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Court balance in play this election
Orange County Register ^ | April 27, 2012 | Brian Calle

Posted on 04/29/2012 6:40:28 AM PDT by Clintonfatigued

The stakes in this year's election are higher than normal because the next president may have the unusual opportunity to impact the ideological direction of the Supreme Court, untypical of any one presidential term.

During the next presidential term, starting in January 2013, of the nine Supreme Court justices, "three of the justices will be in their 80s," notes Clint Bolick, author of the new book, "Two-Fer: Electing a President and a Supreme Court."

"[W]hoever is elected in November may have the rare chance to reinforce or alter the courts balance," he said.

And with Supreme Court rulings like Citizens United in 2010 – and perhaps the upcoming decisions on Obamacare and the federal government's lawsuit against Arizona's illegal-immigration law – hinging on the opinion of a single justice and setting longstanding precedents, the court's balance ought to be top of mind for voters this year.

There is no guarantee when a justice will retire nor can they be forced to do so. Supreme Court justices are constitutionally guaranteed a life term and can serve for as long as they wish to.

Of those justices reaching their eighties in the next presidential term, two of the three are regarded as being on the conservative side of the court. Among the liberals, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg turns 80 in 2013. Conservative Antonin Scalia, 76, turns 80 in 2016. Anthony Kennedy, often portrayed as the swing vote on the typically divided court, turns 77 this summer and 80 in 2015.

(Excerpt) Read more at ocregister.com ...


TOPICS: Government; Politics/Elections; US: District of Columbia
KEYWORDS: scotus
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1 posted on 04/29/2012 6:40:34 AM PDT by Clintonfatigued
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To: fieldmarshaldj; AuH2ORepublican; Impy; GOPsterinMA; randita; afraidfortherepublic; BillyBoy; ...

This is an issue that few Americans are paying attention to, being preoccupied with the economiy, but one which has enormous consequences for the nation.


2 posted on 04/29/2012 6:42:37 AM PDT by Clintonfatigued (A liberal's compassion is limited to the size of other peoples' paychecks)
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To: Clintonfatigued

Maybe, maybe not. If Obama loses on November 6, look for Ginsberg to resign on November 7 so Obama can replace her with another communist.


3 posted on 04/29/2012 6:42:57 AM PDT by jiggyboy (Ten percent of poll respondents are either lying or insane)
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To: jiggyboy

“If Obama loses on November 6, look for Ginsberg to resign on November 7 so Obama can replace her with another communist.”

Confirmation hearings take months. There wouldn’t be enough time to confirm such a judge.


4 posted on 04/29/2012 6:44:30 AM PDT by Clintonfatigued (A liberal's compassion is limited to the size of other peoples' paychecks)
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To: jiggyboy

Would the Senate confirm a lame-duck appointment like that? I would think the GOP would do everthing possible to not let that go forward.


5 posted on 04/29/2012 6:46:04 AM PDT by Dagnabitt (If I had a failed one-term President, he'd look like Obama.)
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To: Clintonfatigued

And this article doesn’t account for an unexpected, breitbart-like death.


6 posted on 04/29/2012 6:47:54 AM PDT by Josa
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To: Clintonfatigued
How is it set in stone that an 0bama defeat would bring a more conservative supreme court appointment?

After all, where is the conservative history behind Romney to guarantee this?

7 posted on 04/29/2012 6:48:05 AM PDT by EGPWS (Trust in God, question everyone else)
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To: Dagnabitt; Kaslin; SunkenCiv; Lazlo in PA; SJackson; neverdem; traviskicks

If Obama wins a second term, this will be a big part of his legacy.


8 posted on 04/29/2012 6:49:18 AM PDT by Clintonfatigued (A liberal's compassion is limited to the size of other peoples' paychecks)
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To: EGPWS; EternalVigilance

Romney’s nomination isn’t set in stone. What is set in stone is what kind of judges Obama would appoint.


9 posted on 04/29/2012 6:50:37 AM PDT by Clintonfatigued (A liberal's compassion is limited to the size of other peoples' paychecks)
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To: EGPWS
We know what Obama will do....I would rather take a chance with Romney
10 posted on 04/29/2012 7:06:54 AM PDT by southphilly (Every State should be a right to work State)
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To: Clintonfatigued

I’d say at this point that Romney’s nomination is set in slightly moist concrete.


11 posted on 04/29/2012 7:08:52 AM PDT by Dagnabitt (If I had a failed one-term President, he'd look like Obama.)
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To: EGPWS
After all, where is the conservative history behind Romney to guarantee this?

All you Romney bashers on FR need to put on your big boy pants and consider what a Eric Holder nomination to the Supreme Court would mean.

12 posted on 04/29/2012 7:35:36 AM PDT by Last Dakotan
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To: Clintonfatigued; wagglebee; Steve Schulin; BlackElk; Gelato; Jim Robinson
Not a single sitting justice of the Supreme Court recognizes the personhood of the child in the womb and their protection by the explicit, imperative requirements of the Fifth and the Fourteenth Amendments.

"No person shall be deprived of life without due process of law."

"No State shall deprive any person of life without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."

Not even one of the majority of the justices who were picked by Republican presidents, members of a party whose platform HAS recognized the personhood of the chld and their protection by our Constitution for the last 28 years.

So, what do you think are the chances that a "president Romney" (it makes me sick just typing that) would pick a judge who is more conservative than Thomas or Scalia?

I say the chances of that are for all intents and purposes ZERO.

Especially since Mitt Romney himself is a pro-choice democrat. He thinks God-given rights can be decided by a majority vote.

He thinks courts make our laws, and that only they get to decide what is constitutional. In other words, he supports the abortion on demand status quo, the destruction of the checks and balances that make our form of government possible, and the erasure of the legitimate lines of authority granted to the various branches and departments of our government.

He thinks states can alienate unalienable rights if they want. A Stephen A. Douglas Democrat position if there ever was one.

In other words, even in this shape-shifter’s current incarnation, his views are anti-republican.

No matter how you cut it, Obama or Romney, all the babies continue to die, and so does the republic whose founding premise was the equal protection of the rights of all.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men..."

Frankly, at this point in history, all the Romney Republican fear-mongering about judges does is disgust and anger me.

13 posted on 04/29/2012 7:40:07 AM PDT by EternalVigilance (You can be a Romney Republican or you can be a conservative. You canÂ’t be both. Pick one.)
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To: Last Dakotan

Name one conservative Mitt Romney named to the courts in Massachusetts.


14 posted on 04/29/2012 7:41:49 AM PDT by EternalVigilance (You can be a Romney Republican or you can be a conservative. You canÂ’t be both. Pick one.)
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To: Clintonfatigued
No matter....there are only 2 Candidates, and both a Liberal (one possibly more Liberal than the Other Liberal).

There's no opportunity nor will it happen that Conservatives/Constitutionalist Appointments will occur in our lifetime. The Constitution will only be restored via We The People, in a Revolution or CWII.

15 posted on 04/29/2012 7:43:26 AM PDT by traditional1 (Don't gotsta worry 'bout no mo'gage, don't gotsta worry 'bout no gas; Obama gonna take care o' me!)
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To: Last Dakotan
Yes, we need to idolize a known socialist liberal hack liar, back him as a "conservative" party saviour, toss all conviction out the window to save us from a known socialist liberal hack liar from a "liberal party" for the good of the country.

It's worked so far....

Welcome to 4 more years of 0bama.

16 posted on 04/29/2012 7:46:42 AM PDT by EGPWS (Trust in God, question everyone else)
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To: Clintonfatigued
the court's balance ought to be top of mind for voters this year.

Bump...re Bump and Bump again!!!

17 posted on 04/29/2012 7:51:54 AM PDT by Don Corleone ("Oil the gun..eat the cannoli. Take it to the Mattress.")
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To: Don Corleone

Name one conservative Mitt Romney named to the courts in Massachusetts.


18 posted on 04/29/2012 7:58:18 AM PDT by EternalVigilance (You can be a Romney Republican or you can be a conservative. You canÂ’t be both. Pick one.)
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To: EternalVigilance
Name one conservative Mitt Romney named to the courts in Massachusetts.

Let's say for the sake of argument we tag him with a conservative VP and other advisers (very possible). Can you then prove to me he won't appoint a conservative constitutionalist?

19 posted on 04/29/2012 8:08:35 AM PDT by Last Dakotan
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To: Last Dakotan

I have to agree Dakota..., it is what comes to mind every time says they are staying home come November because Obama is what we deserve over the centrist Romney..... that will become a regret as our children and grandchild for generations get ruled on by Obama lasting court appointees.


20 posted on 04/29/2012 8:11:48 AM PDT by Republic Rocker
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