Last night’s debate annoyed me, though not as much as the previous Trump/Biden debate. A yell fest? No thanks. No: not the fly. But God does seem to be sending us messages: over and over. All Trump’s dangerous COVID nonsense? What does he get? 
What they laughingly call “debates” have become increasingly worthless ever since they abandoned the League running them and let, basically, the parties run their own debates. There’s really no debate to them. If it were up to me: a mute button. No matter who talks over the time, who ignores the question asked, the moderator not too slowly says, “WARNING! 1… 2… 3… (Mute.)
As much as the talk over, ignore the moderator and continue on tactic bothers me, what bothers me just as much is question is question ignored. Often to spew some cheap, BS, political counter point.
However, I agree with Michael Steele: Pence did what he came to do. He came to be slimy, slippery. He was slimy and slippery. He came to pushed the “who cares what the moderator says” tactic. He pushed it. Pushed it to the point they should have stopped the debate and had stagehands toss him off the stage. But more than anything Pence came to muddy the waters at least a little for any voters with even an ounce of doubt how horrible the administration is. Oh, and he came to act marginally more sane. He did all of these.
But the most annoying part, at least for me, was the accusation that Democrats were going to pack the court. Really? Harris should have responded with, “OH! You mean what you, Mitch and the president have been doing?”
Though some of her responses were good, this one was weak.
So, what about the Court?
In a time of unpredictability I make no absolute claims; a position I admit being very comfortable with since, relatively speaking, I am a relativist. But I do think it more than likely the Court appointment will be made. The Republicans are truly that desperate, hypocritical and craven. The good news, that is also bad news, is every tactic they use we should be able to use too. That’s why this election, and sticking to the goals, are so important, crucial, necessary. This is no time for, “Well, WE shouldn’t do THAT!!!” Even though they would, even though they did.
I am going to provide a context here that may be an impossible event: Biden wins and the team takes the White House in January, 2021.
Why impossible? Far more likely than not the appointment to the Court will be made. Far more likely, than not, she will not recuse herself from ruling on probably any conflict of interest issue; especially the most obvious: election issues. Are you kidding? Trump demands obedience, or as he calls it: (absolute) “loyalty.” In other words: 2000 all over again, only worse. A “special” ruling that provides “no precedent:” but of course really will.
This has nothing to do with rule of law or the Constitution. It has to do with justices who feel their job is to turn American into a country ruled by one party: and it sure as hell ain’t Democratic, democratic, representative or a nation considered a Republic. In modern usage of these terms. Don’t even bother with any of those progressive dreams. Toss any dreams of any new party down the toilet.
But let’s go with my scenario for laughs anyway. Biden is president. A 6-3 Court consistently rules anything not supported by the extreme right is unconstitutional. There would be only one path left, and there’s historical precedent: Andrew Jackson.
Screw what anyone says, or rules; like they have: pack the court. Make it 17 justices. Hillary might be a choice just to stick it to them: it’s essentially what they do on their side. Bernie-like progressives might even be better. But at least rational: REAL justices. NOT partisan hacks.
CAVEAT TIME! Any tactic used against them will be perfected and used against us. It’s a sad commentary on the times. Once the ethical nature of the nation was so strong Conservatives like Goldwater and the Buckley brothers went to their president and told him it was over. Both parties have abandoned that path, to some extent. Republicans are just far, far more consistent, craven…
Appeal to their sense of decency?
Ha!
Ha, ha.
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, HA, HA, HA…
But; if my scenario happens, I think a Biden administration needs to go back to the precedent set by President Trump’s hero; President Andrew Jackson. To rephrase his more Justice John Marshall-based quote…
”(The Court) has made (their) decision. Now let (them) enforce it.”
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Inspection is a column that has been written by Ken Carman for over 40 years. Inspection is dedicated to looking at odd angles, under all the rocks, and into the unseen cracks and crevasses, that constitute the issues and philosophical constructs of our day: places few think, or even dare, to venture.
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