# How Much Longer Does Ginsburg Have? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [January 7, 2019, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-longer-does-ginsburg-have/827368 "2019-01-07T19:17:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2019, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-longer-does-ginsburg-have/827368/61 "2019-01-10T18:26:02Z")
Oh, I know; I don’t mean to understate the difficulty, but “practically impossible” is a wild overstatement. It’s a toss-up or a slight R lean, not a near-certainty. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2019, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-longer-does-ginsburg-have/827368/62 "2019-01-10T19:38:07Z")
Trump has the funeral home on standby [Trump White House urging allies to prepare for possible RBG departure - POLITICO](https://www.politico.com/story/2019/01/10/trump-white-house-urging-allies-to-prepare-for-possible-rbg-departure-1096102) ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2019, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-longer-does-ginsburg-have/827368/63 "2019-01-10T21:35:30Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > Trump has the funeral home on standby > > [https://www.politico.com/story/2019/01/10/trump-white-house-urging-allies-to-prepare-for-possible-rbg-departure-1096102](https://www.politico.com/story/2019/01/10/trump-white-house-urging-allies-to-prepare-for-possible-rbg-departure-1096102) Your link says: > [@](#): > > The White House “is taking the temperature on possible short-list candidates, reaching out to key stakeholders, and just making sure that people are informed on the process,” said a source familiar with those conversations, who spoke on background given the delicate nature of the subject. “They’re doing it very quietly, of course, because the idea is not to be opportunistic, but just to be prepared so we aren’t caught flat-footed.” That seems pretty reasonable and less vulture-like than your post. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2019, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-longer-does-ginsburg-have/827368/64 "2019-01-11T01:03:11Z")
You don’t need the Senate to go Democratic if the President is a Democrat. The problem then would be them trying to keep the seat vacant. But the President could hold off on signing bills until the office is filled. Hell, if they successfully push the narrative that the Republicans are the ones being obstinate by rejecting a good justice, then we could have a shutdown to enforce it. It would be the Republican’s fault for not accepting any judges. But we do need to try and hold on until then. If I were RBG, my living will would not let you take me off life support, period. I would expect my family to understand. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2019, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-longer-does-ginsburg-have/827368/65 "2019-01-11T01:07:47Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > … If I were RBG, my living will would not let you take me off life support, period. I would expect my family to understand. Yeah but that’s you. Do you imagine she’s that hell-bent on partisanship? ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2019, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-longer-does-ginsburg-have/827368/66 "2019-01-11T03:57:51Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > Do you imagine she’s that hell-bent on partisanship? Partisanship? Is that how you see it? After what McConnell did to Obama? (hint: it involved Gorsuch) Now, that was partisan. Were you being satirical? ---
**Author:** ![2ManyTacos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/3da27b/32.png) [@2ManyTacos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2ManyTacos)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2019, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-longer-does-ginsburg-have/827368/67 "2019-01-11T04:21:56Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > Yeah but that’s you. Do you imagine she’s that hell-bent on partisanship? You can’t be fucking serious. After the shit that was pulled on Garland to get (the still entirely illegitimate) Gorsuch on the bench? Yes, I expect RBG to be there like the bionic woman until Trump is not there to replace her. Cut the crap. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2019, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-longer-does-ginsburg-have/827368/68 "2019-01-11T04:56:36Z")
> [@KarlGauss](#): > > Partisanship? Is that how you see it? After what McConnell did to Obama? (hint: it involved Gorsuch) > > Now, that was partisan. > > Were you being satirical? I would see it as highly partisan for her to say “keep my body on artificial life support until Trump is no longer in office, then you can pull the plug”, yes, not being satirical. I doubt she’ll do that, as she has repeatedly said she would not retire until she couldn’t do the job “full steam” anymore ([source](https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/leaving-soon-ailing-ginsburg-has-repeatedly-promised-to-work-only-at-full-steam)). And I expect much liberal wailing and gnashing of teeth when that day comes, which I suspect is not far off now. ---
**Author:** ![sps49sd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@sps49sd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sps49sd)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2019, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-longer-does-ginsburg-have/827368/69 "2019-01-11T05:08:05Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > I thought her lung cancer nodes were all completely removed, meaning that the lung cancer isn’t an issue; not like it metastasized. > Furthermore, even if she goes into a coma, she can’t be removed from office. Only outright death will do it, and with modern technology, she would most likely last at least until a Democrat becomes president. It can take a while for a spread to happen or be detected; I’m still in the waiting period and getting checked still (I’m too young for cancer!). So thinking she’s clear is probably premature. ---
**Author:** ![OttoDaFe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ottodafe/32/356_2.png) [@OttoDaFe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OttoDaFe)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2019, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-longer-does-ginsburg-have/827368/70 "2019-01-11T08:12:39Z")
Rachel Maddow interviewed the head of thoracic surgery at Mount Sinai Medical Center this evening (Thursday). While he’s not her physician, he’s very familiar with this type of surgery and overall he said he would anticipate a positive outcome. I didn’t take notes, but here are some of the points he made:[ul] [li]While the surgery is relatively uncomplicated, it’s still a major operation and involves a significant recuperation. So he’s not at all surprised that she’s not at the court, but would anticipate she’d be back within a month.[/li][li]The fact that she was released after four days (and hasn’t been readmitted) suggests no complications such as blood clots.[/li][li]Colon cancer normally metastasizes to the liver before the lungs, and metastasis of pancreatic cancer would (again, normally) have shown up well before now. Granted that cancer is by its nature an aberrant disease, these are reassuring points.[/ul]As for her age, Maddow said at the end of the show that she raised the question during the final commercial break. His response was that he’d performed the same surgery on a 105-year-old patient (presumably with a good outcome).[/li] “Past performance does not guarantee future results” and so on and so forth; still, reading too much into her absence from the Court is probably not warranted. He certainly didn’t appear to think it is. ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2019, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-longer-does-ginsburg-have/827368/71 "2019-01-11T08:21:28Z")
This is a ghoulish thread. ---
**Author:** ![BenedictusXIV](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b19c9b/32.png) [@BenedictusXIV](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BenedictusXIV)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2019, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-longer-does-ginsburg-have/827368/72 "2019-01-11T10:23:51Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > This is a ghoulish thread. I was thinking the same. Obviously her position is valued greater than her wellbeing. Never mind if she doesn’t do anything useful for the rest of her life, just - whatever you do - don’t die, bitch! At least for the next year. After that you can go to hell. There is something fundamentally rotten in our political system. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2019, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-longer-does-ginsburg-have/827368/73 "2019-01-11T11:44:30Z")
the idea of keeping someone alive purely for political reasons is really bad. I don’t know what a Dr or hospital would think about that but I doubt they would be in favor of it. ---
**Author:** ![tim314](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim314/32/3468_2.png) [@tim314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim314)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2019, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-longer-does-ginsburg-have/827368/74 "2019-01-11T12:07:42Z")
> [@pjacks](#): > > What does it matter? Look at the Senate map in 2020, and it becomes obvious that the Democrats have practically no chance to take back the Senate. Even if she makes it that long, a hypothetical Dem president won’t be naming her replacement. Cocaine Mitch will just leave it vacant until there is a Republican president. Maybe after she dies 8 justices will just become the new norm. If the Democrats take the Presidency but not the Senate in 2020, and then there’s an opening on the Court, maybe the seat just stays vacant until 2022. But if the Dems at least make some gains in the Senate in 2020, they should have a great opportunity to retake it in 2022. I wouldn’t say they have “practically no chance” in 2020, though. An uphill battle, sure. ---
**Author:** ![Brayne\_Ded](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Brayne\_Ded](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brayne_Ded)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2019, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-longer-does-ginsburg-have/827368/75 "2019-01-11T13:09:55Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > A GoFundMe account would raise enough money to get her the level of care Queen Elizabeth II or the Pope get in short order. The Pope? JP 2 had long-term problems due to bad treatment after he was shot, not least due to a transfusion with blood that was past its sell by date. He never had the same vigor again and for at least his last decade looked like a warmed-up zombie. It’s amazing what he did, considering his health. And JP 1 evidently did not get a proper checkout from the Vatican cardiologists. No conspiracies, just a dodgy ticker. ---
**Author:** ![Arcite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/67e7ee/32.png) [@Arcite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arcite)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2019, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-longer-does-ginsburg-have/827368/76 "2019-01-11T13:48:42Z")
I think people pointing out how the surgery was a success, she doesn’t need any further treatment for it, the same operation has been performed on a hundred and five year old, or whatever, are missing the forest for the trees. The reason people are, quite reasonably, speculating that she’s on the way out, is that when an elderly person 1) begins falling, or 2) begins experiencing one medical problem after another in quick succession, that is usually a sign of the beginning of the end. And both those things have happened to Ginsburg. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2019, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-longer-does-ginsburg-have/827368/77 "2019-01-11T13:52:46Z")
It is, of course, in very bad taste to note that the 2019 Death Pool has yet to kick off. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2019, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-longer-does-ginsburg-have/827368/78 "2019-01-11T14:49:38Z")
Please let the poor women spend her last days in peace. She has earned it. Start worrying about Breyer’s ticker. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2019, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-longer-does-ginsburg-have/827368/79 "2019-01-11T16:00:22Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > It is, of course, in very bad taste to note that the 2019 Death Pool has yet to kick off. 🙂 Bad taste, bad schmaste - [points is points](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=21358825&postcount=27). Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2019, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-longer-does-ginsburg-have/827368/80 "2019-01-11T17:39:38Z")
> > [@](#): > > BREAKING: No remaining signs of cancer for Justice Ginsburg, and no additional treatment required, Supreme Court says. She’ll miss next week’s arguments but continue to participate in cases from home [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-longer-does-ginsburg-have/827368.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-longer-does-ginsburg-have/827368.md?page=5)