Quote:
Originally Posted by PaulS
It might be the same outcome but it is also about optics. It looks worse. Let him nominate whoever he pleases, but don't vote him in. Looks better and will not be used against you to the same degree telling him not to nominate someone will.
I see at a min. 2 things happening:
Pres. Obama nominates an African American or a very liberal person. When the right votes him down, the left uses it to fire up their base (maybe even more so if the person is an AA).
He nominates someone considered somewhat moderate who the right has approved overwhelmingly (like the Indian guy??). If the right votes him down, the left uses that to say the right is just out to obstruct.
Could the right vote for a moderate (knowing Alito isn't being replaced w/another Alito) if a Dem. was winning in the polls and had stated they would vote for someone more liberal than whoever is on the table - maybe that would be the best outcome for them?
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"Looks better and will not be used against you to the same degree telling him not to nominate someone will"
If the Senate allows a vote and votes no, every TV station minus one will say that they are just a bunch of racist obstructionists. Optics are a tiny better, probably, if they allow the vote.
"He nominates someone considered somewhat moderate who the right has approved overwhelmingly (like the Indian guy??). If the right votes him down, the left uses that to say the right is just out to obstruct. "
To which the response is, "how is that different than what the Democrats did to Bork, because they confirmed Bork to a lower court". Again, only one TV station will bother pointing out that both sides do this all the time.
"Could the right vote for a moderate (knowing Alito isn't being replaced w/another Alito) if a Dem. was winning in the polls and had stated they would vote for someone more liberal than whoever is on the table - maybe that would be the best outcome for them?"
You're saying Alito, you mean Scalia.
They have little to lose by waiting until after the elections. If a Republican is elected President (decent chance if the nominee isn't Trump), and if the GOP keeps the Senate (likely unless the nominee is Trump), they would be able to get another Scalia in there.
If a Democrat wins the Presidency, and the GOP keeps the Senate, I'd ask the GOP senators to stick to their guns and demand that Hilary replace Scalia with someone similar.
If the GOP keep sthe Senate, then as Obama likes to say, "there are consequences".
There are some ancient justices on that court,m if the next POTUS i sthere 8 years, there could be a few vacancies. If there was ever a time for the GOP to NOT nominate Trump, it's now.
Not much going right for the GOP, we aren't getting any favorable bounces, that's for damn sure.