Sometimes politics calls for a futile gesture, says Eugene Robinson. And the row over President
Trump’s Supreme Court nominee is a case in point. The Democrats can’t block the appointment
of Neil Gorsuch: if they filibuster in the Senate, denying the Republicans the necessary 60 votes,
Republican leaders will employ what has become known as the “nuclear option” – changing the
Senate rules to allow Supreme Court nominations to be voted through by a simple majority. But
having noted that, the Democrats should oppose Gorsuch anyway. There’s a principle at stake here.
This Supreme Court seat was essentially stolen from the Democrats. The vacancy opened up a year
ago, yet Senate Republicans refused to extend Barack Obama’s candidate even the courtesy of a
hearing. Besides, fighting the nomination “tooth and nail” will help rally the demoralised Democrat
base. Remember the Republicans’ all-out battle to stop Obama’s healthcare reforms? That, too, was
a doomed mission, but it “gave tremendous energy” to the Tea Party movement, which propelled
the Republicans to sweeping victory in the 2010 midterm elections. By inspiring their grass-roots
supporters with the spirit of resistance, Senate Democrats can “help make 2018 a Democratic year”.
