Yeah, Allen, what the Hell’s wrong with you? Having morals and all, how low can you get?

That’s just not pragmatic.

Willfully allowing the greater evil to come to power just because your “morals” oppose the lesser evil also demonstrates the morals of Pontius Pilate or a faith healer. Truly moral people take the world as they find it, and make the best of the situation. There’s nothing “moral” about playing the hand you wish you’d been dealt instead of the one you were dealt.

Nice scorecard for those who only started paying attention to politics recently. (Like me — I started paying attention a decade ago, when I turned 18). Thanks.

Remember it took Jimmy Carter to get Ronald Reagan.

If that was the strategy, it was a colossal failure. Eight years of Reagan didn’t come close to undoing the damage Carter caused in “only” four years. We never got the Panama Canal back, Iran is still the #1 terror state instead of a harmless dictatorship, the 9th Circuit is still wacky-left, and Carter himself is still out there actively undermining our foreign policy like only an ex-President can. We did luck out in one respect: that Carter didn’t get to appoint anyone to the Supreme Court. We are unlikely to be so lucky this time around.

Roberts, Alito: Bush
Souter, Thomas: Bush Sr
Breyer, Ginsburg (retired): Clinton
Kennedy, Scalia, O’Connor: Reagan
Stevens: Ford

Who’s likely to be replaced in the next 8 years:

Ages:
Stevens: 88
Ginsburg: 75
Scalia: 72
Kennedy: 72
Breyer: 70
Souter: 69
Thomas: 60
Alito: 58
Roberts: 53

That’s just not pragmatic.

Midwesterner says

Better draw up a very strong pre-nup before you walk down that aisle. Remember both Stevens and Souter were appointed by Republicans.

During that period I was close friends with a NH appellate judge who knew Souter for many years. Sununu assured Bush 41 that Souter was a staunch conservative, despite the fact that among his peers and other members of the NH judicial community he was view as most as a moderate. Neither my friend nor any of those who knew Souter well were remotely surprised when he turn left post confirmation.

I can see many ways to spin all this, but the conventional thinking in the granite state is that Sununu mislead Bush about what her was getting.
For what its worth

I want neither one of them as president.

Well, you’re going to get one, so make up your mind which you want and vote accordingly.

I agree with your analysis.

Remember it took Jimmy Carter to get Ronald Reagan.

McCain is not the guy we want as a standard bearer for Republicans.

Putting Ford and McCain on the same side of the ‘5/7ths good’ equation as Ronald Reagan and even the Bushes is a serious category error.

I strongly suspect that a McCain presidency gives us a couple of more Ford style appointments like Stevens. And after the nation has had four years of ‘Conservative’ leadership, we will have Barack Obama anyway. He is still young.

On the other hand, two years of Obama and the nation will be pleading for another ‘Contract with America’.

OTOH, if too many of us follow Allen’s lead, Obama will win, and there’s a 100% chance the Supreme Court won’t improve at all, and a significant chance it will get worse for decades to come.

Allen Says:
June 27th, 2008 at 12:30 am

Even if McCain becomes POTUS, all he can do is nominate. Democrats can shoot them right down if they win big this fall.

John McCain once said he has never voted against his beliefs, yet he wants me to sacrifice my beliefs and vote for him. I can’t do that.

Allen, you and your morals, and those like you, are going to cost this country more than you can fathom. How are your morals and beliefs gonna feel when President Obama gets sworn in Jan 09. When the shiat sandwich gets served from the Obama express, you and your asshat moralist better step up for 2nd and 3rd helpings. You will deserve no less.

http://provocateurjim.blogspot.com/

With McCain, we may have a 50/50 chance of getting another Stevens or Souter. But with O’Bama we have a 100% chance of getting another Ginsburg or Breyer.

John McCain once said he has never voted against his beliefs, yet he wants me to sacrifice my beliefs and vote for him. I can’t do that.

Sure, this quiz was pass/fail but we were only one heart attack away, my friends. I hate to say it but that one reason is why I’ll hold my nose, get good and hammered, and pull the lever for John McCain. And I’d have to shower after that too.

I feel the same way.

I hate to say it but that one reason is why I’ll hold my nose, get good and hammered, and pull the lever for John McCain.

That’s exactly what went through my head when I read of the decision today.

I would not put a lot of faith in McCain, remember the gang of 14.

Indeed I do, and I was pretty sore about it at the time, but without it, Justice Alito would likely have been filibustered out of his appointment, and today’s decision might well have been 5-4 the other way.

Think sausage making process vs. sausage.

Anyone who can fold, spindle, and mutilate the constitution shouldn’t a:be there in the first place, and b: have a lifetime office.

this may be an unpleasant surprise, but if you applied that standard, you’d not have any justices left. wouldn’t have had for the past century or so, in fact.

That’s me being mellow. My personal opinion is that the dissenters have the definition of Treason nailed to their foreheads.

/snark

I’m not sure I even trust McAmnesty and a Democrat Senate to appoint and confirm even moderate conservatives as Bush did, but Obama would be worse still.

I will vote for the Liberal John McCain to protect the Republic from the Marxist Barrack “You don’t need no guns” Obama.

Man up people, this is not the time to take your eye off the ball. If this wasn’t a wake up call then you need to sober up.

Vote McCain, there is no choice if you value your rights. Puke if you have to, and take a shower later, this is about our basic rights. This is not the time for some damn protest vote.

Your point on McCain being 50/50 but the opposition being 100/0 wrong is exactly on the money. McCain might even be 60/40.

That ain’t a lot, I know. But it sure beats nothing.

And, yes, the dissents waver between factually incorrect, intellectually dishonest, and outright stupid, but that’s what we’ve come to expect.