The McConnell Doctrine

 2016 introduced us to the McConnell Doctrine, the principle that, with less than a year before a presidential election, the president should not exercise his power to appoint a Supreme Court judge, but should leave the choice to his successor.

 

Now that this principle is inconvenient, McConnell has refined his doctrine to say that it only applies if the president and the Senate are of opposing parties.

 

Hmm...

 

So if the opposition controls the Senate, and can force the President to nominate only someone acceptable to them, then the Senate should refuse to consider any nominees. But if the opposition is out of power, and the President can nominate and get confirmed an extremist judge just before being voted out of power, then that is okay.

 

I think we're passed pretending there are any principles at work here. The McConnell Doctrine goes like this: "Might makes right. We're entitled to ram through our agenda any way we please, and we're entitled to criticize you for attempting the same. If you think there are rules and traditions to respect, well, that's your problem."