Does qualifications matter? Not as much as you think. Every Democratic president tosses out on average half of all judges because they have a conservative bent. Republicans toss out on average half the judges because they’re viewed as liberal. Just for starters, half of the judges are dismissed because they don’t have the same political views as the president.
Since ex-democratic majority leader, Senator Harry Reid first used the nuclear option, I haven’t paid any attention to the hearings. The nominations are guaranteed regardless of qualifications. What were Jackson’s qualification, most important she was a liberal, then female and black. Then came other qualities.
Although I think Garland deserved a vote on the senate floor, said so on this site numerous times. McConnell took nothing from Obama. The GOP had 54 senators and could easily have defeated Garlands nomination. I will never understand why McConnell didn’t allow a vote on him. Stupid politics in my book. But the bottom line is even with a floor vote, Garland wasn’t going to be confirmed. No way could Garland have achieved getting 5 Republican senators to vote for his confirmation.
I think this was political payback for Schumer’s statement during the Bush administration that the senate wouldn’t allow a vote for any Bush SCOTUS nominee if an opening occurred. This in 2007, a full year and one half before the end of Bush’s presidency. Political revenge is nothing new. It’s just reached new heights in our modern political era of polarization, the great divide and the super, mega, ultra-high partisanship.
The fact Jackson will get at least 3 Republican Senators to vote for her conformation is a good thing. I think she’ll make a good SCOTUS judge. But what I think isn’t about to take the politics out of judicial nomination process, the hearings and votes in the senate.