Scalia just died (really). How will this affect the race?

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

She's  not gonna lose.

[SingingAnalyst]

It will help Clinton, as she is perceived to be most likely to win and unite the Dem party. A sign at Mondale's 1984 campaign said "Save the Supreme Court. Vote Democratic." We can expect something similar this year, assuming Scalia is not replaced this year.

That's a very nice thing to say and wish for - Clinton going the way of Mondale. It's a beautiful thing.

By "something" I did not mean a similar result to the 1984 election. I meant a lot of attention on who will name the next Supreme Court justice. I mentioned 1984 because that is the last time I recall so much attention to the Court as a Presidential issue. I recall in 1984 in response to a heckler, Mondale said "This election is not about Reagan sending hecklers to my rallies. It is about Jerry Falwell naming the next justice to the Supreme Court!" He repeated the Falwell comment later, seemingly oblivious that he was alienating millions of voters.

Clinton's argument that she should be the one to name the next Justice (assuming Obama does not do so) will be much better received than Mondale's, since today's Millennials are politically active and informed, whereas we Gen-Xers were perhaps the most conservative generation of young voters in US history.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

Dems may be over a barrel  on this one, but Dems are fortunate  that Kasich wont be nominee, all Dems have to do is win Senate and Presidency in 2016. Dems dont have to fret about the House no more, eventhough  it was out of play anyways.

[Brittain33]

Very disappointed in some of the posts I'm reading here. A person dying is not cause for celebration.

I'm really almost in disbelief with some of you people.

Supreme Court is a lifetime appointment. Don't blame people that his death coincides with a major change in government policy, that's how it works.

[MyRescueKittehRocks]

She's  not gonna lose.

Say that again on Nov 9 when you're in shock of president-elect Ted Cruz.

[Nyvin]

She's  not gonna lose.

Say that again on Nov 9 when you're in shock of president-elect Ted Cruz.

Lol,  it would be so cool if Ted Cruz turns out to be the GOP nominee. 

[MyRescueKittehRocks]

She's  not gonna lose.

Say that again on Nov 9 when you're in shock of president-elect Ted Cruz.

Lol,  it would be so cool if Ted Cruz turns out to be the GOP nominee. 

A Cruz v Sanders race would be awesome because it would be an honest debate of the issues.

[This account no longer in use.]

She's  not gonna lose.

Say that again on Nov 9 when you're in shock of president-elect Ted Cruz.

Lol,  it would be so cool if Ted Cruz turns out to be the GOP nominee. 

A Cruz v Sanders race would be awesome because it would be an honest debate of the issues.

I have been saying this for quite a while. Cruz and Sanders are both honest people who are not corrupt, unlike certain other candidates.

[All Along The Watchtower]

The more I think about it, the more I think it is likely that he was poisoned by an assassin hired by a public sector union. Remember, the SC was likely to rule forced public union dues unconstitutional later this year .

I knew I could count on right-wing CT'ers to weigh in!

[MyRescueKittehRocks]

She's  not gonna lose.

Say that again on Nov 9 when you're in shock of president-elect Ted Cruz.

Lol,  it would be so cool if Ted Cruz turns out to be the GOP nominee. 

A Cruz v Sanders race would be awesome because it would be an honest debate of the issues.

I have been saying this for quite a while. Cruz and Sanders are both honest people who are not corrupt, unlike certain other candidates.

Which is why the grassroots wings of the parties need to be as active as possible.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

She's  not gonna lose.

Say that again on Nov 9 when you're in shock of president-elect Ted Cruz.

Lol,  it would be so cool if Ted Cruz turns out to be the GOP nominee. 

A Cruz v Sanders race would be awesome because it would be an honest debate of the issues.

I have been saying this for quite a while. Cruz and Sanders are both honest people who are not corrupt, unlike certain other candidates.

lol. The idea that lurking at an ideological extreme makes you some sort of magic truth-teller is a very annoying meme, almost as bad as the OMG NON-PARTISAN MODERATE!!11 junk. I mean universally non-moderate politicians are - often - less corrupt because they are a) typically non-careerist true belivers and b) because they have no power. But Cruz and Sanders are still politicians who cater and pander to their own sections of the electorate.

Would you buy a used car from Ted Cruz?

[angus]

Antonin Scalia has been confirmed dead, at the age of 79.

How does this influence the 2016 race?

Minimally or zero because supreme court vacancies are too esoteric for most voters. 

You could argue that it helps republicans because there are several high-profile cases to be decided between now and November which whose results are going to be spun as negative precisely because one republican installation is now absent.

You could argue that it helps democrats because republicans will try to delay and block any Obama nomination between now and January and the democrats will spin that as obstructionism.

I do think we'll hear lots about Scalia and possible replacements, and about what this "means" for the primary and general elections.  In reality, voters who care about such things (talking heads, Atlas posters, campaign donors, etc.) have already made up their minds, and supreme court vacancies just aren't exciting enough to get casual, once-in-a-while voters up in arms. 

[Classic Conservative]

To all of you who are saying "He died he's going to hell" remember what you told us conservatives earlier. Can't fight hate with hate you can only fight it with love. If Ginsburg died, I wouldn't be screaming the old cook is dead, huzzah. I'd be sad that someone who gave their entire life to their values and country died. Remember that you should always fight hate with love, peace and compassion.

[ProudModerate2]

To all of you who are saying "He died he's going to hell" remember what you told us conservatives earlier. Can't fight hate with hate you can only fight it with love. If Ginsburg died, I wouldn't be screaming the old cook is dead, huzzah. I'd be sad that someone who gave their entire life to their values and country died. Remember that you should always fight hate with love, peace and compassion.

You would not be screaming those words, but you know others on Atlas would.

[ProudModerate2]

If you want to have some fun, look at the comments on FOX News and Breitbart. They seem to completely seriously believe that Obama murdered Scalia.

Tell us that you are pulling our leg.
You cant be serious ?

[This account no longer in use.]

If you want to have some fun, look at the comments on FOX News and Breitbart. They seem to completely seriously believe that Obama murdered Scalia.

Tell us that you are pulling our leg.
You cant be serious ?

I'm 100% serious. It's not all of them, but quite a few of them.

[Mr. Reactionary]

If Dems get this pick, Sri Srivasen will restore the voting rights act which will hurt the GOP, especially in 2017-2018 whenvoting drops among Dems. Nevertheless its a setback for concealed weapons carry and campaign  finance reform on the part of conservatives.

It's not like a new majority can just vote to change existing precedent. There has to be an actual case involving Sec. 4 of the VRA, which cannot happen until Congress acts because lower courts will apply stare decisis in the meantime, and stare decisis says that the Sec. 4 formula is unconstitutional as of 2013. Ditto with campaign finance restrictions under BCRA. Yes, a 5-4 lib majority will likely uphold future laws equivalent to those struck down by the conservative majority, but that still requires Congress to make the new law in the first place. And that's not going to happen during the next 2 years. Assuming the Dems take both Houses of Congress and the Presidency in 2016, and also assuming that they somehow manage to force through a magical new VRA formula for preclearance in about a year, it would still only apply prospectively, which does nada for maps already in existence in 2018.

On guns you are right about concealed carry, although I'm actually relieved now that cert. was not granted on the assault weapons case. This term is going to be an abysmal minefield of dysfunctional 4-4 cases. Scalia's death will negatively impact the legal field for a generation because of the unsatisfactory non-precedential decisions. 

[ProudModerate2]

If you want to have some fun, look at the comments on FOX News and Breitbart. They seem to completely seriously believe that Obama murdered Scalia.

Tell us that you are pulling our leg.
You cant be serious ?

I'm 100% serious. It's not all of them, but quite a few of them.

Wow !
If you (or anyone) have a video link to this, I would love to see (and laugh at) it.

[This account no longer in use.]

If you want to have some fun, look at the comments on FOX News and Breitbart. They seem to completely seriously believe that Obama murdered Scalia.

Tell us that you are pulling our leg.
You cant be serious ?

I'm 100% serious. It's not all of them, but quite a few of them.

Wow !
If you (or anyone) have a video link to this, I would love to see (and laugh at) it.

I don't mean an actual part of FOX News, I mean a lot of the commenters seem to think so.

[Mike Thick]

If you want to have some fun, look at the comments on FOX News and Breitbart. They seem to completely seriously believe that Obama murdered Scalia.

Tell us that you are pulling our leg.
You cant be serious ?

I'm 100% serious. It's not all of them, but quite a few of them.

Wow !
If you (or anyone) have a video link to this, I would love to see (and laugh at) it.

I don't mean an actual part of FOX News, I mean a lot of the commenters seem to think so.

They're basically Freepers. It's entertaining to read.

[ProudModerate2]

If you want to have some fun, look at the comments on FOX News and Breitbart. They seem to completely seriously believe that Obama murdered Scalia.

Tell us that you are pulling our leg.
You cant be serious ?

I'm 100% serious. It's not all of them, but quite a few of them.

Wow !
If you (or anyone) have a video link to this, I would love to see (and laugh at) it.

I don't mean an actual part of FOX News, I mean a lot of the commenters seem to think so.

They're basically Freepers. It's entertaining to read.

Oh OK.

[SillyAmerican]

They just have to keep from losing five votes, and this isn't the cabinet - very few GOP Senators are going to vote for an Obama SC nominee in this climate. Especially as Obama even voted down
Roberts to replace Rehnquist. He hasn't earned Presidential courtesy on SC nominees in his last year.

Yup. I think we can count on two things:

(1) President Obama will not nominate anyone that's anywhere near Justice Scalia in terms of political temperament or views as a jurist.

(2) The Senate will not vote to confirm any nominee that will push the Court further to the left.

The court will need to operate with eight justices until after the election.

[eric82oslo]

The Supreme Court will become one of the top issues. I could easily see another government shutdown happening.

Government shutdown? What does the government have to do with the Supreme Court? The Constitution gave us the three branches of government after all.

[/]

Heh.

[SillyAmerican]

To all of you who are saying "He died he's going to hell" remember what you told us conservatives earlier. Can't fight hate with hate you can only fight it with love. If Ginsburg died, I wouldn't be screaming the old cook is dead, huzzah. I'd be sad that someone who gave their entire life to their values and country died. Remember that you should always fight hate with love, peace and compassion.

Yes. Perhaps what these folks are actually saying is that hell needs a strong/reasonable male presence, given all the female supporters of Sanders that will be heading there from New Hampshire (per Madeleine Albright).