There were two significant issues that Democrats used in the last election to get voters all riled up. The first is the obvious in abortion, a tried and true issue that Democrats complain about but never actually do anything about when they are in power.
The second is the makeup of the Supreme Court, and Biden addressed that issue over the weekend and the mega-fundraiser in Hollywood.
Talking Points…
- Trump changes court with three picks
- Biden takes shot at Supreme Court
- Analysis
The Supreme Court is currently sitting at a 6-3 conservative advantage thanks to Donald Trump's three appointments. Even so, I believe this is the most balanced court we have seen in decades. Trump's picks were all controversial, especially the bookends, but they have proven to be more willing to walk across the aisle and vote with the liberal contingent of the court if they believed it was in the best interests of the law and justice. That is something we rarely see from the liberal side of the court, if ever.
Neil Gorsuch was Trump's first pick, who replaced Justice Scalia, who passed away late in Obama's second term. Historically, no opposing Senate has passed through a justice that late in an election season (even though Dems will deny it). That "tradition" is what allowed Republicans to preserve that seat with a conservative.
Brett Kavanaugh replaced Justice Kennedy and was forced to jump through hoops after salacious accusations were made against him during the nomination process. Then there was Amy Coney Barrett, who replaced Justice Ginsburg, who died late in Trump's term. Only the Republicans controlled the Senate, so a replacement was pushed through. While Gorsuch has crossed over several times, Kavanaugh and Barrett seem to take their lead from Chief Justice Roberts, as one of them generally sides with him whenever he votes with the liberal justices.
On Sunday, Joe Biden attended a mega-fundraiser in Hollywood organized by Julia Roberts and George Clooney. Numerous other stars and Barack Obama were in attendance. At the event, Biden reportedly raised about $30 million, his biggest haul yet. During the event, Biden accused the court of being "so far out of step" with the American people.
Biden then argued that he needed to be elected to block Trump from being able to appoint at least two more justices. He continued:
"He's already appointed two that are—have been very negative in terms of the rights of individuals. The idea that, if he's reelected, he's going to appoint two more flying flags upside down."
Of course, that was a reference to Justice Alito, who was not appointed by Trump but has been getting hammered in the media recently over flags flying over his home and vacation residence.
Biden's main sticking point in criticizing this court was the overturning of Roe v. Wade, but that was a flawed decision on a woman's right to abortion. This is not me, either, but the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who noted this was a case about the doctor's right, not the patient's. During an appearance at the University of Chicago Law School, Ginsburg stated:
"Roe isn't really about the woman's choice, is it?
"It's about the doctor's freedom to practice…it wasn't woman-centered, it was physician-centered."
The Democrat mentality these days is all or nothing. If they do not win every decision, they whine and cry, then say how tilted the court is. Biden and Democrats have had enormous success before SCOTUS over the last four years, yet they still undermine the court at every opportunity. It is Democrats putting activists on the bench, not Republicans. That is exactly why, at the very least, Republicans need to win the Senate to ensure that if Trump wins, conservative justices are passed through, and if Biden wins, activists are blocked from the bench.
