Saying you're a constitutional originalist is kind of lazy

[Bucky]

You know how four years ago people were saying Donald Trump was a poor man's version of what a rich man would be like? I think originalism is a dumb person's idea of what a smart person would think. It's the Rubik's Cube of judicial philosophy. It's just a trick you learn and people who aren't knowledgeable about how the whole system works are impressed by the fancy finger work and the way the pretty colors all line up.

[betsuni]

1. My brains can't understand what the hell an 'originalist' is.

It's 2020. I don't get it.

[Bucky]

3. It means the little wigged founding father in your head is speaking to you

It's the wingnut version of larping

[bullimiami]

7. Yup it's a crap catch-phrase they latched onto.

[Cosmocat]

8. It is a simple minded BS frame the media indulges

to stifle opposition to the hard right's OPINION of what the constitution says.

See, "origionalists" KNOW that Jefferson and company meant by this is that any american citizen can own as many of any kind of guns they damn well please.

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

[The Genealogist]

10. It means legislating the right wing agenda from the bench

They claim that "liberal" judges "legislate from the bench." Bullcrap, of course. This "originalist" bit is just their euphemism for enshrining the right wing agenda into law.

[handmade34]

2. seems "originalist"

is a way to try to maintain "rich, white man" supremacy ....because god knows only landowning white men should have any say in out Country

[sop]

4. In conservative circles "constitutional originalism" has taken on a semi-religious connotation.

Like the Bible, the US Constitution was handed down to true believers by the founding fathers on stone tablets, never to be questioned or amended.

[OldBaldy1701E]

6. Which is hysterical...

when you read the writings of the people who founded this country. They specifically state that it is a 'living document' that has to change as our society changes. Oh I get it. They don't want changes unless it favors them. Silly me...

[ProfessorGAC]

5. It's Not Kind Of Lazy

There's no "kind of" about it.
It's the height of intellectual laziness.
In addition, sometimes they're still interpreting intent, often by inferential thoughts on writings of framers, not specifically on topic.
Hence, they have to read the minds of people who have been dead for 200 years or so.
It's a parlor trick disguised as deep philosophical thought.
It's utter nonsense.

[beachbumbob]

9. always been a bullshit term and indicates the desire to keep americans enslaved to the

elite class and conservative radicalism

[whistler162]

11. Originalist and female or non-white

TILT

counted in the census as 3/5th of a male. No right to vote. Yup... female or non-white originalist good.

[Liberal In Texas]

12. It's a BS repub slogan that actually means nothing...

except what the repubs want to attribute to it to give some RW policy/bill/decision legitimacy.

[JHB]

13. "Constitutional originalist" is a halo pasted over intellectual laziness to make it look better

It's a term they came up with (maybe even test-marketed) to make conservative judicial activism sound principled.