Unrealistic expectations and celebrity lawyers.

[TwilightZone]

After today's 9-0 ruling overturning the Colorado ruling, perhaps we should reconsider taking everything that celebrity lawyers and other often-self-proclaimed experts on TV and social media say as gospel.

These experts generally present a case that reinforces the narrative that the media outlet wants to sell and/or its viewers want to hear. That sets up highly unrealistic expectations and heightens disappointment when a ruling such as this occurs. Outside of the bubble, this ruling always appeared to be the most likely outcome.

Theory and reality are two different things, especially theory that's meant to tell a specific story. In the real world, sometimes theory gets its ass kicked by reality.

[Sympthsical]

1. Yep

Anyone who listened to the oral arguments understood this decision was coming, and that it was incredibly likely to be 8-1 or 9-0.

Primary sources are the best sources. Always.

People need to stop letting the media - that includes celebrity legal types and cable news - filter information for them.

Being informed and being entertained are not the same thing. We know this about Fox. Why don't we know this about anywhere else?

[Ocelot II]

2. And reading the actual opinions before getting one's knickers in a twist

might also be a good idea. The media inevitably oversimplify or misinterpret court decisions and procedures, and the talking heads, as sincere as they might be, are also playing to an audience. While the academic arguments of Luttig and Tribe et al. were pretty persuasive on a theoretical level, there was no way in Hell that a patchwork of ballot requirements affecting a national election would be upheld. This isn’t a victory for TFG, it’s a victory for us - because we know damn well that MAGA secretaries of state would be knocking Democratic candidates off the ballot on bogus, insurrection claims, just like they do with impeachments. Everybody needs to chill and read the damn opinion.

[TwilightZone]

3. Agreed.

The three liberals provided context for why they voted the way they did.

Also agree on it being a victory for us. Kicking him off of individual state ballots (or all, for that matter) was always a disaster waiting to happen and would have opened a Biden victory to endless criticism. I'd rather Biden beat him with both of them at full strength.

[limbicnuminousity]

4. It's disturbing that they're so proactive

denying states the right to determine whether or not a candidate has committed insurrection, yet they're okay with states interfering with the border and reproductive health rights.