Reagan could have appointed a solid conservative - J. Harvie Wilkinson, but didn’t. It seems even conservatives must appoint judges educated in the Ivy League, particularly Harvard and Yale, where the living constitution is taught Kennedy was, like Obama, a Harvard Law grad.
Earl Warren, Harry Blackman, John Paul Stevens, Anthony Kennedy, David Souter, and John Roberts were all Republican Supreme Court appointees and have all been involved in decisions expanding the intrusion of government, loss of individual freedom, and destruction of the culture. A GOP win for the White House does not ensure conservative justices will be appointed. A President Jeb Bush or President Mitt Romney would not replace Scalia with a strict constructionist any more than a President Hillary Clinton. Moderate Republicans will appoint moderate to left justices who will turn hard left once on the court. In contrast Democrats will appoint progressive judges who never “evolve”.
When Scalia retires, there will be a brutal campaign by the left to replace him with a moderate to left leaning judge. Even with a Republican President and Republican Congress, a Senate led by Chuck Schumer will give any remotely conservative judge the Robert Bork and Clarence Thomas treatment with the help of the national media. Likely a President Jeb Bush would simply fold to avoid the fight and appoint a “moderate”. President Barack Obama or President Hillary Clinton will appoint a female, gay, minority with extreme left wing views and dare the Republicans in Congress to fight. Immediately John McCain, Orin Hatch, Lisa Murkowski, Bob Corker, Lamar Alexander, and Lindsay Graham will announce support for President Clinton’s nominee saying the President should be able to appoint whoever she wishes.
Game over. Scalia, Thomas, and Alito will be the last conservative justices on the Supreme Court. From here on the Constitution is a living document to be interpreted by left wing presidents and affirmed by a progressive Supreme Court. Congress, in the new order, is simply a rubber stamp.
It’s a shame that they outlawed duels, after hamilton was killed by Burr.