By now I think everyone has at least heard of the uproar, fighting or goings-on surrounding the unexpected vacancy in the highest court of the land, The Supreme Court. Basically, no one on either side of the fence expected Justice Scalia to die, leaving such a vacancy. Everyone was sure it would happen in the next president’s first term. But right now, Obama is still President. The idea that Obama could finally tilt the court’s balance in favor of liberalism is, apparently, terrifying to the Republican Party. So, what can they do? Well apparently they can do what they have been good at over the past few years – throwing a tantrum until they get their way.
Now I don’t agree with their “last year” logic, but even more I am wondering, “Do they even know what they’re doing?” I mean I could understand (not agree with, I still think their argument is baseless) why those in control of the GOP reacted this way before Obama announced his nominee. They probably thought he would go crazy liberal on their asses. He might nominate a woman. Or a Muslim. Or someone who isn’t white. Or a gay. (Eeek, gasp!) But the thing is, he didn’t. Obama in this last year of his second term actually nominated a person who seems like the very definition of a centrist, or as many people see on both sides of the fence (other than GOP legislators apparently) – a compromise, an olive branch, a way for both sides to stop fighting for fighting’s sake and begin to meet in the middle. Frankly, the GOP could do much worse.
So, who is this Supreme Court Justice nominee, Merrick Garland, anyway? Merrick Garland is one cool, qualified dude. And before you think, “Well, of course you think that, you’re liberal,” stop for a moment. If you think Garland was who I thought Obama was going to nominate, or who I wanted to see be nominated, get real! I would have loved another woman on the bench. Or a person of color. Or a member of the LGBT community (that would be a first!) or best yet – someone who was all three of these things combined. I would have wanted another Rah-Rah Liberal to be sitting on that bench. And to be clear, I am not alone in this. A lot of liberals, a lot of democrats had very different ideas on who the nomination would, and should, go to. Just saying.
