SCOTUS Vacancy

Quote: Mission146

That's been my point---if he wants a black female on SCOTUS, then just pick one and the fanfare will come on its own. For whatever reason, Biden wants to pander to the Far Left, many of whom act as though they were personally responsible for slavery and must accept that they are intrinsically racist---and he thinks that announcing it in advance somehow does that. Of course, many of these same people are either college-aged idiots or live in mid six figure homes in the suburbs, so it's arguably more convenient for them just to pander with their words rather than sacrificing some of their material wealth to pragmatically improve the life of another person.

Anyway, I think he should favor an Asian if he is going to favor anyone by race, but I don't think he should favor anyone by race. Asians represent 5.9% of our population, there has never been an Asian on the SCOTUS, there seem to be a few Asian Federal judges to choose from and Asians happen to be the best educated group in this country.

No one should be claiming that anyone is picking most qualified. They pick their candidate due to which way they think their political views lean.

That automatically excludes about half the country.

Quote: rxwine

No one should be claiming that anyone is picking most qualified. They pick their candidate due to which way they think their political views lean.

That automatically excludes about half the country.

I also agree with that and said so in a different post. Unless I'm missing something, there's nothing particularly quantifiable that would lead to one being, 'More qualified,' than any other, I don't think, unless you want to have something of a minimum for years of experience as a Federal level judge or cases decided.

With that, it becomes about qualifiable things, which there is really no truly objective way to judge anyway. Basically, your pick needs to just not completely suck.

I'm not trying to speak for anyone else here specifically, but I would think most Americans would be perfectly happy to see a black woman on SCOTUS; I certainly have no problem with that. I think the problem is that Biden campaigned on that and then doubled-down on the pledge, so the optic is that a black woman is being specifically favored over all other possible nominees.

Like I said, just nominate the person you want to nominate and let the celebrations and fanfare happen on their own. At that point, Biden can go out and have a press release that says he simply selected the person who he felt is best qualified out of ALL possible people. If you're going to make it a race-specific type of argument, then let the other side do it.

And, when I say, 'Other side,' I mean the populace. Let's not forget that it was the Republicans who nominated/confirmed the first female to the SCOTUS, though Democrats did nominate/confirm the first black justice, Thurgood Marshall. That's balanced out a little bit with Republicans nominating/confirming Clarence Thomas.

What I am trying to say is that the makeup of the SCOTUS, it would seem, hasn't had a racial or gender-based glass ceiling in decades, so there's really no reason to make it clear that you're making it about race and gender...let the other side make it about race and gender if they are going to do that---just pick your nominee and go on about your day.

5.9% isn't nothing in terms of population percentage and Asian-Americans saw one of the biggest jumps in eligible voter turnout (+11%) from 2016 to 2020 according to this source:

http://aapidata.com/blog/2020-record-turnout/

However, according to this source:

https://www.brookings.edu/research/2020-exit-polls-show-a-scrambling-of-democrats-and-republicans-traditional-bases/

Asians went from favoring Democrats to the tune of 38% to 27% from 2016 to 2020.

Blacks and Hispanic vote share for Democrats also dropped, which I attribute to some of the Far Left policies being overboard even in the eyes of minorities. I tend to think that many minorities just want an equal shot and many whites want them to have an equal shot, but I would like to think that the whole, "Intrinsic racism," or whatever you want to call it, is a bridge too far even in the eyes of some minorities who have seen that some white people have stood side by side and hand in hand with minorities their whole lives.

In other words, I would tend to believe that some individuals representing minorities in this country think that this huge focus on race has been driving people apart more than bringing them together and what they would rather see is people brought together.

I obviously can't make any claims for what percentage of people view things in that light, but I would say it is non-zero.

Anyway, Asian-Americans are the one group where I see an opportunity for the Democrats to make even bigger inroads as well as to get more politically involved. With an Asian-American SCOTUS pick, especially one that's not telegraphed in advance of it happening, I think the Democrats would get more Asians involved in the political process and that it would likely lock up more Asian support. I honestly don't see how left-leaning media outlets could do anything but praise such a nomination and I'd be shocked if the right-leaning outlets had any problem with it.

That a majority of participants wanted the president to consider "all possible nominees" for Scotus in the ABC poll is because they assume there are no black women qualified for the job---there are.

I'm going to assume that there are probably at least 6 black women who are qualified to serve on the Supreme Court. And Biden will pick a "highly qualified candidate" who went to an elite, ivy law school and has experience in federal appeal court or state supreme court.

She won't get an asterisk when she's more than qualified. She'll get asterisked if she sobs and shouts her way through questioning at the senate hearing. Scrunches up her face into a bitter grimace. Carries on for hours at that, like Kavanaugh.

Quote: rxwine

No one should be claiming that anyone is picking most qualified. They pick their candidate due to which way they think their political views lean.

That automatically excludes about half the country.

Then describe the selectee as "one of our nation's most brilliant legal minds." That seems to work, since we all know what the pick won't be already anyway.

5.9% Asian alone
8.5% Hispanic or Latino
13.4% Black or African American alone
60.1% White alone, not Hispanic or Latino

Clarence Thomas, since October 23, 1991 - African-American
Stephen Breyer, since August 3, 1994
Samuel Alito, since January 31, 2006 - White alone, not Hispanic or Latino,(Italian-American)
Sonia Sotomayor, since August 8, 2009 - first woman of color, first Hispanic, and first Latina
Elena Kagan, since August 7, 2010 - - White alone, not Hispanic or Latino, Russian Jewish family
Neil Gorsuch, since April 10, 2017 - White alone, not Hispanic or Latino,
Brett Kavanaugh, since October 6, 2018 - White alone, not Hispanic or Latino,
Amy Coney Barrett,since October 27, 2020 - White alone, not Hispanic or Latino

Good argument for Asian American woman at 0% for being under represented. One associate justice for each large demographic minority.

Quote: quadriga

That a majority of participants wanted the president to consider "all possible nominees" for Scotus in the ABC poll is because they assume there are no black women qualified for the job---there are.

I'm going to assume that there are probably at least 6 black women who are qualified to serve on the Supreme Court. And Biden will pick a "highly qualified candidate" who went to an elite, ivy law school and has experience in federal appeal court or state supreme court.

She won't get an asterisk when she's more than qualified. She'll get asterisked if she sobs and shouts her way through questioning at the senate hearing. Scrunches up her face into a bitter grimace. Carries on for hours at that, like Kavanaugh.

That's a ridiculous insinuation. You're telling me that some 70%+ of Americans on the whole AND more than half of the Democrats want all possible nominees to be considered because they don't think there are any black women qualified for the job? That's definitely the sort of thing you would want to let a person say for themselves---so they could be justly and properly ridiculed if they did. I would like to think that there are qualified black women for SCOTUS was never really in dispute.

Yeah, I don't know what Kavanaugh was doing at that hearing. That being said, it was an unfair hearing---he's supposed to prove negatives (well, he denies them anyway) from more than three decades ago? Of course, maybe character assassination is just part of the process.

Quote: Pacomartin

5.9% Asian alone
8.5% Hispanic or Latino
13.4% Black or African American alone
60.1% White alone, not Hispanic or Latino

Clarence Thomas, since October 23, 1991 - African-American
Stephen Breyer, since August 3, 1994
Samuel Alito, since January 31, 2006 - White alone, not Hispanic or Latino,(Italian-American)
Sonia Sotomayor, since August 8, 2009 - first woman of color, first Hispanic, and first Latina
Elena Kagan, since August 7, 2010 - - White alone, not Hispanic or Latino, Russian Jewish family
Neil Gorsuch, since April 10, 2017 - White alone, not Hispanic or Latino,
Brett Kavanaugh, since October 6, 2018 - White alone, not Hispanic or Latino,
Amy Coney Barrett,since October 27, 2020 - White alone, not Hispanic or Latino

Good argument for Asian American woman at 0% for being under represented. One associate justice for each large demographic minority.

Thank you very much! I wouldn't call it a problem, per se, but I'm glad someone else sees the logic behind it. I still say just make your pick and let the public react; don't telegraph it in advance, but if you are really determined to pick specifically on race, then pick an Asian-American. I guess I could see where you would also want the pick to be a woman to make it 5-4 rather than 6-3...given the context, that at least makes sense.

Also, note the fact that is 0% Asian-Americans ever, not just on the present bench.

Don't forget his telegraphing the pick to 100% be a black woman isn't just exclusionary to men and whites; it's exclusionary to every other minority group out there, as well.

Mission,

I didn't say "on the whole" or all of the more than half democrats think that. The reason that pushes to over 50 percent democrats in the ABC poll because a small percentage of that think there are no black women qualified for Scotus. I would say about 25 percent of the right assume this or they assume Biden will pick a black woman who's not as qualified.

To assert that pledging a “black woman”means Biden's picking “solely” based on race--something that some right pundits have said--would entail the assumption that there are no qualified black women to serve in SCOTUS. Or the black woman chosen wouldn't be as qualified.

Quote: ams288

“Democrats are going to lose in Nov because Biden appointed a black woman to the SC”

….certainly an interesting take

Not what I said. I said that him declaring in advance that he will pick a black woman (and by inference excluding all white men, white women, and black women) is what will cause more centrists to move away from the Democrat party. You have to at least read my post to comment on it, please. I mean, you did quote it but obviously didn't read it. Unless you are unable to comprehend the simple meaning in my simple 6 sentence post.

Of course this is not the ONLY reason the Democrats are likely to get hammered in November. Just adding to the list.

Quote: SOOPOO

Not what I said. I said that him declaring in advance that he will pick a black woman (and by inference excluding all white men, white women, and black women) is what will cause more centrists to move away from the Democrat party. You have to at least read my post to comment on it, please. I mean, you did quote it but obviously didn't read it. Unless you are unable to comprehend the simple meaning in my simple 6 sentence post.

Of course this is not the ONLY reason the Democrats are likely to get hammered in November. Just adding to the list.

Dems are going to get hammered in Nov no matter what.

Biden getting to appoint a SC justice will *help* in Nov. Great motivation for the base.

Anyone who is “upset” about him picking a black woman probably wasn’t gonna vote for a Dem in the first place, if you get my drift…