"Justice OConnor has been the deciding vote in key cases protecting individual rights and freedoms on a narrowly divided Court. The stakes in selecting her replacement are high.
there in lies the problem, this is the UNITED States, not the INDIVIDUALS CHOICE States
It's a subtle difference, but in reality it makes all the difference. Recognizing that the several States are individual and sovereign preserves our Republic and limits the federal government to its Constitutionally restricted boundaries.
Recognizing the United States as a singular entity advances the notion that we have a national government which is supreme over the States and the People.