might bring some semblance of balance and normalcy to the office. But if he is taking orders from people that will get their way or burn it to the ground if they ever come back into power, maybe we really should be fighting like mad to keep them from getting into power.

(By the way, whether I vote for Biden or not, I’ll let you down sooner or later.)

Expanding the court was on the table before RBG passed.

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[Northwestcoug]

I am very proud not to have voted for trump the first go around and had no intention of voting for him this time either.

But today, I had several interactions with colleagues from law school that really troubled me. Bottom line is, if republicans fill the vacancy, a large number of democrats intend to put court packing into play. I want to believe they don’t really mean that but I’ve yet to hear anyone disavow it.

I started off presumptively being okay with Biden because he might bring some semblance of balance and normalcy to the office. But if he is taking orders from people that will get their way or burn it to the ground if they ever come back into power, maybe we really should be fighting like mad to keep them from getting into power.

(By the way, whether I vote for Biden or not, I’ll let you down sooner or later.)

I’m not necessarily looking for a response here. I suppose that your line in the sand is packing the court. I respect that, and I hope it doesn’t happen. I think it would be a pointless escalation, and would surely be followed by some other attack on tradition in what is increasingly looking like the US’s decline as a country.

We all have our lines in the sand. Trump has crossed my lines so many times it has become exhausting and demoralizing. I think your worry about Biden being controlled by the left wing of his party is a valid concern. But I don’t see how this hypothetical outweighs what we already know about Trump, and what he will likely do with four more years to complete his legacy.

[Jeff Lebowski]

I don't think he's said one way or another.

Correct. Several sources were saying that he had taken a position, but his office squashed the rumor:

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But I would be shocked if he does otherwise.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska:

“I would not vote to confirm a Supreme Court nominee. We are 50 some days away from an election,”

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine:

“Given the proximity of the presidential election, however, I do not believe that the Senate should vote on the nominee prior to the election,” Collins tweeted. “In fairness to the American people who will either be re-electing the President or selecting a new one, the decision on a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court should be made by the President who is elected on November 3rd.”

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, in 2018, when questioned by Fox News if he would support a nomination in the last year of Trump's term

"If I'm chairman they won't take it up. Because I pledged that in 2016. That's a decision I made a long time ago."

But the current chairman is Lindsay Graham. This is what he said a few years ago:

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But he seems to have sold his soul, so that promise is pretty much worthless.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Hyperbole much?

This is a not a #whatabout situation. I am struggling to think of a different case that is so black and white, so objectively clear with precisely the same actors involved and precisely the same set of circumstances. And the stakes are huge.

[USUC]

This is a not a #whatabout situation. I am struggling to think of a different case that is so black and white, so objectively clear with precisely the same actors involved and precisely the same set of circumstances. And the stakes are huge.

Hey, I agree with you on the hypocrisy. It's clear it was politics when McConnell made the justification in 2016 so he really has no one else to blame but himself.

But I find myself getting more (annoyingly?) pedantic about the unnecessarily imprecise and hyperbolic language being used to describe politics right now. Nazis, socialists, racists, dictator, unprecedented, etc. This makes it so much more difficult to have constructive arguments. If we narrowed down the category from examples of "political hypocrisy in history" to "political hypocrisy in senate judicial proceedings" then sure.

[Northwestcoug]

This is a not a #whatabout situation. I am struggling to think of a different case that is so black and white, so objectively clear with precisely the same actors involved and precisely the same set of circumstances. And the stakes are huge.

Don’t worry. Lindsay Graham has a legit reason to go back on his word:

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His word is his bond, unless the other side starts playing rough. Integrity!

[Jeff Lebowski]

Hey, I agree with you on the hypocrisy. It's clear it was politics when McConnell made the justification in 2016 so he really has no one else to blame but himself.

But I find myself getting more (annoyingly?) pedantic about the unnecessarily imprecise and hyperbolic language being used to describe politics right now. Nazis, socialists, racists, dictator, unprecedented, etc. This makes it so much more difficult to have constructive arguments. If we narrowed down the category from examples of "political hypocrisy in history" to "political hypocrisy in senate judicial proceedings" then sure.

Lol. Yes, that is pedantic.

Still waiting on some counter examples.

[All-American]

Interesting read.

https://www.nationalreview.com/2020/08/history-is-on-the-side-of-republicans-filling-a-supreme-court-vacancy-in-2020/?fbclid=IwAR1NFlCb02EsWfvs5yQQc8apwmiFNXc9suaEjVqwuwvTpOWZj6FyE-H-rOI

[Moliere]

The Supreme Court, bastion of conservatism

So you guys are telling me that a politician is going to break a promise they made?


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[USUC]

Lol. Yes, that is pedantic.

Still waiting on some counter examples.

I don't know what to tell you if you look back in US political history and think this is one of the worst examples of hypocrisy. This is small potatoes compared to:

- the Constitution and designation of slaves as less than human
-Broken treaties with native americans
-Woodrow Wilson's promise not to get into WWI

Etc, etc, etc, etc...

[Jeff Lebowski]

I don't know what to tell you if you look back in US political history and think this is one of the worst examples of hypocrisy. This is small potatoes compared to:

- the Constitution and designation of slaves as less than human
-Broken treaties with native americans
-Woodrow Wilson's promise not to get into WWI

Etc, etc, etc, etc...

Well as long as we are being pedantic, I’m not so sure I would apply that label to all of those cases. But If you have to dig that deep for points of comparison, that kind of makes my point.

I am not saying this is a case with the highest stakes. I am saying it is one of the most egregious black and white cases of hypocrisy I can think of.

This will be really interesting to watch in cases were senators are in a tight battle for reelection. Lots of people doing political calculus right now.

[USUC]

Well as long as we are being pedantic, I’m not so sure I would apply that label to all of those cases. But If you have to dig that deep for points of comparison, that kind of makes my point.

I am not saying this is a case with the highest stakes. I am saying it is one of the most egregious black and white cases of hypocrisy I can think of.

This will be really interesting to watch in cases were senators are in a tight battle for reelection. Lots of people doing political calculus right now.

Fair point. Collins and Murkowski have already said they won't vote. Grassley probably wouldn't either. And who knows where Mitt really is. If there isn't enough votes, I'm not sure Trump would take such a public L right before an election, despite what Mcconnell wants. I would wager that someone is nominated and Trump will make it a campaign issue. I personally know 3 people in battle ground states who weren't voting for Trump but now are wavering.