I like to think of myself as being reasonably intelligent. But maybe I’m wrong…because I cannot figure out what benefit Democrats would derive from their threatened filibuster of Judge Neil Gorsuch’s vote for the Supreme Court.
Let’s consider the logical sequence:
-Schumer makes good on his threat – which thrills his party’s hard left base angers the right, and more than likely annoys the you-know-what out of voters in the middle, who don’t care about what Republicans did to Merrick Garland, they just want this over with. Game and set to Republicans.
-Majority leader Mitch McConnell invokes the so-called “nuclear option” – reminding us, no doubt, that this was exactly, precisely what Democrat Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid invoked for judges in the past. Chuck Schumer responds that, yeah, Reid did it, but not specifically for a Supreme Court Justice. Most voters do not see the difference: it either is done or it is not done. Game and set to Republicans.
-Neil Gorsuch gets his up-or-down vote. All Republicans – and some number of Democrats, especially from vulnerable states in 2018, vote yea. He becomes a justice of the Supreme Court. Game and set to Republicans.
-The next justice nominated by Donald Trump – who probably will be to the right of Gorsuch – not only will have the so-called ” nuclear option” available to grease the skids for his ascension to the court, but the damaging precedent that Democrats created with Gorsuch on his side. Game and set to Republicans.
-And if Democrats are counting on a more favorable senate situation in 2018 – one where they, rather than Republicans, will be in the majority, they are living in dreamland. There are 34 Senate seats up for grabs in 2018, and 26 – that is NOT a typo: 26 – of the 34 are currently held by Democrats. Ten of them are in states Donald Trump won. This means they are dramatically more likely to lose seats than gain them. Game, set and match to Republicans.
With the above in mind, can someone show me the plus side of Chuck Schumer’s “we’ll filibuster Gorsuch” threat? Because I’m having trouble finding it
