How did the Democrats get rolled? [View all]
For all the chaos of the Trump White House, the GOP remains adroit at using the levers of power in our modern political system. Senate Democrats and Republicans are not even playing the same kind of game. The GOP comes to work ready for full-contact boxing while Democrats were setting up for a friendly game of checkers.
The road to Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation started during the presidential campaign. Candidate Donald Trump demonstrated his political savvy when he produced a list of potential nominees, most of whom have ties to the Federalist Society. The list was an ostensibly brazen effort to win over conservatives who otherwise might not be able to support him. Regardless of how a Republican felt, Trump had successfully defined his presidency as an avenue toward conservative courts.
He delivered on the promise right away when he announced the appointment of Neil Gorsuch to replace Antonin Scalia. The seat had been open for months since Senate Republicans refused to even meet with President Obama's nominee Merrick Garland. After Obama tried to outsmart the Senate majority by appointing someone who was so centrist and non-ideological that moderate Republicans would have to vote for him, the GOP proved him wrong. They kept the seat warm until a Republican was in the White House.
Full article: (opinion) https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/05/opinions/gop-outplayed-dems-opinion-zelizer/index.html
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