"Harriet Miers? Who the hell is that? I never heard of her." Like that is important?
Absolutely.
You have brought up a point that I have been thinking about for the last 24 hours. Roberts and Miers are the first nominees of the internet era. NEVER before has the public been so informed, so involved, so able to naysay.
And, speaking of strict constructionism, I'm not sure that all this input is what the framers had in mind!
Frankly, aren't we being a bit arrogant in all the second-guessing and attempt to micromanage a federal process?
The nominee is to be chosen by the President, who should have thorough knowledge of the person he picks. The Senate gets to examine (and nitpick) the nominee. The rest of us? We get to vote for our senators and tell them how we feel.
The representative system that our constitution describes demands that we, the people, choose our leaders wisely and let them do their mandated jobs.
All the blogosphere/cyberspace hammering is fun and interesting, but a truly new phenomenon. Time will tell whether it is healthy.
"
... Frankly, aren't we being a bit arrogant in all the second-guessing and attempt to micromanage a federal process? "
A resounding ... Yes! We most certainly are.
The President nominates. Whether he does so wisely is a matter of opinion, which only really matters to the Senate. We, the voters place that responsibility squarely on the President and Senate.
Electing our Representatives wisely is the most difficult of all because of self interests and the money equation.
As far as the information processes via the internet. I would caution you that : 1) there can never be too much information, and 2) Our Founding Fathers never contemplated radio or television, as we today do not comprehend what unthinkable inventions lie ahead.
The screams and moans coming from the "Conservative" peanut gallery over this nomination prove one of two things to me.
The Conservatives want a democracy and not a representative government. Which if true, means they are not the Constitutionalists they claim to be, or they have suddenly become undone over the fact that Harriet Miers is a unmarried female, a Bible believing Christian, an anti-abortionist, and a believer in the Constitution as written.
