P.H. Dexippus said:

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Waco Ag said:

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Like all of them (judges) and elected officials, doesn't want to give up the power, grift and influence.

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Then you do not know Thomas. You should watch his movie. The man is clearly not motivated by power, grift and influence. He'd rather be RVing around the country with his wife but continues to serve out of a sense of duty.

https://www.justicethomasmovie.com/

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Nah. You're wrong. They're all vainglorious, and increasingly corrupt. Thomas one of the worst of all time.

eric76 said:

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LMCane said:

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I said this the day after the Trump election that Thomas should be submitting his resignation letter the same day.

we are really going to get Ginsburged by a guy who claims he loves conservatism.

how much longer does he think the Republican party will have a President and a Senate to install a conservative replacement?!!

Clarence Thomas today is SEVENTY SEVEN YEARS OLD.

the median life expectancy of an American male: SEVENTY SEVEN

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What makes you think that the Republican Party of today is Conservative?

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It undeniably is when compared to the other option. Light years more conservative, if you've been paying ANY attention.

Quote:

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It undeniably is when compared to the other option. Light years more conservative, if you've been paying ANY attention.

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That is not how it works though. Whataboutisms are popular here but don't matter much in the larger world.

Conservative political philosophy predates the founding fathers. MAGA has very little in common with it.

Windy City Ag said:

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Quote:

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It undeniably is when compared to the other option. Light years more conservative, if you've been paying ANY attention.

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That is not how it works though. Whataboutisms are popular here but don't matter much in the larger world.

Conservative political philosophy predates the founding fathers. MAGA has very little in common with it.

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What are me and most of my "MAGA" friends liberal on? Everyone I know wants lower taxes, lower spending, and we are more socially/culturally conservative than most boomers. I want to completely halt immigration for a while, for instance. I don't want d*cks in my daughter's locker rooms/showers. I think liberalism has basically destroyed the black community. I think I should be able to buy a full auto MP5 with suppressor at Buc-ees. Tell me, what am I "liberal" on?

None of the judges Trump appointed are as conservative as Thomas. Makes me worried about any of his future picks.

Because he doesn't want to and he doesn't answer to your politics.

agAngeldad said:

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None of the judges Trump appointed are as conservative as Thomas. Makes me worried about any of his future picks.

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If Thomas retires while Trump is in office, then Thomas needs to be the one to pick his replacement.

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What are most of my "MAGA" friends liberal on?

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Not "liberal.". There is a much larger political spectrum

You have to ask what MAGA avoids or detests that represents traditional conservative thought. Maga does not like:

1) Respect for constitutional separation of powers.
2) Belief in institutions
3) Limited Government
4) Belief in markets and advancement of free markets
5) Fiscal Restraint
6) Avoidance of foreign military entanglements
7) International Engagement
8) Consistent application of rule of law and criminal justice
9) Avoidance of nanny state executive branch policies MAHA


I think a lot of the actual RINOs never really cared about a lot of that list but the GOP building the big tent and courting evangelicals and others kept up the charade for awhile.

He is the GOAT…by a mile. I remember watching the confirmation hearings, he was a champ.

LMCane said:

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I said this the day after the Trump election that Thomas should be submitting his resignation letter the same day.

we are really going to get Ginsburged by a guy who claims he loves conservatism.

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What has John Thune done that would lead you to believe he would get a conservative seated on the Court?

Hardcore Greg said:

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Windy City Ag said:

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Quote:

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It undeniably is when compared to the other option. Light years more conservative, if you've been paying ANY attention.

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That is not how it works though. Whataboutisms are popular here but don't matter much in the larger world.

Conservative political philosophy predates the founding fathers. MAGA has very little in common with it.

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What are me and most of my "MAGA" friends liberal on? Everyone I know wants lower taxes, lower spending, and we are more socially/culturally conservative than most boomers. I want to completely halt immigration for a while, for instance. I don't want d*cks in my daughter's locker rooms/showers. I think liberalism has basically destroyed the black community. I think I should be able to buy a full auto MP5 with suppressor at Buc-ees. Tell me, what am I "liberal" on?

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What are your stances on ending federal entitlement programs, abolishing abortion, abolishing IVF, and unions?

Not saying you and your friends' views don't line up with the traditional conservative takes on these issues, but Trump broadened the MAGA coalition to include people with lib views on these subjects because of the unpopularity of the conservative takes.

I wouldn't agree 100% with Windy's take that MAGA is not very conservative at all, but it's undeniable that lib thinking has a home now in MAGA in the name of voter coalition-building

Quote:

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What are your stances on ending federal entitlement programs, abolishing abortion, abolishing IVF, and unions?

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ending entitlements - yes
abolishing aborting - yes but it has to be an enforceable law, so there's nuance involved
abolish IVF - no - none of my business
abolish unions - no - who is the government to prevent free organizations. If you mean laws that enforce union membership, then no that's not allowed

"conservative" is an inoperative term. Really "statist" and "non-statist" are all that matter. You either want to tell other people how to live or you don't.

There are quite a few "conservative" issues that are merely statists wanting to force their way of life upon others, which to me is the definition of liberal, i.e. using the "point of a gun" that is the state to coerce other people to act like the state wants.

Paul Pierce Ag said:

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Hardcore Greg said:

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Windy City Ag said:

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Quote:

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It undeniably is when compared to the other option. Light years more conservative, if you've been paying ANY attention.

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That is not how it works though. Whataboutisms are popular here but don't matter much in the larger world.

Conservative political philosophy predates the founding fathers. MAGA has very little in common with it.

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What are me and most of my "MAGA" friends liberal on? Everyone I know wants lower taxes, lower spending, and we are more socially/culturally conservative than most boomers. I want to completely halt immigration for a while, for instance. I don't want d*cks in my daughter's locker rooms/showers. I think liberalism has basically destroyed the black community. I think I should be able to buy a full auto MP5 with suppressor at Buc-ees. Tell me, what am I "liberal" on?

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What are your stances on ending federal entitlement programs, abolishing abortion, abolishing IVF, and unions?

Not saying you and your friends' views don't line up with the traditional conservative takes on these issues, but Trump broadened the MAGA coalition to include people with lib views on these subjects because of the unpopularity of the conservative takes.

I wouldn't agree 100% with Windy's take that MAGA is not very conservative at all, but it's undeniable that lib thinking has a home now in MAGA in the name of voter coalition-building

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It will never be right wing enough for me personally, but not sure I agree. There have always been moderates who voted R for Reagan, both Bush's, McCain, Romney etc etc.

I think we are seeing social and cultural pushback against things like immigration, gay/trans stuff that we haven't really seen in come of our lifetimes.

Quote:

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There are quite a few "conservative" issues that are merely statists wanting to force their way of life upon others, which to me is the definition of liberal, i.e. using the "point of a gun" that is the state to coerce other people to act like the state wants.

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The political definition of statism is larger. You are focusing on the tactics rather than the grand strategy. Statism means control of economic and social affairs by the state. They definitely use guns to get that done though.

Hilariously, the Oxford Dictionary includes in its definition of statism " The economic aims are to promote industrialization and protection against foreign competition. politically, the state and the government might gain in domestic legitimacy. Inspired more by nationalism than by socialism, statism is compatible with state capitalism."

Which describes many sections of the MAGA platform.

MAGA wants to own 10% of Intel? Great! Maga wants to use tariffs to shield domestic production? Absolutely. Maga wants to greatly enhance federal law enforcement agencies to advance its immigration agenda? Let's go!

Lots of Statism in the MAGA platform.

We should probably put this in a new thread as it is diverging from the discussion of Clarence Thomas not retiring.

rocky the dog said:

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It was during this time that then-senator Biden went on this incredibly arrogant wind-bag rant presiding over this hearing, where just about every other sentence contained some kind of massive narcissistic power display.

If you thought the dude was an idiot lately, go see that it stretched all the way back to a time where his ego was equally and unrightfully full if itself, just like it has always has been.

He thinks he's exceptional, but he's just a man consumed with Little-Man Syndrome. That's why he's always (throughout his career) acted tough and belligerent and challenged everyone to intelligence and push up contests.

He was and is incredibly insecure about his intellect, ability, and status.

Thomas--interviewed much later--confessed to having no idea about what he talking about, so he just sat there and let the idiot bloviate.

I think maybe we disagree about the "moderate" or "leftist" classification of policies/positions. To me, classifying wanting to keep the nanny state around as moderate is surrendering a huge amount of ground to the libs

It's my observation rather that the public has generally moved leftward, whether the cause be abandonment of religion or the addictive nature of entitlement programs, etc.

Hardcore Greg said:

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It will never be right wing enough for me personally

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But amen to this right here. Definitely agree

He has just under 2 more years to become the longest tenured US Supreme Court justice of all time - and I believe that is his goal (and has been since Biden tried so hard to destroy him during the confirmation hearings).

I for one hope he makes it to that milestone. One of the greatest to ever sit on the bench.

Rapier108 said:

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agAngeldad said:

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None of the judges Trump appointed are as conservative as Thomas. Makes me worried about any of his future picks.

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If Thomas retires while Trump is in office, then Thomas needs to be the one to pick his replacement.

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That's a terrible idea.

Thomas needs to wait at least another year. My son has a field trip to DC with a small group from his college and Justice Thomas has asked to have a private meeting with them and my son is one of the main organizers. He is pumped to meet the GOAT!

Hardcore Greg said:

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eric76 said:

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LMCane said:

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I said this the day after the Trump election that Thomas should be submitting his resignation letter the same day.

we are really going to get Ginsburged by a guy who claims he loves conservatism.

how much longer does he think the Republican party will have a President and a Senate to install a conservative replacement?!!

Clarence Thomas today is SEVENTY SEVEN YEARS OLD.

the median life expectancy of an American male: SEVENTY SEVEN

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What makes you think that the Republican Party of today is Conservative?

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It undeniably is when compared to the other option. Light years more conservative, if you've been paying ANY attention.

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The Republican Party of today and the Democratic Party have something very much in common now -- they are both parties of Radicals.

There is nothing Radical about Conservatism.

Bull Meachem said:

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Rapier108 said:

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agAngeldad said:

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None of the judges Trump appointed are as conservative as Thomas. Makes me worried about any of his future picks.

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If Thomas retires while Trump is in office, then Thomas needs to be the one to pick his replacement.

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That's a terrible idea.

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Why? Justices have long been afforded input on nominations to replace themselves. Scalia was not asked who would he like to see replace him but he was asked for recommendations. His response (after Sotomayor), "Just send us us someone smart." He got Kagan. Meh.

eric76 said:

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Hardcore Greg said:

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eric76 said:

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LMCane said:

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I said this the day after the Trump election that Thomas should be submitting his resignation letter the same day.

we are really going to get Ginsburged by a guy who claims he loves conservatism.

how much longer does he think the Republican party will have a President and a Senate to install a conservative replacement?!!

Clarence Thomas today is SEVENTY SEVEN YEARS OLD.

the median life expectancy of an American male: SEVENTY SEVEN

---

What makes you think that the Republican Party of today is Conservative?

---

It undeniably is when compared to the other option. Light years more conservative, if you've been paying ANY attention.

---

The Republican Party of today and the Democratic Party have something very much in common now -- they are both parties of Radicals.

There is nothing Radical about Conservatism.

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Examples of our "radicalism"?

We don't want Thomas to retire.

agAngeldad said:

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None of the judges Trump appointed are as conservative as Thomas. Makes me worried about any of his future picks.

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DeSantis.

Hardcore Greg said:

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eric76 said:

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Hardcore Greg said:

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eric76 said:

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LMCane said:

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I said this the day after the Trump election that Thomas should be submitting his resignation letter the same day.

we are really going to get Ginsburged by a guy who claims he loves conservatism.

how much longer does he think the Republican party will have a President and a Senate to install a conservative replacement?!!

Clarence Thomas today is SEVENTY SEVEN YEARS OLD.

the median life expectancy of an American male: SEVENTY SEVEN

---

What makes you think that the Republican Party of today is Conservative?

---

It undeniably is when compared to the other option. Light years more conservative, if you've been paying ANY attention.

---

The Republican Party of today and the Democratic Party have something very much in common now -- they are both parties of Radicals.

There is nothing Radical about Conservatism.

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Examples of our "radicalism"?

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The crazy idea that if you tear down something, you can rebuild it to suit your view of what it should be.

Conservatism has traditionally been about preserving our great institutions, not tearing them down. Radicalism is about tearing down what you don't like.

When changes need to be made (which they nearly always do need to be made), they should be made carefully so as not to destroy what we want to keep.

eric76 said:

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Hardcore Greg said:

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eric76 said:

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Hardcore Greg said:

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eric76 said:

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LMCane said:

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I said this the day after the Trump election that Thomas should be submitting his resignation letter the same day.

we are really going to get Ginsburged by a guy who claims he loves conservatism.

how much longer does he think the Republican party will have a President and a Senate to install a conservative replacement?!!

Clarence Thomas today is SEVENTY SEVEN YEARS OLD.

the median life expectancy of an American male: SEVENTY SEVEN

---

What makes you think that the Republican Party of today is Conservative?

---

It undeniably is when compared to the other option. Light years more conservative, if you've been paying ANY attention.

---

The Republican Party of today and the Democratic Party have something very much in common now -- they are both parties of Radicals.

There is nothing Radical about Conservatism.

---

Examples of our "radicalism"?

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The crazy idea that if you tear down something, you can rebuild it to suit your view of what it should be.

Conservatism has traditionally been about preserving our great institutions, not tearing them down. Radicalism is about tearing down what you don't like.

When changes need to be made (which they nearly always do need to be made), they should be made carefully so as not to destroy what we want to keep.

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What "great institutions" are we tearing down and trying to weaponize or build in our own image? You think the founders would be fine with the state of public school system? Weaponized bloated federal agencies that try to rig elections or target political opponents? The founders would actually want to tear down some of our major institutions. I can guarantee that. Were they not "conservative"?

They'd probably be causing a violent ruckus to be honest. But again, what have we "destroyed"?

LMCane said:

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I stated EXACTLY what is correct.

you are deciding to use a different metric.

Life Expectancy in the U.S.A.

See also: Countries in the world ranked by Life Expectancy

Both Sexes
79.8


Females
82.2


Males
77.4

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Now do black males of his generation who are a little heavy set.

FYI, I agree he is the best supreme court justice currently serving, but his remaining life expectancy is not long, statistically speaking. Can Trump find a similarly conservative replacement that can get confirmed after the midterms?