I simply don't think most Americans think the Supreme Court makes a difference

[edhopper]

I know we all understand how much it does. And maybe there are enough voters in the minority who understand it to make an impact on the election.
But in the general population, I don't see people placing the importance on it they should. So we can't say how big an issue it will be as far as voters are concerned.

[tularetom]

1. 10% of college graduates think Judge Judy is on the Supreme Court

This is not a joke. Your doubt that the Court is an issue is probably well founded.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/19/politics/judge-judy-supreme-court-poll/

[Bluenorthwest]

5. And yet the majority of 61.6 picked Kagen from among the choices, Kagen being relatively new....

nt

[Autumn]

2. I don't think it will be an issue. It's a shame but that's how it is.

[Warren Stupidity]

3. The majority of Americans are idiots.

[underpants]

6. #JudgeReinholdforSCOTUS

[Bluenorthwest]

4. What do you base this view upon?

I am always skeptical of opinions which are based on the idea of others being inferior to the person with the opinion. I think most voters have a pretty good idea of the stakes. I think that both Parties have a large focus on the court for reasons specific to both Parties. I do not think most voters are unaware of the role of the court.

[edhopper]

9. Have you seen what passes for issues

in the GOP debates?

[DFW]

7. I fear you may well be correct

To realize how vital the SCOTUS is to our lives, one has to be educated enough in American history to understand how their decisions can affect us, either immediately or down the road. Republicans were always against any education that wasn't THEIR education, and ignorant voters mean more Republican voters.

I'm betting that if you ask 100 Democratic voters, chosen at random, and ask them to name a SCOTUS decision--ANY decision--and what it meant to our lives, you'd be lucky if half of them gave a correct answer. But ask any 100 Republican voters to name a SCOTUS decision--ANY decision--and what it meant to their lives, you'd be lucky if 10 of them gave a correct answer. The effect of THAT is that the Republicans will rely on Fox Noise to tell them what they think. If Mitch McConnell and Rush Limbaugh think the SCOTUS nomination is important, then obviously it must be. As to what or why, well Hannity will put the proper words in their mouths when it's time. They don't need no friggin' school to tell them to form their own opinion. What's that blasted TV for, anyway?

[stillwaiting]

8. Maybe we can educate through social media

It is certainly worth a shot since it is such an important issue.

We could also stress how important the senate is simultaneously.

We definitely need to educate people.

[edhopper]

10. The Dems have never been good at

making this an issue IMHO.

[MH1]

11. Exactly. "DON'T RAISE MY G--D-MN TAXES!!!" - is about all most care about.

That is why this country is so f*cked.

[LiberalAndProud]

12. The right has made the Supreme Court the issue to vote on since Roe v. Wade.

I think you might underestimate how deeply a certain religious faction feels about Scalia's absence from the court.