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Ongoing NC GOP debacle thread

Dumb and disingenuous is an ugly combination.
 
wakelaw13 said:
I’m going to push back on the idea that electing judges is a stupid idea, at least at the statewide level. Either the judges are elected directly by the people or the people elect representatives who appoint and vote on them. For our appellate courts, it seems the people have done a generally decent job as of late. However, I’d like to see appointments at the local level, where voters will be far less educated on the candidates.
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99 percent of people voting have no idea who the judicial candidates are at all and judges shouldn’t be running for office as it completely politicizes the position which should be non partisan. It also encourages judges to be harsher on criminals because nobody wins running for elected office while saying “i was soft on crime as a judge last term.”
 
Wakeforest22890 said:
99 percent of people voting have no idea who the judicial candidates are at all and judges shouldn’t be running for office as it completely politicizes the position which should be non partisan. It also encourages judges to be harsher on criminals because nobody wins running for elected office while saying “i was soft on crime as a judge last term.”
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Again, I don’t think that’s completely true but think your concerns are valid. I think the attorneys throughout the state have a huge impact. People listen to lawyers they know before judicial elections. Especially in state wide races, voters do have some idea. Not 90% of them, but a lot more than 1%. Then you have a huge number voting for party with no other consideration.

As to the soft on crime part, I think you’re right back to the chicken/egg situation. Politicians aren’t going to want to look tough on crime either.

Finally, if you want evidence that voters are more sophisticated than you’re giving them credit for, look up the Robin Hudson attack ads trying to paint her as soft on crime.
 
Well if judges aren’t elected like politicians are then it doesn’t matter if they look soft on crime or not once they’re appointed.
 
Are you suggesting all judges should have lifetime appointments? Because if not, that same consideration would apply.
 
Just Republicans leading white masses to take voting rights away from black people. Nothing crazy going on here.
 
PhDeac said:
Just Republicans leading white masses to take voting rights away from black people. Nothing crazy going on here.
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And the the GOP members of the Supreme Court all just ruled that the federal courts can do nothing about it. You can't get much more blatant than what the NC GOP did (and is still trying to do) on limiting voting for specific groups. What a time to be alive.
 
Highland Deac said:
And the the GOP members of the Supreme Court all just ruled that the federal courts can do nothing about it. You can't get much more blatant than what the NC GOP did (and is still trying to do) on limiting voting for specific groups. What a time to be alive.
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There's reason to be optimistic that this get's fixed by the NC Supreme Court, although that ruling will only apply to our state.
 
NC's supreme court justices are all Democrats save 1 Republican.
 
wakelaw13 said:
There's reason to be optimistic that this get's fixed by the NC Supreme Court, although that ruling will only apply to our state.
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Agreed, as they're mostly Democrats. The question is whether 1) The GOP legislature will actually obey the court ruling without either dragging its feet past the 2020 election, or just trying to find some loophole to ignore the court ruling entirely, or 2) whether the GOP legislature will try to appeal a negative ruling to the federal courts and hope that the GOP majority Supremes rule in their favor. I wouldn't put anything past Phil Berger and this legislature, and especially any attempt to drag this out until past the 2020 election.
 
The NC case is based on the NC Constitution. The NC Supreme Court has the ultimate say when it comes to interpretation of the NC Constitution, not the federal courts.
 
wakelaw13 said:
The NC case is based on the NC Constitution. The NC Supreme Court has the ultimate say when it comes to interpretation of the NC Constitution, not the federal courts.
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I agree, and I'd like to think that Phil Berger and the GOP legislature would accept a ruling that goes against them, but we're not living in normal times. That's what I'm talking about. No doubt that what you're saying is correct, but I don't have much faith in this legislature (or the NC GOP or National GOP) to simply accept the ruling and not try something unprecedented or fishy.
 
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The only consequences politicians face for ignoring the courts are from the voters. That gives them every reason to ignore the courts and to politicize and weaponize the courts when they can.
 
Highland Deac said:
I agree, and I'd like to think that Phil Berger and the GOP legislature would accept a ruling that goes against them, but we're not living in normal times. That's what I'm talking about. No doubt that what you're saying is correct, but I don't have much faith in this legislature (or the NC GOP or National GOP) to simply accept the ruling and not try something unprecedented or fishy.
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I’d like to think that too but no reason to believe they will. The NC GOP is one step above a third world country’s leadership.
 
Went to school as a poli sci major with his daughter who was quietly against gay marriage. That made advanced American politics classes....interesting.
 
Jeff Jackson sent out an email officially saying he’s not going to run for Tillis’ seat.
 
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