Before we lose control this could be a gift for Democrats. If this reporting is accurate the ruling returns things to pre-Roe where it was up to individual states. We’ll call them freedom states and slave states. With over 70% of the people against this ruling it will no doubt bring out a lot of liberal and progressive voters who would have stayed home otherwise. It’s naive for anyone to think the timing couldn’t be worse for republicans. To bolster that, and if democrats message it properly using the right messengers, they could instill the fear of banning all forms of birth control to include hysterectomies, tubal ligations, vasectomies, interracial marriage, same sex marriage, a woman’s right to vote, restricting voting to only property owners, etc. becomes a real possibility and could scare enough people to turn some red states blue. Let’s first see if this reporting is accurate first.
Nah, this means people will actually expect the Democrats to do something and deliver for their voters, but they don't like doing things or servicing their voters. Not only that, they loathe activists controlling the message, which will be more the case when abortion is illegal in half the country. Will probably help fundraising though. They were happy to fundraise off abortion and do nothing for decades as it was, even in states where they could have easily codified abortion rights.
If the public voted on things as you suggest literally everything the Democrats want would be approved. To suggest that Democrats would call it extremist to allow people to vote is ridiculous considering it’s the republicans passing laws restricting the right for people to vote.
Here’s another overnight thought. When Biden first took office with 50 Senators, there were some agitation from the left to expand the court. I never gave it much thought, because however justified, it was never going to happen, it was never politically feasible. No matter how much experience court watchers knew how radical this court was, there was no way the public would accept it or that you could get the votes in the Senate. But there was another good government argument that said that even if you had the power, you shouldn’t, for legitimacy purposes. We still needed a Court with the appearance of apolitical jurists, even if it wasn’t true right now. Thinking long term, the Republic functioned better with a working court which required public support and the veneer if not the actuality of legitimacy. I did find that argument powerful. But Alito says “F#&% that, we don’t need legitimacy, we have power, and we’re angry.” He doesn’t look at abortion, gay marriage, contraception as issues in which millions of Americans feel very deeply, even if they disagree, and the Court should give every appearance of crafting a reasoned opinion calculated to gain the widest possible acceptance, to appear institutionally legitimate. He just says, we hate all of you that are different, and we have power. He does not seem to care about thinking of the Court as an institution that is part of a broader system of democratic governance, ultimately resting on the foundation of consent of the governed. It’s plain he views “liberals” as he sees them, as untermensch
If the reporting is accurate then all bets are off IF as I said democrats use the right messaging with the right messenger.
For decades, my whole life basically, liberals have mostly abandoned the idea that power can be used to do things, or that politics are useful means to wield power. Their faith in institutions and the market has led to a sort of complacency that good people in power will call balls and strikes or administer neutrally. Or that the market will lead to just outcomes and discipline people in the absence of regulation or law. Just a lot of complacency during a long, slow rolling crisis. And at this moment, the senior leadership of the party is quite literally senior, positively geriatric. Totally unequipped for the era we are entering.
That might be the next constitutional challenge. Even with this court full of hacks I'm not sure that There's a legitimate state interest in putting a mothers life at risk for the benefit of a yet unborn child
It doesnt matter. On this topic mature responses are met with equal vitriol. Any reasonable life based argument is shot down with the same sad lazy buzzwords. Point out that 98% +/- pregnancy are preventable via choice is always shot down with ridicule. Point out the unique human being that exists very early on is always shot down with the "blob of cells" nonsense. Abortion should only exist in cases of mothers wellbeing. Outside of that it is a tragic scar on the American story
We have a Supreme Court that is as political is any other institution led by Republicans who are as power hungry as the rest of the politicians. The institution is hurtling towards its end.
Name some gain in the last 40 years Court wise that couldn’t be impacted by the way this decision is currently being framed? Gay rights, contraceptive rights, abortion rights all would be on the chopping block. And it was purposely written that way, so that’s the goal. Put the power to the states, and given the current makeup of many state legislatures, they are going to dive head first into that pool. And even if something like contraception isn’t done at the state level initially, some localities will 100 percent do it and dare a state legislature like Mississippi or Alabama to say no. Which they will never do, so it will spread at county or city level, even if not formally sanctioned by states. So yes, it’s coming.
