The list won Trump the White House. Now Democrats are using it against him.

[DonViejo]

Trump’s highly publicized list of potential Supreme Court nominees has given liberals plenty of time to craft a campaign against his pick.

By LORRAINE WOELLERT and CHRISTOPHER CADELAGO 07/02/2018 05:11 PM EDT

It’s the list that won him the presidency.

President Donald Trump’s widely publicized list of potential Supreme Court nominees brought conservative doubters — including evangelicals — to the highly unconventional Republican nominee’s side. It prevented them from fleeing as the “Access Hollywood” tape threatened to tank Trump’s campaign. And it reassured them throughout Trump’s turbulent presidency, especially when he pulled from it to ensure Justice Neil Gorsuch’s smooth ascent to the high court.

Now, it’s warding off the chaos that grips other facets of Trump’s administration as he weighs another Supreme Court nominee.

Within moments of Justice Anthony Kennedy announcing his retirement, Trump told reporters he’d be picking his replacement from the list, sending a clear signal that the often-rogue president understands how he can’t risk alienating the conservative base heading first into midterms and then his own reelection bid. But this time around, the list has become a liability, too, as swing-vote Republicans urge Trump to think bigger and Democrats use it to get a running start in their campaign against Trump’s forthcoming pick.

Still, the White House believes the defined universe of names makes the posturing around who will ultimately be selected less dramatic, Republicans involved in the decision-making said. And because the more than two dozen names on the list are cut from the same cloth as Gorsuch, they argue, endangered Democrats who backed Gorsuch will find it difficult to vote against another candidate from the list.

more
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/07/02/donald-trump-supreme-court-list-690628

[exboyfil]

1. Each spent 45 minutes with him

I wonder what that was like. Did each do a sufficient amount of groveling.

[FSogol]

2. "Tell me how big my hands are...."

[exboyfil]

3. I mean what??

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/02/us/politics/trump-supreme-court-nomination.html

Judge Kethledge also clerked for Justice Kennedy, and has the support of some conservative activists. A graduate of the University of Michigan Law School, Judge Kethledge does not have the Harvard or Yale pedigree that Mr. Trump has told associates he would like to see in the next justice.

I might not like this particular candidate, but U Michigan is one of the finest law schools in the country. It would be a benefit to get away from all Ivy League Justices anyway and get a fresh perspective. She is the wrong candidate, but someone from the middle of the US would be nice.