
 |
|
Feb. 8, 2013
|
| |
Jewish World Review
Jan. 26, 2006
/ 26 Teves, 5766
Why Dems can't sink Alito
By
Dick Morris
| 
|
|
|
|
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
The reason Democrats and liberals did not get more popular traction in their opposition to the appointment of Judge Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court is that their worldview of what constitutes a good nominee is sharply at variance with that of the American public at large.
To the likes of Sens. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) et al., the Supreme Court is a kind of super-Congress nine special Senate seats and the criterion for confirmation is agreement with the nominee on the key issues likely to come before the court. But to the American voters, the Supreme Court is above politics and ideology and confirmation should be awarded based on personal attributes such as integrity, intelligence, judgment, compassion, wisdom, maturity, fairness and temperament.
Realizing this difference in perspective between the Democratic base and the public at large, President Bush has done very well with both the John Roberts and the Alito appointments. When his people forgot about the dichotomy and nominated Harriet Miers who was seen as a poorly qualified if conservative candidate they got their heads handed to them.
Of course, ideology is as important (if not more so) to conservatives as it is to liberals. But with the White House comes the ability to get men or women who share your ideology approved as long as they are objectively well-qualified. Bill Clinton learned that lesson when the Senate easily approved his nominations of moderate liberal Stephen Breyer and ultraliberal Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Republicans then, as with Democrats now, could not rally public opposition to a judge simply based on his or her ideology.
The Robert Bork nomination failed, ultimately, not so much because he was a conservative but because his opponents managed to cast doubts on his temperament by engaging him in harsh rhetorical exchanges during his hearings. Clarence Thomas was not seriously opposed because of his conservatism but as a result of the allegations of Anita Hill that he sexually harassed her.
The failure of voters to understand the role of ideology in court decisions seems to fly in the face of the knee-jerk conservatism of Antonin Scalia, Thomas and, during his tenure, Rehnquist and the automatic liberalism of John Paul Stevens and Ginsburg. But voters are not deluded; they simply do not see Roe v. Wade in quite the apocalyptic terms that both the left and the right do. To the vast middle of the American political spectrum, it is more important that a Supreme Court nominee be a good person with sterling credentials than be predictably for or against Roe v. Wade.
But, in an even broader sense, voters are increasingly appalled at the growth of partisanship on Capitol Hill. Clinton's impeachment and the GOP government closures of the 1990s have left their legacy in the growing public impatience with shrill, blind partisan advocacy in their elected Congress. Their insistence on credentials and personal qualifications in Supreme Court nominees reflects their desire not to see this unappealing trait spread to the Supreme Court.
Public OKs wiretapping
The Fox News poll of Jan. 11 confirms that the public stands solidly behind Bush's policy of authorizing warrantless wiretaps by the National Security Agency of conversations between American citizens and people outside the United States.
By 58-32, voters supported the policy, and 60 percent of the public said that they would be willing, personally, to sacrifice some of their privacy to help national security.
The poll also found that Americans disagree with Osama bin Laden that we have avoided terrorist attacks simply because al Qaeda has not planned any raids. Forty-six percent say that it was because of our efforts at homeland security that we have not been hit in four and a half years. Only 22 percent said it was because no attacks were attempted. Twenty percent said both were responsible. And 60 percent want the Patriot Act to be renewed.
These survey findings underscore that Democrats attack Bush on his efforts to prevent domestic terror attacks at their own peril. The public dislikes Republicans because of their corruption scandals but appreciates their positions on homeland security. It differs with the Democrats over domestic anti-terror efforts but exempts them from its condemnation of congressional dishonesty. Each party should stay on its own turf and clean up the rest of its act.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
JWR contributor Dick Morris is author, most recently, of "Because He Could". (Click HERE to purchase. Sales help fund JWR.) Comment by clicking here.
Dick Morris Archives
© 2005, Dick Morris
| |

Arnold Ahlert
Mitch Albom
Jay Ambrose
Michael Barone
Barrywood
Lori Borgman
Stratfor Briefing
Mona Charen
Linda Chavez
Richard Z. Chesnoff
Ann Coulter
Greg Crosby
Alan Douglas
Larry Elder
Suzanne Fields
Christine Flowers
Frank J. Gaffney
Bernie Goldberg
Jonah Goldberg
Julia Gorin
Jonathan Gurwitz
Paul Greenberg
Argus Hamilton
Victor Davis Hanson
Betsy Hart
Ron Hart
Nat Hentoff
Marybeth Hicks
A. Barton Hinkle
Jeff Jacoby
Paul Johnson
Jack Kelly
Ch. Krauthammer
David Limbaugh
Kathryn Lopez
Rich Lowry
Michelle Malkin
Jackie Mason
Ann McFeatters
Dale McFeatters
Dana Milbank
Jeanne Moos
Dick Morris
Jim Mullen
Deroy Murdock
Judge A. Napolitano
Bill O'Reilly
Kathleen Parker
Star Parker
Dennis Prager
Wesley Pruden
Tom Purcell
Sharon Randall
Robert Robb
Cokie & Steve Roberts
Heather Robinson
Debra J. Saunders
Martin Schram
Culture Shlock
David Shribman
Roger Simon
Michael Smerconish
Thomas Sowell
Ben Stein
Mark Steyn
John Stossel
Cal Thomas
Dan Thomasson
Bob Tyrrell
Diana West
Dave Weinbaum
George Will
Walter Williams
Byron York
ZeitGeist
Mort Zuckerman

Robert Arial
Chuck Asay
Baloo
Lisa Benson
Chip Bok
Dry Bones
John Branch
John Cole
J. D. Crowe
Matt Davies
John Deering
Brian Duffy
Everything's Relative
Mallard Fillmore
Glenn Foden
Jake Fuller
Bob Gorrel
Walt Handelsman
Joe Heller
David Hitch
Jerry Holbert
David Horsey
Lee Judge
Steve Kelley
Jeff Koterba
Dick Locher
Chan Lowe
Jimmy Margulies
Jack Ohman
Michael Ramirez
Rob Rogers
Drew Sheneman
Kevin Siers
Jeff Stahler
Scott Stantis
Danna Summers
Gary Varvel
Kirk Walters
Dan Wasserman

Mr. Know-It-All
Ask Doctor K
Richard Lederer
Frugal Living
On Nutrition
Bookmark These
Bruce Williams
|