Probably the most underreported aspect of the next presidential election is the impact on the makeup of our Supreme Court. As a general rule, Presidents nominate individuals who broadly share their ideological views. The President may nominate anyone to serve, and a majority of the Senate must approve, to complete the lifetime appointment. Of the current nine justices, four are over 71 years old (one is 87 years old), and two are on the 70-year cusp. It would not be unreasonable to project that one-half of the Court may retire, die, or become diminished in the term of the next President. History tells us that Supreme Court decisions are rarely overturned, and, if so, only occur many decades later. The reality is that the next justice nominations, and the resulting decisions, will shape the law of our land for our lifetimes. Our next President will wield the awesome power to tip the court ideologically. Please look at our candidates with a broad view to the future. Their ideology will be tattooed on their nominations and the resulting court rulings will likely stand for your life. This is not small stuff.
