It's a curious pick in some ways. Some won't love it.
1. He's a white male so he doesn't improve diversity.
2. His reputation is a moderate not a liberal.
3. He's kind of old at 63 for a SJC nominee. Normally a President wants someone younger to have a longer term impact.
He certainly seems to be highly qualified and very well liked. Chris Hayes:
"Garland is, of course, *massively* well-respected. One of the top, if not *the* top "feeder judge" of clerks up to SCOTUS."
https://twitter.com/chrislhayes/status/710106281642565632
"I'm friends with a number of Garland's former clerks, who have *tremendous* respect, admiration and affection for him."
https://twitter.com/chrislhayes/status/710107305115656193
1. He's a white male so he doesn't improve diversity.
2. His reputation is a moderate not a liberal.
3. He's kind of old at 63 for a SJC nominee. Normally a President wants someone younger to have a longer term impact.
He certainly seems to be highly qualified and very well liked. Chris Hayes:
"Garland is, of course, *massively* well-respected. One of the top, if not *the* top "feeder judge" of clerks up to SCOTUS."
https://twitter.com/chrislhayes/status/710106281642565632
"I'm friends with a number of Garland's former clerks, who have *tremendous* respect, admiration and affection for him."
https://twitter.com/chrislhayes/status/710107305115656193
Megan R. Wilson replies to him:
@chrislhayes I'm a nerd for the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit anyway, but I love reading his snarky decisions."
https://twitter.com/misswilson/status/710107584922062848
But given his age, there's considerably less downside to him having a torturous and ultimately unsuccessful nominating process."
https://twitter.com/chrislhayes/status/710106664716804097
"Knee-jerk response to Garland nom is that it's tacit acknowledgment nom prob won't get vote and don't want to damage younger goods."
https://twitter.com/chrislhayes/status/710105149470023680
Jeffrey Toobin: I was right! Sri is still the nominee in waiting!'
https://twitter.com/JeffreyToobin/status/710106304648486914
So, Garland is probably the sacrificial lamb. But he doesn't sound like a bad guy anyway.
The GOP will look doubly petty when they refuse to even give him a look.
P.S. It's all relative anyway. Even if Garland is not the most liberal judge in the world, trading a moderate for Antonin Scalia is a seismic ideological shift for the Court.
They won't be overturning any more clauses in the Voting Rights Act at this rate.
Meanwhile, HRC is now over two thirds likely to win Presidency after last night-about a 5 percent jump after her Royal Flush.
https://electionbettingodds.com/week.html
https://twitter.com/misswilson/status/710107584922062848
But given his age, there's considerably less downside to him having a torturous and ultimately unsuccessful nominating process."
https://twitter.com/chrislhayes/status/710106664716804097
"Knee-jerk response to Garland nom is that it's tacit acknowledgment nom prob won't get vote and don't want to damage younger goods."
https://twitter.com/chrislhayes/status/710105149470023680
Jeffrey Toobin: I was right! Sri is still the nominee in waiting!'
https://twitter.com/JeffreyToobin/status/710106304648486914
So, Garland is probably the sacrificial lamb. But he doesn't sound like a bad guy anyway.
The GOP will look doubly petty when they refuse to even give him a look.
P.S. It's all relative anyway. Even if Garland is not the most liberal judge in the world, trading a moderate for Antonin Scalia is a seismic ideological shift for the Court.
They won't be overturning any more clauses in the Voting Rights Act at this rate.
Meanwhile, HRC is now over two thirds likely to win Presidency after last night-about a 5 percent jump after her Royal Flush.
https://electionbettingodds.com/week.html
O/T: This link from TravisV on Sumner's blog:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nationalreview.com/corner/432796/working-class-whites-have-moral-responsibilities-defense-kevin-williamson