Posted on 08/08/2008 9:35:51 PM PDT by FocusNexus
A president stays in office four or eight years, but his appointments to the Supreme Court can extend his impact for decades.
It's likely that Republican John McCain or Democrat Barack Obama will be able to appoint one - and possibly three - justices to the court during his time in the White House.
The ideological makeup of the court today is split very narrowly. Even one appointment could dramatically affect its direction.
And it's not just the Supreme Court. The next president will exert his influence through the nomination of hundreds of judges to lower federal courts.
Observers of the Supreme Court say several divisive issues will likely come before the court in the next five years: gay rights, abortion, gun control, privacy and civil liberties in the age of terrorism.
But who becomes the next justice could vary widely, depending on who sits in the Oval Office.
Here's a look at what each candidate has said.
(Excerpt) Read more at 2.hickoryrecord.com ...
Aren’t all of the young, vibrant justices strict constructionists? The (elderly) radical penumbrists are the likely retirees, as I understand it. Even if Obama is elected, he’ll probably replace liberals with liberals.
We’re screwed.
If it is Obama he will do a lot of damage to our country through his appointments.
Three of the most liberal, least qualified Justices to ever sit on the SCOTUS, and they're prime examples of the kind of Justices Obama will appoint.
"I want people on the bench who have enough empathy, enough feeling, for what ordinary people are going through," he told reporters, responding to McCain's May speech on the courts.
IOW, Justices who will ignore the Constitution, and instead render opinions or decisions according to how they "feel" about the law in question and the person or persons involved in the case before them. The Constitutional role for the SCOTUS is to interpret the Constitution according to the intent of the authors concerning the issue at hand and then decide the validity of the law involved in the case before the court, not to decide a case according to the "feelings" of the Justice about the law and the people involved in the case. One Obama Justice could, and no doubt will if seated, vote to reverse the recent victories of original intent Justices over the proponents of a "living document" interpretation, and you can bet your last dollar that the Heller 2nd Amendment decision will be among the first to be challenged in some way and then reversed when it comes to the SCOTUS again in another case.
If Obama is elected it is highly likely that his judicial appointments will be the most damaging aspect of his administration, and that's saying an awful lot about his probable appointments.
Any odds on how long it's gonna take the McCainiacs to come into the thread to tell us how he'll appoint conservatives to the bench after ignoring his theoretically conservative base for years.
Sure he will.
“Don’t blame me - I voted for Fred and am STILL a FredHead and will write him in!) “
Fred Thompson is supporting McCain. Writing him or anyone else in, just makes an Obama victory one vote more likely.
He can choose any half-baked liberal he likes and that's where my money is at. Him picking liberals.
That’s one of several reasons why I’m voting for McCain.
Obambi could tip the Court for decades by appointing one, if not two, radical young Justices.
I take you have concluded that WE ARE DOOMED.
Whatever.
You obviously do not believe that McCain will do what he said he will do on judicial appointments.
Fine.
I do believe that Obambi will do what he said he will do on judicial appointments.
So, even if your judgment is correct, between McCain *maybe* not appointing conservative Justices, and Obambi *most certainly, beyond dispute* appointing radical, radical Justices, I’ll vote for McCain.
Just in case it turns out that we are NOT doomed.
I don't agree, but let's say you're right.
If McCain's appointments are "almost as bad as ones Obama would pick," that means that McCain's appointments would be better than Obambi's.
Yep. That's enough for me.
I'll take the better alternative for my country, even if it's only better by a little. It's still better.
Not me. I'm saving myself for marriage.
John Paul Stevens is 88. I believe he “works” from home now (meaning: his law clerks do most of the heavy lifting).
Ruth Bader Ginsburg is 75, but she’s had cancer and is said to not be very well.
The Chairman of McCain’s Advisory Committee on Judicial Nominations is one o’ them thar librals. His name be Ted Olson. The co-chair is some hick name of Sam Brownback. Woe and misfortune are ours! Signs of the End Times!
“Aren’t all of the young, vibrant justices strict constructionists? The (elderly) radical penumbrists are the likely retirees, as I understand it. Even if Obama is elected, he’ll probably replace liberals with liberals.”
And if a ‘young, vibrant strict constructionist’ justice were to fall ill, or simply retire, Obama would replace him with a liberal, too. Scalia and Kennedy are both 72.
The best choice for clear thinking people would be to avoid Obama being in such a position.
Who knew!
As I say, even if it’s better only by the hair of a goat, it’s still better.
No one in real life turns down a chance at “better,” even if it’s only better by the hair of a goat. If one treatment is possibly just a little better, that one will be chosen. One college appears a little better than the other, that will be chosen. The fish tacos look a little better than the burritos today, the fish tacos will be chosen.
Yet when it comes to the election of the President of the United States, there are some who claim that “better” is not good enough.
Even worse are those who claim they cannot perceive anything but complete and total moral and political equivalence between Obambi and his party and McCain and his party.
P.S. Besides, I conclude that there is more than a small chance that McCain will appoint conservative judges.
He may not be as conservative as some like, but he is an excellent politician. That means he knows who butters his bread.
The one place where he will be most exposed to his own party’s politics is in judicial appointments. Just like Bush pulled the Meyers nomination because of grassroots outrage, McCain is vulnerable to that. Which is good.
And any conservative who thinks they will have any say whatsoever in Obambi appointments is completely wrong.
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