# Explain for me something about the Clarence Thomas Supreme Court confirmation **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 5, 2018, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-for-me-something-about-the-clarence-thomas-supreme-court-confirmation/822462 "2018-10-05T00:11:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2018, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-for-me-something-about-the-clarence-thomas-supreme-court-confirmation/822462/1 "2018-10-05T00:11:47Z")
Recently, I have seen reporting that Thomas was confirmed by a vote of 52-48. However, I also understood that Gorsuch’s confirmation was the first time the “nuclear option” was invoked allowing a Supreme Court justice to be confirmed by a simple majority rather than requiring 60 votes. What am I missing? ---
**Author:** ![zombywoof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/9e8a1a/32.png) [@zombywoof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zombywoof)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2018, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-for-me-something-about-the-clarence-thomas-supreme-court-confirmation/822462/2 "2018-10-05T00:14:16Z")
In the recent past 60 votes were needed to overcome the threat of a filibuster. > **[The nuclear option: What is it and why it matters](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/nuclear-option-what-it-why-it-matters-n742076)** > > Senate Republicans enacted the 'nuclear option' to clear the way to confirm Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. We take a look at the 'nuclear option' - what it is, how it works and where the name comes from. If the Democrats wanted to stop Thomas they wouldn’t have had to filibuster - they were in the majority and could have not brought him up for a vote at all. ---
**Author:** ![DinoR](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dinor/32/2821_2.png) [@DinoR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DinoR)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2018, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-for-me-something-about-the-clarence-thomas-supreme-court-confirmation/822462/3 "2018-10-05T00:30:29Z")
It didn’t require 60 votes to confirm. It required 60 votes to invoke cloture and force an end to debate. If there wasn’t a group that wanted to keep debate open that cloture vote wasn’t necessary. The filibuster was used less frequently at the time. It was generally saved for relatively big issues and involved actual speeches on the floor of the Senate. We’ve moved to a norm where 40+ vote minorities frequently prevent debate from beginning by letting their willingness to debate ad infinitum be known in advance. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2018, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-for-me-something-about-the-clarence-thomas-supreme-court-confirmation/822462/4 "2018-10-05T00:30:58Z")
Routine filibustering of the Senate wasn’t a thing back then. It was really only in 2010, when McConnell said that his first duty was to ensure that Obama would be a failed president that a filibuster-proof majority was needed for absolutely everything ---
**Author:** ![Mangosteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2018, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-for-me-something-about-the-clarence-thomas-supreme-court-confirmation/822462/5 "2018-10-05T01:40:08Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Routine filibustering of the Senate wasn’t a thing back then. > > It was really only in 2010, when McConnell said that his first duty was to ensure that Obama would be a failed president that a filibuster-proof majority was needed for absolutely everything Do you have an exact date and quote for this statement that McConnell supposedly made? ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2018, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-for-me-something-about-the-clarence-thomas-supreme-court-confirmation/822462/6 "2018-10-05T01:50:22Z")
> [@Mangosteen](#): > > Do you have an exact date and quote for this statement that McConnell supposedly made? McConnell made his remarks in an interview that appeared in the National Journal on Oct. 23, 2010. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2018, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-for-me-something-about-the-clarence-thomas-supreme-court-confirmation/822462/7 "2018-10-05T01:51:27Z")
> [@Mangosteen](#): > > Do you have an exact date and quote for this statement that McConnell supposedly made? November 2010 quoted in the National Journal (subscription required, link from here — [https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2013/11/get-mitch-mcconnell-099376](https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2013/11/get-mitch-mcconnell-099376)) — “The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president.” ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2018, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-for-me-something-about-the-clarence-thomas-supreme-court-confirmation/822462/8 "2018-10-05T01:56:35Z")
> [@Mangosteen](#): > > Do you have an exact date and quote for this statement that McConnell supposedly made? Here. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/W-A09a_gHJc/hqdefault.jpg "Mitch McConnell: Top Priority, Make Obama a One Term President") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-A09a_gHJc) As referenced here [https://www.politico.com/story/2010/10/the-gops-no-compromise-pledge-044311](https://www.politico.com/story/2010/10/the-gops-no-compromise-pledge-044311) And behind a paywall, here. [https://www.nationaljournal.com/member/magazine/top-gop-priority-make-obama-a-one-term-president-20101023](https://www.nationaljournal.com/member/magazine/top-gop-priority-make-obama-a-one-term-president-20101023) ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2018, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-for-me-something-about-the-clarence-thomas-supreme-court-confirmation/822462/9 "2018-10-05T02:35:52Z")
There was also significant cross-party voting. Eleven Democrats voted to confirm and two Republicans voted “no.” Sen. Alan J. Dixon (D-Ill.) was primaried out by Carol Moseley Braun in 1992 largely as a result of his “yes” vote. Sen. Richard C. Shelby (D-Ala.), who also voted “yes,” switched parties after the 1994 mid-term election. ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2018, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-for-me-something-about-the-clarence-thomas-supreme-court-confirmation/822462/10 "2018-10-05T03:21:58Z")
Thanks. I didn’t realize the Democrats were in the majority. Makes more sense.