One of the consequences from the recent Obamacare ruling that has gone under the radar is the fact that Chief Justice Roberts may have rendered another one of the traditional Democratic arguments moot.
All my life Democrats have warned that one of the most important reasons to vote for a Democratic President is to prevent a Republican President from stacking the Supreme Court with neanderthal judges who would strip citizens of their liberties. Now with Justice Roberts being praised by the likes of the New York Times - that argument gets much harder to make. What's Obama going to say? "Vote for me or else Mitt Romney will put more people like Justice Roberts on the bench!" That may actually lead people to vote for Romney.
How is the President supposed to raise funds based on the Supreme Court appointments now? He can't go after Clarence Thomas because that could be spun as black on black crime. He can't go after Anthony Kennedy because the last name will confuse some liberals who aren't paying attention. David Souter? Heck Democrats want more Justices like Souter. That just leaves Samuel Alito and Antonin Scalia both of whose name recognition among non-engaged likely voters is probably in the single digits.
Chief Justice Roberts did save Obamacare but in doing so he kept it alive as a campaign issue, re-branded it as a tax and he took away appointing Supreme Court judges as a major reason to vote Democrat. President Obama will still try to sell it but Justice Roberts just made neanderthal Republican Justice appointments as believable as shovel ready jobs.
Bravo Chief Justice Roberts. Bravo.