Neil Gorsuch appears to have the intellect and temperament to be highly qualified!
President Donald Trump behaved in a very dignified Reagan like demeanor during the announcement. The youngest court nominee in 25 years, Neil Gorsuch’s mother worked for President Reagan. From his policies, Neil Gorsuch appears to be a mainstream conservative, who holds a Ph.D. from Oxford University, pretty impressive credentials.
While Neil Gorsuch should be fairly easily confirmed, the Democrats will not forget the fact that another highly-qualified nominee, Merrick Garland, was not even allowed to have a hearing.
Nominated by President Obama almost a year ago, Merrick Garland not allowed to have a hearing will mean Democrats are likely to want to do the same thing to Gorsuch. Moreover, the Democrats are still upset about the ban issued earlier, so it will be a spirited confirmation process to say the least. Further, while President Trump has chosen a nominee that will not be easily dismissed, that will not likely change the balance on the court as Justice Anthony Kennedy, a Reagan nominee, remains the swing vote between liberals and conservatives. However, if Justice Kennedy can be persuaded to retire, than the balance will certainly change. Whether Justice Kennedy will choose to retire remains to be seen, however, one thing is certain, the real fight will take place when and IF Justice Kennedy chooses to retire.
Mayor Jim R. Fouts 