David Savage writes about one of President Trump’s potential nominees to the Supreme Court, Judge Neil Gorsuch.
In Gorsuch, supporters see a jurist who has strong academic credentials, a gift for clear writing and a devotion to deciding cases based on the original meaning of the Constitution and the text of statutes, as did the late Justice Antonin Scalia.
Just as importantly, Gorsuch is seen as someone who might be more easily confirmed in the Senate. Unlike other appointees of President George W. Bush, Gorsuch won an easy Senate confirmation on a voice vote in 2006.
All of that is correct, and I’m hearing the same things as other journalists about his being at the top of Trump’s list. Savage also points out that Gorsuch clerked for Justice Anthony Kennedy. Perhaps he would have a better shot at convincing Kennedy to join conservative majorities than other potential nominees. In a lot of cases, and an even higher proportion of the most important ones, that would make the difference between winning and losing 5-4.