I don't know, but I assume those who say it think so, and maybe think the Dem party ???? or the candidates will make a big enough deal of it to encourage people to pay attention and care.

Isn't really the issue. Senate Republicans will block ANY nominated judge as long as Obama does the nomination. If you want a judge that will issue decisions based on the Constitution rather than Fox News / His personal religious beliefs, you'll need to get out the vote and put a democrat in office. If you're cool with the idea of Justice Fallwell, or Justice Pat Robertson, then stay home; when fewer people vote, conservatives win (or in other words, when democracy is lazy, tyrants seize control).

Last edited Mon Feb 15, 2016, 08:08 PM - Edit history (1)

My question has to do with people posting saying if Obama nominates a minority who is either ignored or rejected by the Republican Senate, that will encourage minorities to come out and vote. I was wondering if this was just wishful thinking, or if it has some research behind it.

I personally am only cool with a left-of-center judge to be nominated.

Do you have an answer to my original question?

Thanks, and welcome to DU

Edited HOPEFULLY for clarity

Like most claims of groundswells of support to come in the future, it has almost no basis at all.

Happy?

I'm hoping that yes, it makes a difference. I was wondering if there was precedent.

Please don't be rude. Thanks.

Are you saying that you've heard people who would not otherwise vote Democrat would do so because of a SCOTUS nominee?

By my answer, I meant that what I have heard is the SCOTUS issue raises the stakes, and gets more people to the polls. I haven't heard that one race or another will do something, just that all liberals are more likely to vote knowing what is at stake. If you're hearing that Obama intends to nominate a Hispanic judge to rally support from Hispanic voters, this is not something I have heard.

is that if Obama nominates a minority (and I hate writing that word, because minorities soon will be the majority!), and his nominee is outright ignored or voted down by the Senate Republicans, then minority groups may become so upset that they'll be more likely to come out and vote. I do not mean that Obama is choosing a candidate to GET support from a particular group.

Were anti-Constitutional? My point really is that there are lots of ways to interpret the Constitution. For example, I think Scalia's opinion in Heller was true to the Constitution and the intent of the Founding Fathers, but also think that Kennedy's opinion in Citizens United was a travesty. Scalia would have justified both, even though he didn't author Citizens United.

they care more about America's next top model than the next Supreme Court justice

to go out and vote.

Outright dismissal of any non-anglo candidate might be seen by some as anything from willfully being ignored to lack of respect to outright racism. Every group wants to, and should, have a seat at the table.

It's the republicans and it will highlight their racism and obstructionism that's attempting to keep the government from being able to govern and the country divided.

is it wishful thinking to believe their obstructionism is going to matter?

I know of several GOP-voting people who are disgusted enough to either stay home or vote D on election day. Staying home is good enough for me. Voting D is a cherry on top.

They've done it too much, and the hatred of those Congress critters is showing.

fit to be tied about their current crop of "candidates" and a few who are leaning left now.

Thanks very much

It may matter, it may not. Depends who plays it right politically over the next several months.

Just as we hope the repubs blocking a nomination will energize certain groups to support Democratic candidates, the GOP hopes that by blocking the nomination they will energize their side to come out and try to defeat the Democratic presidential candidate (and Democratic Senatorial candidates) in order to ensure they, not Obama or his successor, replace Scalia.

I'm on the more optimistic side but what we are seeing right now is people being fed up with the dysfunction if congress (on both sides, via trump with the republicans, although the middle class people supporting the trump have been lied to (by fox 'news') about the root cause of said problems and ignorantly support trump or any republican). Bernie sanders revolution is well underway and more obstructionism on the part of republicans in the senate on the Supreme Court nomination will only fan the revolutionary flames.

and he represents us. If Senate Republicans block Obama's constitutional right to fill a vacant seat on the court, voters will punish them and vote Democratic!

It's not just the president's right to appoint, it's also the Senate's right to reject. Too many of us are forgetting that a fully partisan effort to reject every single attempt by Obama to appoint a judge is completely legal and constitutional. Revolting, yes, but still completely within their rights.

If the Senate rejects President Obama's nominee along partisan lines then there's nothing unconstitutional. Whether it is simply politics and unjustified is another story.

So the republicans could reject any Obama nominee. And the Constitution sets no timeline on a vote, so a delay of months (and months and months) wouldn't be unconstitutional.