Staff Reports
Legal experts are buzzing with speculation on how much the Supreme Court will intervene in the upcoming elections. With some analysts suggesting that the justices have prepped a light docket to leave room for potential election-related cases, the Supreme Court’s role during this election season remains a hot topic of debate. Others believe the justices are gearing up for more of the legal wrangling surrounding Donald Trump’s immunity cases.
Chief Justice John Roberts appears to be firmly opposed to allowing the court to wade into divisive issues unnecessarily. Many conservatives remember his controversial vote when he helped shape the Obamacare ruling, where he found a way to strike a balance that nullified some provisions but spared the larger framework. It seems Roberts would prefer the court to stay out of politically charged situations unless absolutely necessary, a sentiment shared by many legal analysts.
Wake up with the Washington Examiner: Supreme Court and the election, and Harris tries and fails to pull ahead https://t.co/FyKRkwzn1v
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) October 11, 2024
Looking ahead to 2024, for the court to step into the kind of drama reminiscent of Bush v. Gore, multiple factors would need to converge. A razor-thin margin, much like Bush’s narrow victory in Florida, would have to occur, coupled with a legitimate federal legal question rather than merely a state matter. Law professor Aziz Huq outlined three potential pathways that could lead the court to intervene if election controversy arises, particularly concerning Georgia’s newly introduced election regulations that could prevent the certification of Vice President Kamala Harris’s victory.
As if to tease the Democrats, who are flooding the campaign with money, Harris has gathered an astonishing $1 billion since Biden’s exit from the race, yet she’s still pulling her hair out while neck-and-neck with Trump. Despite the massive funds and celebrity endorsements, Harris’s campaign seems to be stumbling in critical battleground states, trailing the former president by a hair’s breadth. Observers can only scratch their heads at the eternal question facing Democrats: How can someone with all that cash still struggle at the polls?
Meanwhile, party insiders are feeling the pressure as they worry the initial voter enthusiasm has hit a plateau. Even with their war chest, there’s a palpable sense of anxiety creeping in amongst Democratic operatives, leading to whispers of doom and gloom ahead of November. Harris’s campaign plans to maximize outreach with their financial advantage, including boosting grassroots efforts, but whether that will be enough to bring home the victory remains unclear given the current polling landscape.
During a recent Univision town hall, Harris found herself under tough questioning that highlighted the rift in addressing healthcare for illegal immigrants. An audience member shared a heartbreaking story about her deceased mother, prompting Harris to pivot to a familiar Democratic tactic: blaming Republicans. Rather than tackling the question head-on, Harris fell back on criticizing GOP rejection of a border bill. This leaves a curious viewer to ponder how effective her responses will be in swaying undecided voters when her retorts look more like a dodge than a solution. Just when it seemed Harris might gain solid ground, it seems her lack of specificity may leave her campaign’s ability to close the gap uncertain.
