# 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:** 16\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2016, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nevada-gov-brian-sandoval-being-vetted-as-potential-supreme-court-justice/747005/81 "2016-02-26T01:13:27Z")
Obama isn’t playing politics. He’s working politics. Nominating a Supreme Court justice is his job, and he’s doing his job. And I still can’t decide whether this is an indicator of Obama’s cleverness for setting the trap, or McConnell’s for falling into it. I’m inclined more towards the latter: As traps go, it was right up there with writing “Cat Fud” on the dryer. It hurt the Senate Republicans to say they wouldn’t consider Sandoval, and it would have hurt them to say they would consider Sandoval… So the correct response, of course, would have been to ignore it and not say anything. If someone actually asked them directly, then all they would have to say would be that the question was absurd, because of course Obama wasn’t going to nominate a Republican, and get in a dig at Obama’s partisanship in the process. But darned if McConnell didn’t fall for the cat fud anyway, and all it cost Obama was a rumor. ---
**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 26, 2016, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nevada-gov-brian-sandoval-being-vetted-as-potential-supreme-court-justice/747005/82 "2016-02-26T02:33:56Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > But darned if McConnell didn’t fall for the cat fud anyway, and all it cost Obama was a rumor. Just for [reference](http://farm1.staticflickr.com/24/58683008_2dc4c01d94_z.jpg?zz=1) ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2016, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nevada-gov-brian-sandoval-being-vetted-as-potential-supreme-court-justice/747005/83 "2016-02-26T16:01:48Z")
> [@boytyperanma](#): > > …As the Republicans are the ones responding I’d say they were the ones that have been punked if anyone. (post shortened) Lots of people are responding to Hairy Reed’s little joke. The Democrat collective believed that Obama would actually nominate a Republican Governor. What a hoot. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2016, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nevada-gov-brian-sandoval-being-vetted-as-potential-supreme-court-justice/747005/84 "2016-02-26T16:20:35Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > writing “Cat Fud” on the dryer. Oh please. Oh please. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2016, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nevada-gov-brian-sandoval-being-vetted-as-potential-supreme-court-justice/747005/85 "2016-02-26T17:18:20Z")
It’s gotta be ~30 years since Gary Larson published that cartoon, and everybody here knows exactly what **Chronos** was talking about. I love this place. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2016, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nevada-gov-brian-sandoval-being-vetted-as-potential-supreme-court-justice/747005/86 "2016-02-26T17:20:17Z")
> [@Peremensoe](#): > > My understanding is that the two of them are actually friends, mutually respectful and with a history of working together on Nevada issues. Reid, and Obama, may have thought it a good time to get a Republican name into the conversation, but that doesn’t mean that it wasn’t a sincere recommendation on Reid’s part. Of course it wasn’t a sincere recommendation, and I’m sure neither of them thought it was. What happened, of course, is that Reid got to use Sandoval as “cat fud” against McConnell, and Sandoval got a bit of positive publicity by being mooted as a potential SC Justice _and_ got to reinforce his right-wing bona fides by telling Obama to get stuffed. Win-win all around, except for McConnell. > [@John\_Bredin](#): > > Hey **doorhinge** , I’m not wild about Harry, but he’s Harry Reid. Harry Reid. Harry Reid. Hairy Reed is a porn star’s handle, which I’m sure is of particular interest to you, while Harry Reid is a duly-elected United States Senator. :rolleyes: Forget it, man. **doorhinge** hasn’t made a substantive argument in ages, so things like “Hairy Reed” and “Democrat Collective” are the best he can do. Pity him. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2016, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nevada-gov-brian-sandoval-being-vetted-as-potential-supreme-court-justice/747005/87 "2016-02-26T17:20:31Z")
I’ll admit, I had to follow the link to get the joke. I did remember the cartoon after seeing it again though. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2016, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nevada-gov-brian-sandoval-being-vetted-as-potential-supreme-court-justice/747005/88 "2016-02-26T17:31:27Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > Obama is playing politics with the nomination. Everything a President does is politics. > > DNC/Obama should nominate Obama for the empty seat on the SCOTUS. If it remains open until Hillary gets elected maybe they will. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2016, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nevada-gov-brian-sandoval-being-vetted-as-potential-supreme-court-justice/747005/89 "2016-02-26T17:37:31Z")
> [@Merneith](#): > > IE - Sandoval finally wises up to the fact that Harry Reid was just using him. Do you know who suggested him to President Bush for a position as a District Court judge back in 2004? ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2016, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nevada-gov-brian-sandoval-being-vetted-as-potential-supreme-court-justice/747005/90 "2016-02-26T18:04:52Z")
> [@XT](#): > > If it remains open until Hillary gets elected maybe they will. 😛 Why wait? It’s not as if Obama will get anything done this year. President Biden could hold Hillary’s seat until Bernie moves into 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2016, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nevada-gov-brian-sandoval-being-vetted-as-potential-supreme-court-justice/747005/91 "2016-02-26T18:16:27Z")
> [@XT](#): > > If it remains open until Hillary gets elected maybe they will. 😛 That would be awesome. And Republicans couldn’t harrumph that it is inappropriate for a former president to be nominated, since a Republican president already served on the Court. ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2016, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nevada-gov-brian-sandoval-being-vetted-as-potential-supreme-court-justice/747005/92 "2016-02-26T19:43:04Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > That would be awesome. And Republicans couldn’t harrumph that it is inappropriate for a former president to be nominated, since a Republican president already served on the Court. Why would the Republicans allow another anti-2nd Amendment justice to be seated on the SCOTUS? ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2016, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nevada-gov-brian-sandoval-being-vetted-as-potential-supreme-court-justice/747005/93 "2016-02-26T20:02:40Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > Why would the Republicans allow another anti-2nd Amendment justice to be seated on the SCOTUS? Well, he got into the White House with no executive experience. Why shouldn’t he get into the highest level of the judicial branch with no judicial experience? Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2016, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nevada-gov-brian-sandoval-being-vetted-as-potential-supreme-court-justice/747005/94 "2016-02-26T20:31:31Z")
> [@](#): > > Quoth **SlackerInc** : > > And Republicans couldn’t harrumph that it is inappropriate for a former president to be nominated, since a Republican president already served on the Court. Sure they could. John Friggin’ Adams nominated a Supreme Court justice during his lame-duck period, and that doesn’t stop them from harrumphing that it’s unprecedented. Reality has no influence whatsoever on the Republican ability to harrumph. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2016, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nevada-gov-brian-sandoval-being-vetted-as-potential-supreme-court-justice/747005/95 "2016-02-26T20:38:13Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Sure they could. John Friggin’ Adams nominated a Supreme Court justice during his lame-duck period, and that doesn’t stop them from harrumphing that it’s unprecedented. Reality has no influence whatsoever on the Republican ability to harrumph. “Hey, I didn’t get an harrumph from that guy!” ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2016, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nevada-gov-brian-sandoval-being-vetted-as-potential-supreme-court-justice/747005/96 "2016-02-27T01:27:35Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Well, he got into the White House with no executive experience. Why shouldn’t he get into the highest level of the judicial branch with no judicial experience? > > Regards, > Shodan Perhaps Obama could show them his Nobel Peace Prize for Participation? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nevada-gov-brian-sandoval-being-vetted-as-potential-supreme-court-justice/747005.md?page=4)