# Nevada Gov Brian Sandoval Being Vetted as Potential Supreme Court Justice!! **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [February 24, 2016, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nevada-gov-brian-sandoval-being-vetted-as-potential-supreme-court-justice/747005 "2016-02-24T18:43:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2016, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nevada-gov-brian-sandoval-being-vetted-as-potential-supreme-court-justice/747005/21 "2016-02-24T20:45:57Z")
Selecting a person who will have to make it through a voting process is innately “politics”. Maybe other duties of the president aren’t, but when you get into determining figuring vote tallies, you’re in politics territory. Even assuming that Obama is sincere about considering Sandoval, it’s not a terrible choice. In a “half a loaf” sense, you’re replacing a hard right conservative with a moderate who’ll probably agree with your stance on a number of issues. And you’re locking down the seat so, heavens forbid, should Clinton lose in November then at least it’s not being filled by a Scalia clone. If Clinton should win, well, she’ll still get to fill Ginsburg’s seat (and likely one or two others). ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2016, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nevada-gov-brian-sandoval-being-vetted-as-potential-supreme-court-justice/747005/22 "2016-02-24T21:00:50Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > That’s a lot of question marks. Do you have any answers to them? The linked article claims that two unnamed sources are claiming that Sandoval is being vetted. Not exactly “breaking” news. You chose not to ask questions about unnamed sources. Is that because they might be Democrat party sources? ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2016, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nevada-gov-brian-sandoval-being-vetted-as-potential-supreme-court-justice/747005/23 "2016-02-24T21:04:31Z")
> [@Skammer](#): > > Obama is fulfilling his constitutional obligation to nominate someone, and is trying to come up with the least objectionable candidate possible. Only the GOP – who are being petulant babies about the whole thing – would try to spin that as “playing politics.” Did the DNC/Obama actually come up with Sandoval’s name or is someone just playing a joke on Mike DeBonis and Juliet Eilperin? ---
**Author:** ![Thing\_Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@Thing\_Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing_Fish)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2016, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nevada-gov-brian-sandoval-being-vetted-as-potential-supreme-court-justice/747005/24 "2016-02-24T21:06:58Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > The linked article claims that two unnamed sources are claiming that Sandoval is being vetted. Not exactly “breaking” news. > > You chose not to ask questions about unnamed sources. Is that because they might be Democrat party sources? I assume they must be. How would anyone outside the Democratic party possibly have any knowledge of Obama’s thought process at this stage:confused: ---
**Author:** ![Sterling\_Archer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Sterling\_Archer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sterling_Archer)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2016, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nevada-gov-brian-sandoval-being-vetted-as-potential-supreme-court-justice/747005/25 "2016-02-24T21:11:41Z")
I don’t understand what the Republicans gain by continuing to stand firm at this point. If they think Obama is “playing politics” then why not call his bluff?! “Sandoval? Sure, we’ll have a hearing if you’ll nominate a Republican.” How could that stance possibly hurt them? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2016, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nevada-gov-brian-sandoval-being-vetted-as-potential-supreme-court-justice/747005/26 "2016-02-24T21:14:06Z")
They think the prize of an ultra conservative justice nomination will drive voters to the polls. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2016, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nevada-gov-brian-sandoval-being-vetted-as-potential-supreme-court-justice/747005/27 "2016-02-24T21:14:27Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > The linked article claims that two unnamed sources are claiming that Sandoval is being vetted. Not exactly “breaking” news. > > You chose not to ask questions about unnamed sources. Is that because they might be Democrat party sources? They might be Republican sources? Double bluff? Was there really only 2 sources? Maybe more? All good questions? ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2016, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nevada-gov-brian-sandoval-being-vetted-as-potential-supreme-court-justice/747005/28 "2016-02-24T21:16:19Z")
Sigh. A sitting POTUS should not have to look outside his party for a nominee the opposing party would consider. Obama won the election. Did not get any help from me, but he won. As such, he gets to nominate people to various offices, including SCOTUS. So long as his nominee is at least reasonably qualified, the Senate should confirm. This ridiculous partisan grandstanding is outrageous, and should not be tolerated. If it takes a state by state recall of the entire fucking Senate, then so be it. I’m about as disgusted as I’ve ever been with the GOP. ---
**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:** [February 24, 2016, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nevada-gov-brian-sandoval-being-vetted-as-potential-supreme-court-justice/747005/29 "2016-02-24T21:17:20Z")
> [@Sterling\_Archer](#): > > I don’t understand what the Republicans gain by continuing to stand firm at this point. If they think Obama is “playing politics” then why not call his bluff?! > > “Sandoval? Sure, we’ll have a hearing if you’ll nominate a Republican.” > > How could that stance possibly hurt them? Because then Obama finds a more liberal Republican, or a judge who doesn’t identify with a party, and says “if you’ll consider Sandoval, why won’t you consider this one?”. I kind of get the intransigence – the only Republican hope is to close the door on any possibility… though I think it’s hopeless. Some Republican Senators (and _all the Democratic Senators_) will meet with whoever Obama nominates, and it will be very, very difficult for the Republican leadership to go for months and months denying all the requests for hearings or even meetings. It’s really, really hard to say no for _months and months_ to “why won’t you even meet with this guy/lady?”. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2016, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nevada-gov-brian-sandoval-being-vetted-as-potential-supreme-court-justice/747005/30 "2016-02-24T21:19:02Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > No, a great deal of what a president does is government and not politics. > [@doorhinge](#): > > Hahahaha. You’re a hoot. Politics is practiced by politicians. All of them. Also: government IS politics. It may seem like an academic point. But when people refrain from voting because they’re holding out for some ideal government in which politics plays no role–as if that were possible!–then democracy is damaged. Also: Sandoval really does look like a smart pick for Obama–due to Sandoval’s personal qualities on many fronts, snubbing him will make the GOP look bad. (Only four years on the US District Court–but even so he will have ruled on some interesting cases. I don’t see a rundown of his decisions readily available, but no doubt one will be posted soon.) ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2016, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nevada-gov-brian-sandoval-being-vetted-as-potential-supreme-court-justice/747005/31 "2016-02-24T21:22:47Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > Did the DNC/Obama actually come up with Sandoval’s name or is someone just playing a joke on Mike DeBonis and Juliet Eilperin? CNN says Harry Reid “suggested” Sandoval, and his vetting is being confirmed by “a source close to the process.” So yeah, nothing solid yet. ---
**Author:** ![Sterling\_Archer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Sterling\_Archer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sterling_Archer)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2016, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nevada-gov-brian-sandoval-being-vetted-as-potential-supreme-court-justice/747005/32 "2016-02-24T21:35:29Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Because then Obama finds a more liberal Republican, or a judge who doesn’t identify with a party, and says “if you’ll consider Sandoval, why won’t you consider this one?”. So the Republicans are using the slippery slope logical fallacy? That’s ridiculous. “We’ll consider this guy. We won’t consider that guy.” That would be a much more reasonable place to land than “we won’t consider anybody” ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2016, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nevada-gov-brian-sandoval-being-vetted-as-potential-supreme-court-justice/747005/33 "2016-02-24T21:41:42Z")
I’m not sure how the process works. If Obama nominates someone, and the GOP were to decide to have hearings and confirm that nominee, is Obama obligated to let him go through, or does he have the option to withdraw the nomination? ---
**Author:** ![Sterling\_Archer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Sterling\_Archer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sterling_Archer)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2016, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nevada-gov-brian-sandoval-being-vetted-as-potential-supreme-court-justice/747005/34 "2016-02-24T21:54:06Z")
I would sure hope a nomination could not be withdrawn at any point, or else the President really **could** play games with the whole process. ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2016, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nevada-gov-brian-sandoval-being-vetted-as-potential-supreme-court-justice/747005/35 "2016-02-24T21:54:12Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > I’m not sure how the process works. If Obama nominates someone, and the GOP were to decide to have hearings and confirm that nominee, is Obama obligated to let him go through, or does he have the option to withdraw the nomination? I imagine they’d have the nominee withdraw him or herself from consideration to avoid a blatant bait-and-switch. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2016, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nevada-gov-brian-sandoval-being-vetted-as-potential-supreme-court-justice/747005/36 "2016-02-24T22:00:58Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > They might be Republican sources? Double bluff? Was there really only 2 sources? Maybe more? All good questions? I know someone in a government-relations position that’s on a White House e-mail list, and got the news that way early this afternoon. This is completely real. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2016, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nevada-gov-brian-sandoval-being-vetted-as-potential-supreme-court-justice/747005/37 "2016-02-24T22:04:14Z")
> [@Peremensoe](#): > > I know someone in a government-relations position that’s on a White House e-mail list, and got the news that way early this afternoon. This is completely real. Did he tell you how many people are being vetted? ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2016, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nevada-gov-brian-sandoval-being-vetted-as-potential-supreme-court-justice/747005/38 "2016-02-24T22:04:42Z")
I think this is politics. The GOP backed themselves into a corner by stating that they wouldn’t even meet with a possible nominee. So, the White House leaks a reasonable Republican. Either they dig in their heels and they look ridiculous and obstructionist, or they relent and they look ridiculous and inconsistent. Either way, they lose because they shot themselves squarely in the dick within an hour of Scalia’s death. ---
**Author:** ![sleestak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@sleestak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleestak)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2016, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nevada-gov-brian-sandoval-being-vetted-as-potential-supreme-court-justice/747005/39 "2016-02-24T22:13:12Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > No, a great deal of what a president does is government and not politics. BWHAHAHAHAHA! Seriously funny. Slee ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2016, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nevada-gov-brian-sandoval-being-vetted-as-potential-supreme-court-justice/747005/40 "2016-02-24T22:17:47Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > Did he tell you how many people are being vetted? No, it was essentially just a confirmation of what Reuters and the _Washington Post_ had been told. Sandoval is “among” those in consideration. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nevada-gov-brian-sandoval-being-vetted-as-potential-supreme-court-justice/747005.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nevada-gov-brian-sandoval-being-vetted-as-potential-supreme-court-justice/747005.md?page=3)