RIP Scalia

Quote: Wizard

I think the opposite would be true. Every commentary I heard said a 4-4 vote would pretty much be the same thing as a 0-9 vote against whatever was before the court. It takes five votes to overturn a lower court ruling.

lmgtfy

Quote: Wizard

I think the opposite would be true. Every commentary I heard said a 4-4 vote would pretty much be the same thing as a 0-9 vote against whatever was before the court. It takes five votes to overturn a lower court ruling.

Goes with what I would think. Any filing to the SCOTUS is an appeal of a lower ruling, so whatever that was stands. Where you get a Constitutional Crisis is when two lower circuits ruled different.

Quote: Evenbob

On CNN earlier, a Fed judge said any tie
is a win for the side filing the suit.

The side filing the case generally is appealing a decision by a lower court decision they did not agree with.
Therefore if their case is not decided because a split 4 to 4 vote then the lower court ruling stands
The side filing is generally appealing a decision and will lose because they want the Supremes to overturn a lower court decision and now cant overturn due to a 4 to 4 tie. Lower court ruling stands.

Fascinating chart. The majority of justices grow more liberal, the longer they serve in the Supreme Court. Scalia was an exception as he grew more conservative initially, then more liberal

So this the present ranking of justices from liberal to conservative

Ruth Bader Ginsburg 1993 (22–23 years) Clinton
Sonia Sotomayor 2009 (6–7 years) Obama
Elena Kagan 2010 (5–6 years) Obama
Stephen Breyer 1994 (21–22 years) Clinton
Anthony Kennedy 1988 (27–28 years) Reagan
John G. Roberts† 2005 (10–11 years) Bush, G. W.
---- Scalia - Reagan
Samuel Alito 2006 (9–10 years) Bush, G. W.
Clarence Thomas 1991 (24–25 years) Bush, G. H. W.

Quote: Pacomartin

Fascinating chart. The majority of justices grow more liberal, the longer they serve in the Supreme Court. Scalia was an exception as he grew more conservative initially, then more liberal

Being liberal is easier than being conservative. It is like the parent who has to say "NO" to the kids. Few can stand up to do it.

Quote: AZDuffman

Being liberal is easier than being conservative.

It's why most college kids are libs, and
become more conservative as they grow
older. It's easy to be a lib when you're
young, it's a no brainer, it just
means following the crowd.

Quote: AZDuffman

Being liberal is easier than being conservative. It is like the parent who has to say "NO" to the kids. Few can stand up to do it.

Maybe it's different personalities, but I would say it's harder to be moderate than either, and easiest to be conservative. Conservatives are status quo, don't change anything people, no thought required, just say No. Moderates weigh the merits of the particular idea more, and go on that, whichever way seems best. Liberals want to change everything.

Quote: AZDuffman

Being liberal is easier than being conservative. It is like the parent who has to say "NO" to the kids. Few can stand up to do it.

It's a lifetime appointment; they don't have pressure.

Obviously, critical thinking just leads to more liberal views.

So there.

When I was in my 20's, everybody I knew
was a Lib. It was easy, just be against
everything the establishment stood for.
Then you join the establishment and things
change. I voted for Obama in 08 just to
vote against the RINO McCain. That's the
first Lib I voted for since McGovern.