The headline was bold, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died a week ago, has become the first woman in US history to lie in state at the US Capitol in Washington DC. Ruth Bader Ginsburg broke another glass ceiling. It should have come much sooner.
Beginning next week another woman will enter the spotlight; her name, Amy Coney Barrett. Already much has been written about her so I will not add to her biographical profile.
I will begin by recalling Senator Diane Feinstein’s descriptive phrase: “The dogma lives loudly with you.” This was Senator Feinstein’s conclusion about Judge Amy Barrett Coney’s Christian faith voiced during her earlier confirmation hearing to become a United States Circuit Court of Appeals judge. When the confirmation vote came up, Feinstein voted no.
What in most circumstances would be praise, was in the Senator’s eyes disqualifying. How could a person, influenced in part by the life of Jesus Christ, be for that reason, rejected?
We are all informed by something or some things—family, school, church, experiences, influential friends and more. Is being informed by faith in God disabling? And when it comes to faith, is hypocrisy preferred? There are certainly plenty of persons who loudly proclaim their faith, but when their avowed precepts clash with pleasure or greed or power are quick to embrace the latter.
This is the circumstance, but there is a broader story. Unfortunately for former Vice President Joe Biden his future is imperiled by the broader story.
It seems certain that Judge Barrett will be attacked because of her faith. It will be said she “will vote to overrule Roe v Wade.” On that subject she has voiced approvingly the doctrine of stare decisis. “Stare decisis is Latin for “to stand by things decided.” In short, it is the doctrine of precedent.”
Appropriately, Senators will probe and probe to find any real or perceived departures from this principle in everything Judge Barrett has said or written. But the broader story is about who will be elected President on November 3rd.
Handicappers in recent days have concluded that Joe Biden has over a 75% chance of winning. If I was a handicapper, the probability would be dropping. And it would be dropping because the chances are quite good that persons and organizations aligned with his candidacy will spend the next several weeks trying to destroy Judge Barrett and the chances of her confirmation. She will be caricatured as a feverish zealot who will tromp on the separation of Church and State. Her husband should begin conversations with their seven children on the underlying motivation—power and its corruption.
Notwithstanding what has been concluded in a variety of media reports, I know a number of persons of faith who are not intending to vote for Donald Trump because of his character. That is real news. Now to the speculation.
If Biden advocates choose to condemn Judge Barrett based on her devoutness, attitudes will change. A not inconsequential number of persons of faith inclined to vote for Joe Biden will reverse course. It will not be because they suddenly like Trump, but because an America that leaves no room for authentic faith is to them a higher risk than four more years.
Al Sikes is the former Chair of the Federal Communications Commission under George H.W. Bush. Al recently published Culture Leads Leaders Follow published by Koehler Books.
Jeannine says
Certainly, Joe Biden’s character is flawed. In my opinion, more so than Trump’s.
Laura Zagon says
OMG… Biden could “shoot someone on fifth avenue” and never approach the subhuman levels Trump lives at.
Tom Hill says
An outside the box and provoking thought about how a last minute enormous event could indeed alter the vote. thank you for sharing.
Wilson Wyatt says
Al Sikes raises an interesting perspective. We live life in a gray zone; little is as simple as black and white. While the separation of church and state is a long-standing and important principle, a person seeking public office should not be judged on their faith. On the other hand, a person’s character (or lack of character) is as important as following the Constitution…or more so. We should be very mindful of that when selecting future leaders. It’s Trump’s Achilles Heel.
David Reel says
Yogi Berra said it about baseball games but it is true of political campaigns as well –“It ain’t over till it’s over”.
David Montgomery says
I would add my favorite quote from Sun Tzu as a message to fellow Republicans: never interrupt your opponent when he is making a mistake
David Montgomery says
Thank you for this calm and thoughtful column. If you have not seen it, I have to add Robert George’s tweeted warning to Barrett’s potential opponents: “I’ll give Amy Barrett’s opponents some good advice, in blissful assurance that they won’t take it. Don’t attack her faith. Don’t go near it. Stay a million miles away. Talk about health care, immigration, the weather, anything but religion. It’s not her Achilles heel; it’s yours.” I disagree on only one point. Unlike other faithful Christians, I do not have any greater admiration for Biden’s character than for Trump’s: it is different but to my mind more damnable. Nevertheless, before you are inundated with criticism, I want to say how much I appreciate your column. Great job.
Craig Fuller says
Al Sikes, as always, give us thoughtful views. Just after reading his commentary, the breaking news from the NEW TIMES arrived. I must say that I only hope people will consider the full story of a life lived on the edge when making their decision about who they wish to see in the White House for the next four years. And, it is not Judge Barrett’s life to which I refer!
The NYT tells a story that simply cannot be ignored:https://clf1.info/34jpWOv
Tom Alspach says
Al needs to do his homework if he thinks that Barrett believes “approvingly” about the doctrine of stare decisis. In fact she believes just the opposite and has written explicitly that a Justice should advocate her own interpretation of the Constitution “rather than a precedent that she thinks conflicts with it.” Indeed, this is the very reason she has been nominated. It is understood she will vote to gut what remains of the ACA, reverse Roe, eliminate affirmative action, and neutralize regulations prohibiting gender based discrimination (the latter, especially when religious objections are present). And of course, Trump expects she will provide him a vote he needs when he challenges the “rigged” election.
If the Heritage Society (which actually makes the judicial nominations; Trump has no clue) believed Barrett really does think “approvingly” about stare decisis, she would not now be the nominee.
Stephen Schaare says
Hi Tom, Allow me to quote one of your faves “elections have consequences”. Barack Obama.
Laura Zagon says
Tom, you are so correct.
Carol Voyles says
The better off our society becomes, the less we might worry about such outcomes.
Churches and cathedrals are integral to European tours, but so many are closing. Just 19% of the Scandinavian population are members of churches. In the United States, 69% of us are, and in Africa, 94% belong to churches.
It seems that faith does best in “shithole” countries. And Donald Trump is doing faith no favors here.
Richard Marks says
Al, I appreciate your column and mostly agree with you along with others who have commented despite Mr. Montgomery’s expectation that you would be criticized. Mind boggling to also read Dave and Jeannine find Biden’s character more damnable than Trump’s.
Speaking of character, thanks Craig, for your recommendation for folks to “consider the full story of a life” when making their decision next month. Can you imagine how much pressure Mnuchin must be under right now to “fix” the IRS issue for his boss? I am sure not even close to what the CDC experienced. Speaking of fixers, seeing the showman bring a couple of friends to the press conference yesterday and deferring to them was an eye opener.