Republicans and Democrats on the Supreme Court fight: more asymmetric partisan polarization, of course

I don't like being defeatist about the immediate political situation. But the fight over the open Supreme Court seat is so far looking like a rerun of the show that we've had playing out pretty much since 1992: Republicans politicians fight aggressively for the "red meat" issues their base supports; Democratic politicians surrender.

Once again, we're seeing The One True Thing David Frum Ever Said played out in real time: "while Republican politicians fear their base, Democratic pols hate theirs"; (Gibbs on the Left FrumForum 08/10/2010)

Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away last Friday. In the five days since, the Republicans jumped out immediately saying they were going to jam her replacement through during Trump's first term.

Senior leaders in the Democratic Party have basically taken two of their most promising procedural options off the table following options off the table for this fight: holding up the continuing resolution on funding the government (Nancy Pelosi, who sneered that only people "on the left" were suggesting that) and sending a series of impeachments to the Senate to gum up the process and create negative publicity for Republicans (anti-abortion-rights Sen. Tim Kaine, Hillary Clinton's running mate in 2016). But Pelosi, Kaine, Joe Biden, and Biden surrogate Cory Booker all called on Republicans to be consistent and honorable and stand by their word from 2016 that they wouldn't consider Supreme Court appointments during Presidential elections. Threaten to pack the Court if they take the Senate? Please, this the establishment leadership of the Democratic Party we're talking about here. Although we're at least getting a bit of nothing-off-the-table talk from them on that option, for what that's worth.

Dahlia Lithwich comments, "The question to me isn’t so much whether structural court reform is on the table, of course it has to be. The question is whether to talk about it explicitly for election purposes." (What Should the Democrats Do Now? Slate 09/22/2020) She's right, although I'm not seeing much sign that the real existing leadership of the Democratic Party agrees with her.

Jamelle Bouie talks about some of the options the Democrats have to fight the Trump SCOTUS nomination, in some alternative universe whether the establishment Democrats are actually willing to fight for their own side: Democrats Can Still Play Hardball Slate podcast 09/23/2020.

Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (RI) is technically correct when he says that the Democrats can't prevent the Republicans from jamming this through. (Suzanne Sammle, Top Dem: Republicans can't be stopped on SCOTUS nominee AOL/Yahoo News 09/22/2020)

Of course, defeating Trump's Supreme Court nomination will mean getting at least four Republican Senators to refuse to go along. And the only way to do that if for the Democrats is to put up a serious, visible fight. And the Democrats at this point show no obvious intentions of doing so.

The drama element of this is important, especially with a very critical Presidential election coming up on November 3. The Republican voters and potential Republican swing voters see the Republicans fighting and winning. The Democrats voters and potential Democratic swing voters see the Democrats basically surrender without a fight. Or even bluffing about putting up a fight.

Nancy Pelosi was on ABC's This Week (09/20/2020) saying she had "arrows in our quiver". ('We have our options' if GOP push a SCOTUS nomination before election: Speaker Pelosi) But one of the times George Stephanopoulos asked what some of those arrows were, she answered, "Good morning. Sunday morning." (?!) But wouldn't describe any of those "arrows". Except he asked her if she would use the House's fiscal power for leverage, she assured him that, oh no, they wouldn't even consider "shutting down government." She did mention that there was some "enthusiasm" and "exuberance" for that "on the left." (But of course if Biden loses she will happily blame it on those same dang hippie lefties.)

Cory Booker on "Face the Nation" was downright fascinating. Not because he gave any indication of being ready to fight, of course not. His top stratagem is to make "a moral appeal to people who clearly stated what they would do in these circumstances," meaning Senate Republicans. "For them to go against their word is pretty significant in the public space in terms of their own honor and legitimacy." He wants them to consider the "larger view of history" and "the long-term strength of our democracy." He is surprised at the idea that Republicans might "so severely violate their own words."

This means that our Cory Booker has been body-swapped with a Cory Booker from another dimension. Because the one on TV Sunday clearly isn't familiar with the Republican Party in this plane of reality, Face The Nation: Booker, Gottlieb 09/20/2020:

Here's anti-women's-rights Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine, Sen. Kaine: GOP Trying To 'Bum Rush' SCOTUS Nominee MSNBC 09/21/2020:

This is Schumer, Senate Democratic leader, Sen. Chuck Schumer on Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Death and Supreme Court Nomination Process C-SPAN 09/21/2020

Here is Biden's first speech after Ginsburg's death. Which I have to say by Biden standards isn't bad. A call to make a serious fight, though, sounds different than this. Joe Biden Delivers Remarks in Philadelphia 09/20/2020:

Here is rightwing Republican Rick Wilson hosting a show for the rightwing but anti-Trump Republican Lincoln Project operation on the nomination, LPTV: The Breakdown—September 21, 2020. It's cute. Since they are Republicans, they can't quite believe the Democrats think an aggressive response is, "Gee, what can we do? Send us campaign donations." Their underlying assumption in this video is that the Democratic leadership will make a serious public stink over this, since that's what "their side" normally does. (It's 2020, so I guess anything is possible!):