If we can't stop the appointment, there's zero sense losing a seat over the appointment

[Recursion]

If we can stop it, there's a lot of sense in losing a seat over it.

So this all comes down to Collins and Murkowski.

There are times you need to make a politically unpopular non-symbolic vote.

There are times you need to make a politically popular symbolic vote.

There is never, ever a good time to make a politically unpopular symbolic vote.

[Blue_true]

1. November 8, 2016 was when we could have stopped this.

But some that think they knew better either wasted a vote, voted for Trump or didn't vote to show them (whatever them was). So we lost a President and a chance to pick up 2-3 Senate seats. Now, we are totally on the defensive with NO logical options. Those that supposedly knew better, enjoy the suck.

[Recursion]

2. Ain't that the truth (nt)

[Girard442]

3. Why would you think that a vote against Trump's nominee would be unpopular?

Or that a vote for the nominee would be popular.

If a senator can capture a swing voter by supporting Trump but causes five progressive voters to stay home in disgust, that's not a winning strategy.

[OliverQ]

4. It might hurt Red state dems to vote against

Trump's pick, since the conservative base wants a rabid right-winger on the court to destroy their lives even more.

[Recursion]

5. For Heitkamp and Manchin, a vote against could well cost them their seat

Jones seems to think it could also cost him his, which I disagree with, but he's still on the ground there and I'm not anymore.

[theaocp]

9. It's equally possible that they vote to save their asses and

get attacked by the repukes anyway. I'm sure 45 will remember their loyalty or whatever and leave them alone.

[forthemiddle]

7. It's a no win for Donnelly

Especially if the nominee is Indiana native Amy Coney Barrett.
He needs Trump voters to win in November, and I’m afraid voting against her loses him the election. Especially since he just voted for her last year.

https://www.indystar.com/story/news/politics/2017/10/31/donnelly-one-few-democrats-back-notre-dame-professor-federal-court/817992001/

[kentuck]

11. It's quite an assumption to believe it won't piss off more Democrats than Republicans ...

...to vote for someone that will probably vote to over-ride Roe v Wade and coverage for pre-existing conditions .

[Hortensis]

6. The party controlling the senate will decide who

fills the next vacancies. Our senators up for reelection will say and vote for what they must to be reeleected. Politics isn't for people who can't suck it up and do what they have to.

[standingtall]

10. At best Democrat come away with a small majority in the Senate after the midterms

With Trump still being President. If red state Democrats are willing to vote for Trumps nominee now than they will do it again between 2019 and 2021 if another supreme court opening emerges.

[Hortensis]

12. No, doesn't have to be that way. Especially with someone as

erratic as Trump and something as fluid and ruthless as national politics. We don't know now what leverage we'll have and deals that might be made, but no doubt there are various long and short games in the planning. We must be positioned to use what power we can get to its maximum.

[tritsofme]

13. If Democrats have a majority in 2019 and there is another vacancy, Schumer can invoke

the McConnell Rule and simply refuse to schedule any floor time.

Even if the nominee had 50 declared supporters counting Republicans and red state Democrats, Schumer would be under no obligation to schedule a vote.

[standingtall]

14. And if the nominee has 51 or 52 declared supporters?

Counting all republicans and 2 or 3 red state Democrats. What then? Btw we should not forget that with just 50 votes for the nominee Mike Pence gets to act as the tie breaking vote.

[tritsofme]

15. The point I was making is that it doesn't matter how many declared supporters there are.

50 or 53, Schumer would be under no obligation to schedule a vote, he controls the Senate floor.

Those red state Dems could issue press releases in “frustration” but I very much doubt they would bolt the party over it.

[standingtall]

8. They could vote for Trumps nominee and still lose too

If red state Democrats vote to confirm Trumps nominee and Democrats retake the Senate after the midterms, what good would the majority do us if there is another supreme court opening between 2019 to 2021? If red state Democrats are willing to confirm Trumps nominee for the sake of reelection now than they will do it again.

[EffieBlack]

16. Why do Democrats continue to believe that voting with Trump and Republicans will inoculate them?

I have yet to see a Democrat votes with Republicans be given a pass by the GOP election time.

They can vote with the Republicans to their hearts' content, but Trump and the Republicans will still come after them hammer and tong.

Charlie Brown. Lucy. Football.

Every damned time.