Supreme Court: Hope for the future
Whatever appointments are made in the next 4 years, it will impact Americans lives for the next 20 -30 years. Even though we did not take back the House, We have a clear majority in the Senate. That's all we need to appoint a Supreme Court Justice. The Senate must approve the nomination by a majority vote.
With President Obama's reelection he will have 4 years to appoint moderate/liberal judges. Given the current age of 4 of the judges, he may get 2 appointments. It's very possible Ginsburg and Breyer would retire before Obama's term is over, just so he could appoint 2 judges. Scalia and Kennedy would both be in their late 70's, but unless they become ill or incapacitated, they probably would not leave before Obama's 2nd term is over.
But even if President Obama only gets to appoint 2 justices, consider the alternative if Romney had won.
The last 8 justices retired or died between the ages of 70-90.
Sandra Day O'Connor retired at 75
David Souter............retired at 70
John Paul Stevens.....retired at 90
William Rehnquist.........died at 81
lewis Powell............. retired at 80
Harry Blackmun.........retired at 86
Warren Burger..........retired at 79
Thurgood Marshall.....retired at 83
