Confirmation - Of Our Worst Fears

I don't think the Dems should be filibustering to keep Neil Gorsuch off the Supreme Court.  It's a lost cause, with some obvious negative consequences.  The most serious is the institutionalization of the "nuclear option," which can't be walked back, and which is not in the interest (that some may yet cheriish) of good government. Further, if they fight the good fight and lose in the end, it exposes them as weak; and the effort simply provides Trump the opportunity once again to play to his base by claiming that the Democrats are against everything he is striving to do. 

Which brings up the Republicans. They, of course, are the party that was dead set against everything Obama was trying to do (even though he won both the electoral AND the popular vote) and who cynically broke with tradition and common sense, withholding even a hearing on Obama's Supreme Court candidate. Democrats are justifiably miffed about that, so it's not at all surprising at least some of them feel the need to express their anger through resistance, however futile it may be.

If any politicians on either side of the fence are really thinking about the public good, or restoring a sense of communality in our political life, we might suppose they'd come to an understanding.  The Republicans allow the Democrats to rant for a day or two and don't rush to use the nuclear option. (After nearly a year, what's the hurry now?) The Democrats for their part accept, if not forgive, Mitch McConnell's abuse of power; they hold the rant to a day or two but stand down from the full-blown filibuster.

I feel pretty sure it won't happen that way, so we are likely to see this process further poisoning the political atmosphere. On the other hand, I suspect the first party to start backing away from extreme and damaging partisanship (in this case that would be the Democrats) could see a bump in public respect.

Comments

[Dick Klade]

Amen. Sooner or later, if our democracy is to survive one of the parties must truly practice "when they go low, we go high," and there's virtually no chance that will be the Republicans. The approach you advocate here would be a good opportunity for the Democrats to show some badly needed leadership.

[PiedType]

I'm proud to say my Dem senator is the last and only Dem standing in opposition to a filibuster, though not yet saying if he'll vote Gorsuch up or down. But maybe he doesnt' deserve that much credit since Gorsuch is a fellow Coloradan. Frankly I think the Dems should go along with the man who seems to be the most qualified of the conservative judges. They should hold their fire this time and go all out against the next nominee, if Trump gets to name a second justice, because it's that justice who will unbalance the court to the right.

[JHawk23]

Given today's events, the Democrats appear to have missed an opportunity to be seen as the adults in the halls of Congress. On the other hand, the very fact that Donald Trump was elected suggests that many voters don't seem to consider "adult" as a necessary qualification in political matters!

Of course, if the Dems lost an opportunity, the Republicans avidly seized one: the opportunity to be viewed as the party of the first and only part, dedicated to their own dogma and far less concerned about the nation than about renewing their own grip on power.

Over time, I believe the GOP loses, but they haven't yet realized it.

Meantime the silver lining is that I frankly don't think Gorsuch will be the right-wing puppet that both parties expect he will be.

[JHawk23]

Let us hope that if Trump has the chance to nominate another justice to the court, that will occur after the Democrats have resumed control of Congress in about 18 months.