Reply #13: Because Bush took "Trust Me" too far -- But he may still get his way [View All]

[Armstead]

He also believed his own publicity, that stuff about being a "strong leader" and "personally liked" and "trustworthy."

he thought he could do anything and his "base" would go along. But the base wanted someone with stature, and they wanted to rub the noses of liberals in the dust by staging a fight that they knew they could win.

If Bush nominates some obviously divisive winger, like Janice Brown, the Democrats would piss and moan and the left would organize against an obvious enemy. But ultimately, the nominee would get confirmed anyway, just because of the current numerical equation of power in Washington....Thus the Right would get their nominee and also humiliate Democrats and liberals.

But Bush thought he could be cagey and nominate another "stealth candidate" who would make the same decisions as a Janice Brown, but who could avoid the obvious nomination fight because of a lack of a "paper trail."

Unfortunately for Bush, he denied the Right Wing the symbolic victory they wanted. Therefore they feel cheated out of their victory dance.

BUT, unfortunately for America, his strategy may ultimately succeed, because the GOP/right wing still has the numbers in Congress. So we could still end up with Meiers getting into the SC and becoming the ideological equivalent of Janice Rodgers Brown in terms of actual decisions she will make on the court.

It just shows how sucky the political situation is at the moment.