Given that six of the nine Supreme Court justices are rightwing conservatives, it stands to reason that some of them actually think Democrats stole the election. Here’s my take on each of them:
- Thomas: Lol. Given his wife’s involvement with Trump’s attempt to overturn the election results, obviously he’s a Stop the Stealer.
- Alito: Not only was he seen flying a flag upside down while hearing an election-related case, which is often used as a symbol by Stop the Stealers (though he claims his wife did it in response to uncivil yard signs. Lol), but he’s a congenital asshole who thinks he’s better than everyone, especially Democratic voters. Definitely.
- Barrett: I would be surprised if she were a Stop the Stealer. I think she’s bonkers on everything else (e.g., plz b nice to my smol judicial frens while they make it easier for you to die in childbirth), but I just don’t think she buys that particular conspiracy.
- Kavanaugh: On the one hand, he was a 2000 election Brooks Brothers rioter–it’s how he made his movement conservative bones, so there’s definitely the potential for motivated reasoning to turn him into a Stop the Stealer. On the other hand, he’s a Chevy Chase Republican of a certain age (I know the type), and conspiracism is just so gauche. He’s a maybe.
- Gorsuch: he’s so batshit crazy, who can tell? He seems motivated, to a considerable extent, by revenge for the criticism his mother received as a (very awful) head of the EPA. How that translates into support for Stop the Steal is anyone’s guess.
- Roberts: His entire career has been built around repealing the Voting Rights Act, so a form of motivated reasoning could definitely lead him to Stop the Steal. That said, he has struck me as someone who is typically somewhat aware of reality. Unknown.
The caveat to all of this is they all lied during their confirmation hearings (at the very least, about abortion), so this is a bit of a mug’s game.
Anyway, two definites, and three possibles. Happy Friday everybody!
mikethemadbiologist
If you define “steal the election” as “decided by people who don’t deserve the vote” then it’s 6 definites, ’cause I don’t believe ANY of them believe in universal adult citizen suffrage any more than the authors of the constitution did.
If we’re ever going to get anything done in this country that can’t be undone by an appointed judiciary we need to have a voting rights amendment to the constitution that explicitly enumerates a right to vote, instead of just limiting the reasons the states can use for denying people that right. Quite a few on the right are talking about bringing back property ownership requirements for voters, and I think there’s a good chance that the current lineup on the supreme court would find that that did not constitute a poll tax.
Pingback: The Worst of the Alito Leaks | Mike the Mad Biologist