I'm thinking the Senate Republicans will slow roll this and watch the polls heading into the election.

 

If the Dem nominee looks like a lock and the Senate may change hands, they can do a quick confirm if they fear an even more liberal nominee from the next Dem president.

 

If it looks like the Republican will win, they can just postpone an official vote.

We'll see how long these purple state Republican senators facing tough re-election challenges stick with Mitch. Dems no doubt are already producing TV ads saying the country doesn't need more obstructionists like Senator X and Mitch McConnell. Combination of a Trump nomination and the GOP holding up Supreme Court hearings could be a fatal blow to maybe a half-dozen GOP senators.

I know nothing exists in a vacuum, but I have to think Mitch played his cards too early. The nomination of a Justice is a huge deal and acting immediately to block a confirmation could have galvanized Republicans to show up to vote in the general election and to the Establishment, hopefully increase support in non-Trump candidates. As the primaries went on the Trump and Cruz arms of the race have only increased support while the Establishment candidates have whittled away.

 

Obama definitely picked a judge who isn't nearly as liberal as Hilary would pick and not in the same stratosphere as whoever Bernie would tap. Plus with the Democrat candidates' ages, Garland's age is a plus in that Republicans could hope to have the White House whenever he would no longer be on the bench.

 

With the Dems' potential Justice much more liberal, Cruz's probably as far to the right as Bernie's would be to the left, and nobody with any clue as to what Trump's choice would look like, it seems to me that Garland's confirmation would be in the best interest to the greatest number of Americans.

 

If a contested convention leads to a ruckus, or it looks like a Democrat will win the election or the Establishment fears the Republican nominee's appointment, if they do in fact confirm, they will essentially concede the election.

His sister

 

She was good enough for Bill Clinton.