Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia’s death over the weekend shocked the world, especially the political world.
Speculation as to who President Barack Obama would nominate to replace him came almost simultaneously with the announcement of his passing.
One of the most likely nominees is Judge Paul Watford, an African American who sits on the 9th U.S. Court of Appeals.
Some other unlikely nominees, also being mentioned, are also African Americans like U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch, Kamala Harris who was the first African-American Attorney General in California and New Jersey Senator Cory Booker.
CNN contributor Bakari Sellers, who happens to be a former South Carolina State Senator, a state with a large number of black voters, says any of those judges would be seen unapologetically liberal and would stand up for issues like the voting rights act and other issues which specifically affect African Americans.
“Oh no doubt about it. I mean we’re talking about the voting rights act. We’re talking about many issues very near and dear to the hearts of many African Americans you know we think about all the sacrifices that were made so that we could make it this far. In South Carolina I always tell people you don’t have to go far to find your civil rights hero. You can go to different people’s kitchens, they were the ones that sacrificed, who struggled, who were in prison, who were shot, who were beaten. South Carolina’s a very different culture and one thing we understand is the rule that the Supreme Court plays.”
But Republicans have vowed to block any nominee the President puts forward.
They want the next president to make the appointment.
However, that could backfire if Hillary Clinton becomes President.
Her nominee could possibly be none other than guess who?
Barack Obama!
Here is what she told voters in January:
Hillary Clinton: “I would certainly take that under advisement. ((Applause)) I mean he’s brilliant, and he can set forth an argument and he was a law professor. So he’s got all the credentials. But we would have to get a Democratic Senate to get him confirmed.”
The appointment of a liberal judge and/or a judge of color to succeed Scalia would be seen as poetic justice for African Americans, considering Scalia has often been on the opposite side of black issues.
Scalia even claimed as recently as December of last year that race-based affirmative action hurts black students.
So, for everyone listening this morning or reading on Black America Web dot com, this is not doubt the most important election in which we will participate in our lifetimes.
My CNN colleague David Gergen puts it this way, that this election will determine control of the White House, control of the Senate and control of the Supreme Court.
All three branches of government are in play.
This time it’s much more than who sits in the oval office.
