On the one hand conservatives are extremely vocal about decrying the pernicious influence of the country's most prestigious universities on the intellectual elite. They're inclined to use the names of certain institutions almost as swear words: Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Berkeley, and the University of Chicago. But when it comes time to nominate a supreme court justice, who do they regard as ideally qualified? Graduates of Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Berkeley, and the University of Chicago. Huh? (Remember, one definition of 'stupid' is repeatedly doing the same things and expecting a different result.) It's hard not to think that what depresses them the most about Harriet Miers are the initials "SMU." That's right. Harriet Miers got her law degree at Southern Methodist University in Texas. How awful. How gauche. How disappointing. Especially if you're an intellectual who got your degree from Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Berkeley, or the University of Chicago.
In many ways Miers represents what the populist side of the Republican party wants... An evangelical christian who isn't a member of the intellectual "elite."
The spin that will develop is that she is poised to go in there and fuck the system by providing a perspective that is untainted by moderate religious views and those terrible educational institutions in this country who produce such useless people. She will bear the standard of the culture war, and the talk radio people will get this shortly and run with it. The right wing blogosphere is mostly populated by professional lawyers who are going to be offended by this nomination, but they are slowly starting to fall in line for political reasons.
Its not about the "strict constructionalism" of Thomas and Scalia for most Republicans. They don't really understand all that stuff, and they don't like it when Scalia does something like argue that the President can't detain U.S. citizens indefinately without trial. Its about power and its about policy. Its about what we want and not what the law says. Its about tearing down all those smart ass fuddy duddies in the cities with their ivy league degrees and their tolerance for homosexuals. Its about fucking the Liberals and ACLU, and instutionalizing all of the prejudices of small town America, federally.
This is the culture war. This is their moment. They are slowly starting to realize it, and its going to turn into a really bloody confirmation battle. If Miers wins, they win, they have their populist on the court.
If Miers looses, they win, because they'll have the whole right wing base wipped up into a tizzy about how opposing this nomination is anti-american. A loss here will be a mandate for a massive conservative electoral turnout headed into the 2006 election season. Put on your seatbelt. Instapun***K.com Archives: |
