How McCain can energize the base

[sbm]

McCain can win the social conservative base with some straight-talk---"I can't ban abortion or gay marriage, but I'll appoint better Supreme Court Justices than Obama or Clinton." Sweeping social policy hasn't been made by legislatures in years. See Roe v. Wade; Lawrence v. Texas; the 9th Circuit generally. The Court has four solid conservatives and four solid liberals; one justice means the difference between overturning Row and legalizing gay marriage. With a gay marriage case likely to be taken up in the next 4-8 years, the swing justice becomes more important than ever for social conservatives.

McCain should highlight that Justice Stevens, a general in the liberal camp, turns 88 next month. He'll likely resign during the next administration, Republican or not. If McCain focuses on what a Clinton or Obama Supreme Court nominee could do to America, he'll scare his base to the polls.

[Buckeye GOP]

Good point SBM - With the court balance the way it is social conservatives would miss a golden opportunity if they sat this one out. The 4-4-1 court is a litmus test hook for a lot of voters. This is one of the two big energy issues for conservatives with the other being protecting the homeland.

[Sabio]

So the point is, I guess, that if the justices most likely to retire are liberal, then the real potential for action and a real change is by appointing a conservative judge that will vote to overturn Roe v Wade? Even Rehnquist said that Roe v. Wade was too firmly entrenched in America's mentality to be overturned. I'm not sure that any real challenges on the abortion topic are in the pipeline. But gay marriage will definitely be on the forefront in the coming years. McCain risks a real firestorm by bringing up gay marriage...especially since he can't fall back on his religious beliefs in a credible way (which is my explanation of how George W. did it in 2004...people thought W. was sincere about the issue...notice that after the election, the issue died an ignominous death in Congress...I speak of the half-hearted effort of the Constitutional amendment that really had no broad support to begin with...nobody likes to be called a bigot, whether true or not).