To: Tenchusatsu who wrote (953445 ) 8/3/2016 2:30:29 PM From: Wharf Rat Respond to "Just like a sitting Supreme Court justice never did this before Darth Bader Ginsberg."Bush v. Gore without blinking an eye. O’Connor had a long history of rooting for the Bushes in presidential elections. In 1988, she wrote to longtime political ally Senator Barry Goldwater, in a letter now in his public archives, that she “would be thankful if George B wins. It is vital for the Court and the nation that he does.”politico.com A surprisingly large number of U.S. Supreme Court Justices have harbored presidential aspirations. In at least three quarters of the presidential elections between 1832 and 1956, one or more Justices attempted to obtain a presidential or vice presidential nomination or were prominently mentioned as potential candidates. Until the 1950s, many Justices were appointed because they were prominent in national politics. Only a few became prominent in national politics merely because they were Justices. Several Justices conducted covert presidential campaigns, and a few even openly campaigned from the bench. During the nineteenth century, several received substantial number of votes at party conventions. On numerous occasions, political parties or political leaders encouraged Justices to become presidential candidates. scotusblog.com
