[TomGuy]

If Barack Obama is elected president, he will probably

That scare tactic has been used with presidential elections for years.

But, look at the track record. Those with R haven't done such a stellar job of appointing justices. Even with the current R, we almost got Harriet Miers.

McCain has said he doesn't care for the Alito-type justices who wear conservatism on their sleeve. McCain also voted for Ruth Bader Ginsberg and he supported the nomination of Harriet Miers.

Chances are, whether it is McCain, Clinton or Obama, their judicial picks will be of the left-leaning moderate type, as that is probably all they can get through confirmation.

[squidly]

Those with R haven't done such a stellar job of appointing justices.

The only big screwup I see is Souter. Otherwise, the GOP has always given us better judges than the Dems, at least in my lifetime. I didn't say perfect judges (is there such a thing?) just better judges.

[Tamzee]

If Barack Obama is elected president, he will probably

That scare tactic has been used with presidential elections for years.

It's ridiculous to call this analysis a "scare tactic". This is how rational people compare candidates, weigh the likely outcomes, and then decide how to place a vote to ensure as close an outcome as possible to their preferences.

McCain voted yes on Priscilla Owen, William Pryor, Janice Brown, etc for Circuit Judges and voted yes for Roberts and Alito for SCOTUS. Clinton and Obama voted NO on all of them.

It's absolutely clear that McCain and Obama/Clinton have radically different preferences regarding judges and judicial nominations is an area of immense power for a President with long-term and far-reaching political consequences.

.

[hdbc]

Granted, there’s no guarantee McCain or any other Republican will appoint conservative judges, but we have no chance of getting an even moderate judge with either Marxist on the other side. SCOTUS is reason alone to hold your nose and vote McCain.

[goldfinch]

That scare tactic has been used with presidential elections for years.

But, look at the track record. Those with R haven't done such a stellar job of appointing justices. Even with the current R, we almost got Harriet Miers.

Agreed that several Republican appointed Supremes have been disappointments...especially those appointed when the Democrats controlled the Senate.

The thing is that the Democrats are very, very good at appointing judges that advance their far left wing ideas. Given the alternative, I prefer to take my chances on McCain.

[hsalaw]

McCain also voted for Ruth Bader Ginsberg and he supported the nomination of Harriet Miers.

I have a lot of reasons to distrust McCain, but these aren't among them. Most Republican senators did vote for that looney old leftist Ginsberg, because that was back in the days when they thought the President had the right to choose Supreme Court justices. And a number of Republicans supported Miers and it may just have been one of the very few times McCain decided to support Pres. Bush.