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Originally Posted by BoLevi
When was the last time a justice died with a few weeks before the election? (honest question, I don't know). The post you quoted and your response indicate that the RBG death creates and unprecedented situation. Maybe that justifies the GOP abandoning precedent, maybe it doesn't.
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Sherman Minton retired from the bench on October 15, 1956, just 37 days before the 1956 election. Republican Eisenhower used a recess appointment to fill the seat, with a Republican controlled Senate in place. There was no concern as the bench was considered a non-political appointment.
Anton Scalia's death is what got us here, with Mitch McConnell blocking President Obama's opportunity to appoint his nominee. This was strictly a political move, intended to stack the court and have influence over a branch of government for an extended period of time (20-30 years).
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My point isn't that Trump should nominate, or not. My point is that 2020 Democrats disagree with 2016 Democrats on whether a vacancy created in an election year should move forward or not. That's it.
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Your problem is that what the Democrats wanted to do is secondary. The Republicans are the party that had/have control and then make the decisions on the actions that take place. The Republicans had control over the Senate and elected to institute new rules to forward their political agenda even though it flew in the face of the constitution and governance norms. The Democrats had no power over this decision. The norm had always been to allow the sitting President to nominate a justice, and the Republicans refused to comply with that norm, even though there was 9 months to the election.
In 2020 it is the Republicans wanting to again change the rules that they had established in 2016, again to forward their political agenda. Again, the Democrats are not in a position or authority and are only following the norm established by the Republicans. Now that the "new rules" don't work for their agenda, the "new rules" have to go and we go back to observing the norms established in the past. The only ones that have been flip flopping are the Republicans because they keep changing the rules. You know, like you moving the goalposts with each post you make.
And just for emphasis...