Reparations, Court-Packing: Once-Fringe Issues Take Hold in Democratic Primary Race

New York Times ^ | March 12, 2019 | Sydney Ember and Astead W. Herndon

[reaganaut1]

It was a made-for-social-media moment for Pete Buttigieg.

In Philadelphia last month on his book tour, Mr. Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Ind., and a Democratic candidate for president, fielded an unlikely question from the audience: “Would you support a packing of the courts to expand the Supreme Court by four members?”

The inquiry elicited titters from the politics-hungry crowd that appeared surprised by the question. But not from Mr. Buttigieg.

“I don’t think we should be laughing at it,” he said. “In some ways it’s no more a shattering of norms than what’s already been done to get the judiciary to where it is today. ”

His response drew immediate praise from liberal news outlets; ThinkProgress declared him the only Democratic candidate that seemed “serious about governing.” But if Mr. Buttigieg’s remarks were off-the-cuff, the question was not: It had been posed by a person involved with Pack the Courts, a liberal activist group that favors adding judges in order to flip the ideological tilt of the high court — known as court-packing.

The success of the strategy — pushing an issue that had mostly thrived on the fringe into the 2020 conversation — illustrates how activists are leveraging the early stages of the Democratic primary, creating pseudo-litmus tests for candidates eager to respond to the energy that is driving more extreme policy proposals.

For grass-roots organizers, the wide-open Democratic field — already veering to the left on taxes, health care, super PAC donations and other issues — provides multiple openings to elevate their agendas. In recent weeks they have helped spur similar exchanges on fraught topics like reparations and ending the Senate filibuster. They have also helped broaden the conversation on climate change to include an expansive proposal called the Green New Deal.

[reaganaut1]

Even the NYT admits the Democrats have become a fringe party.

[ClearCase_guy]

“Would you support a packing of the courts to expand the Supreme Court by four members?”

Hey, let's do it now and let Trump pick the 4 new judges.

[AnotherUnixGeek]

Is court packing really something liberals want to push for - while there is a Republican president and a Republican Senate?

Actually it did work for FDR - he didn't get his additional pet justices on the court, but the SC caved in to him after he threatened it. If Democrats are going to normalize banana republic practices, Republicans better learn to play that game - Rand Paul-like fidelity to Constitutional principles while Democrats do whatever they want is the kind of logic kids who get their lunch money stolen use to try to get through the day.

[nopardons]

BTT

[Buckeye McFrog]

If they ever get both Houses and POTUS, court packing WILL happen. Take it to the bank.

[Buckeye McFrog]

Even the NYT admits the Democrats have become a fringe party.

A fringe party that represents roughly half of voters, and likely a majority soon?

[Engedi]

Better believe when Dems get total control of Congress and has sitting Dem President, they will go for the throat and ensure they get Judges, social justice policies, climate control, immigration policies (elimination of Ice and Border Patrol), reduce voting age to 16.

2016 Election unleashed their fury and they will not allow another Republican President.

[immadashell]

Send in the clowns.

[CoastWatcher]

It the Demonic-rats make this a plank in the Presidential campaign; then a preemptive packing should be considered.

[The Toll]

Imagine having a political party that tries to implement the things you want. That must be awesome!

[catnipman]

“Reparations, Court-Packing: Once-Fringe Issues Take Hold in Democratic Primary Race”

Fringe issues make for a fringe party ... Dems literally turning into the party of crazy ... and the wonderful irony of it all is that Trump beating Hillary is what drove them insane ... yet ANOTHER wonderful outcome of the Trump Effect ...