Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the star of the moving documentary “RBG”, is 85. She will be 88 at the end of Donald Trump’s 1st term. Ninety-two at the end of a possible Donald Trump 2nd term.
Ruth has pledged to stay on The Supreme Court for a while . . . but that decision is not hers alone. God may have other plans.
{mosads}And if she does leave – through retirement or death – America might become a fundamentally different place.
Whether women will have the right to an abortion, whether gay couples will continue to have the right to marry, whether there are comprehensive background checks for guns, a ban on bump stocks, a ban of terrorists on watch lists buying guns, a ban on assault weapons, whether big money and big money lobbyists are taken out of politics and “Citizens United” is ever overturned, and so much more – voting rights legislation, equal pay for women, climate change legislation, renewable energy and other environmental regulations, and on and on – all depend on Ruth Bader Ginsburg, her seat on the United States Supreme Court . . . and your vote in the Nov. 6, 2018 midterm elections.
At Harvard Law School, Columbia Law School, as an attorney advocate for women’s rights, on the DC Circuit Court of Appeals and, basically, her entire life, “The Notorious RBG” has fought for all of these issues. The extraordinarily moving CNN Films documentary of her life, “RBG” shows a heroic lifetime of advocacy, even at a time when, as one of only nine women, the Dean at Harvard angrily asks her why she was “taking the place of an eligible man!”
Christopher Gordon, “Randall”, the famed creator and narrator of “The Badass Honey Badger” viral video says that she is “the closest thing to a real life human ‘Honey Badger’ America has ever seen” (a huge compliment). Women’s rights icon Gloria Steinem says that she is “the closest thing to a ‘Superhero’ I know.”
But her 25 years on the court, and her lifetime of advocacy for women and other causes, may go down the drain unless Democratic senators running in 2018 win every one of their seats AND pick up at least two more seats to take back The Senate. In other words, young people and others who love “The Notorious RBG” have to turn out in big numbers in Florida, North Dakota, Indiana, Montana, West Virginia and also Nevada, Arizona, Texas and Tennessee and #Vote4RUTH to keep her legacy on The Court.
Because unless Democrats flip The Senate, Donald Trump, at least until January 2021, will have the ability to fill her vacant seat with someone just like Neil Gorsuch or the soon to be confirmed Brett Kavanaugh.
Someone whose views and votes are THE OPPOSITE of everything that Ruth Bader Ginsburg has stood for, fought for and voted for in her 25 bold years on The United States Supreme Court . . .
Why?
It’s really pretty simple.
Because here’s what happens if they don’t . . .
Here’s what happens with the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh
- 4 Super Conservative Republican Justices: Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh.
- 1 Very Conservative (but sometimes Moderate) Republican Justice: Chief Justice John Roberts.
- 4 Progress Democratic Justices: Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan
- Bottom Line: Chief Justice John Robers MAY vote with the Democratic Justices on womens rights, common sense gun legislation, gay rights, environmental regulations, health care, voting rights, etc.
Here’s what happens if Ruth Bader Ginsburg is replaced by another Brett Kavanaugh
- 5 Super Conservative Republican Justices: Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Donald Trump replacement
- 1 Very Conservative (but sometimes Moderate) Republican Justice: Chief Justice John Roberts.
- 3 Progress Democratic Justices: Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan
- Bottom Line: Chief Justice John Roberts become irrelevant. All three Democrats become irrelevant. They may as well stay home. It only takes five votes to rule anything “Unconstitutional”, to overturn ANY past case or precedent, to do ANYTHING they want. Whatever five votes on The Supreme Court say, IS what The U.S. Constitution says. There is NO appeal. Goodbye many womens rights, most common sense gun legislation, most gay rights, environmental regulations, health care, voting rights, etc.
What Do The Midterms Have To Do with Ruth Bader Ginsburg and The Supreme Court?
Great question. Almost no one knows the answer to this. Glad you asked. Here’s the Civics:
How A Supreme Court Justice Gets Selected
Step One: A president nominates
Step Two: 51 members of The United States Senate Confirm
How Long Does a Supreme Court Justice Serve?
As long as he or she wants, or lives. They are appointed FOR LIFE. That means that a 50 year old& like Neil Gorsuch can serve for 30 or 40 or even more years.
How Many Republicans and Democrats are Currently in The Senate?
51 Republicans
49 Democrats
How Many Additional Seats Must Democrats Win To Take Over The Senate and Determine Who Will Fill Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s seat (or any other seat on The Supreme Court)?
If they only win 1 more that would be a 50 – 50 tie and Republican Vice President Mike Pence would break that tie to always give Republicans the 51 votes they need.
How Can You Vote FOR (or AGAINST) Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Nov. 6?
Vote for Democrats running for The Senate in your state if you want Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) to become Senate majority leader and be able to stop Donald Trump from filling Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s, or any other seat on The U.S. Supreme Court with another conservative like Gorsuch or Kavanaugh.
Vote for Republicans running for the Senate in your state if you want Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to continue to be Senate majority leader and be able to confirm any Donald Trump appointment to fill Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s, or any other seat on The U.S. Supreme Court with another conservative like Gorsuch or Kavanaugh.
RBG is on the ballot on Nov. 6 and, I believe, the most important reason to register and vote!
Richard Greene is an author, radio show host, communication strategist, civics educator, Founder of 279 for Change, former attorney and former Fellow at the Constitutional Rights Foundation.