Can someone explain how Kagan got less votes than Sotomayor?

[Renew Deal]

Sotomayor was confirmed 68-31, but was far more controversial. Kagan went 63-37, and there was no drama. Sotomayor was very impressive in confirmation, but I still don't get it.

[onenote]

1. the military recruitment issue

gave repubs an excuse (not a good one, but one nonetheless).

[PBS Poll-435]

2. Kagan is scary! Not a judge! Harvard!

Might not like Twilight!

Might not be into the Vampire OR the Werewolf!



Jewish!

[gratuitous]

9. Might not like Twilight?

Do we even know if she favors Team Bite or Team Suck? Important questions on which the fate of the American Experiment rests!

[MilesColtrane]

24. Bingo

I'm betting that a few of those no voters consider the vacancy a Protestant seat.

With Ginsburg and Breyer already on the bench they wouldn't want the Court to get "too Jewish".

[BlueIdaho]

3. Politics?

Closer to November...

[louis-t]

7. Closer to November.

First thought that crossed my mind.

[Ozymanithrax]

4. Republicans were sending Obama a message...

and voting no so they could tell their constituents that they fought against the socialist in the White House.

[zipplewrath]

5. Race politics

GOP has enough trouble with the hispanic vote, some felt they couldn't be on record opposing her. Some run of the mill white catholic though.....

[pnwmom]

10. That would be my guess. n/t

[polmaven]

16. I think you have that right.

They probably thought they would get on the good side of the hispanics

[hfojvt]

6. probably a couple of reasons

a) more Republican senators posturing before the election
b) some voted for Sotomayor in order to appease hispanic voters

[notesdev]

8. maybe

because she's an obvious oligarchist political hack who has no business being on the Supreme Court?

It wouldn't surprise me terribly if she ends up being the first impeached Supreme Court Justice, she is so clearly unprepared for the job.

[LostInAnomie]

11. WTF!?

[Renew Deal]

13. Those virtuous republicans stood up against the unqualified oligarch....

OK, got that. So I'm guessing you'll be supporting them in November?

[PBS Poll-435]

14. !!!

:rofl:

WOW

:rofl:


:thumbsdown:

[Spazito]

18. ROFL! Very funny! Oh...wait a minute....

you weren't trying to be funny! Damn, that makes it even more hilarious!

:rofl: :rofl:

[Richardo]

19. Hey man, as long as Clarence Thomas sits she's safe from impeachment on those grounds.

Any other lame-ass thoughts on your mind?

[racaulk]

23. Are you serious?

:rofl:

[Unvanguard]

28. Haha. Yes, I'm sure the Republican senators just know better. n/t

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

12. Scott Brown replaced Ted Kennedy, Ben Nelson went full-Lieberman. There's 3 more. Who are they?

[Renew Deal]

15. Alexander, Bond, Martinez, Lugar, and Voinovich

I'm surprised about the last two.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/06/sotomayor-confirmation-vo_n_253298.html

[DefenseLawyer]

29. Lugar voted for Kagan

Collins, Graham, Gregg, Lugar and Snowe were the Republican votes for her.

[EFerrari]

17. Sotomayor was fake more controversial.

Her speech to that Latina group was breitbarted.

[Ruby the Liberal]

20. The party of NO latched onto the excuse that she never served as a judge.

[enough]

21. She's not a Catholic. (NT)

[DFW]

22. Sotomayor and Kagan were just dress rehearsals for Republican Senators

They knew full well both would be confirmed.

What they are doing is rehearsing tactics to see what works when one of "their" SC (in-)Justices retires
and could be replaced by an Obama appointee. THAT is when we will see filibusters, full frontal 24/7
attacks on Fox and National Hate Radio, and in every right-leaning newspaper from the Wall Street Journal
to the Manchester Union Leader.

The Republican responses to Sotomayor and Kagan were like Allied feints at invading Calais in 1944. When
one of the Republican Reliable Five retires, it will be bigger than Operation Overlord in Normandy. We will
still prevail, but not after weeks, probably months, of Senate time wasted in loud, screaming filibusters.

[MajorChode]

25. More than twice as many Democrats voted to confirm Clarence Thomas as Republicans for Kagen

And Kagen wasn't considered controversial.

[robertpaulsen]

26. She plays softball. Wink-wink, nudge-nudge, say no more!

Such is the art of dogwhistle politics. This should play frequently in an election year, but especially in light of the Prop 8 overturn.

[Unvanguard]

27. It's entirely timing. The Senate is more polarized now than it was then. n/t