How The Partisan Divide Over Brett Kavanaugh’s Confirmation Could Influence The Midterms

According to Pew Research Center, the Supreme Court is now the key issue for midterm voters.

By Rhonda Fanning & Jill AmentOctober 3, 2018 12:50 pm

When he was Senate majority leader, Lyndon Johnson used his powers of persuasion to get politicians to yield to him, in what was called the “Johnson treatment.” Now the Austin American-Statesman reports that John Cornyn, the senior senator from Texas, is testing out the the “Cornyn treatment” on his colleagues as he takes a lead role in lobbying senators to confirm Supreme Court justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh. As it stands now, three Republican senators are considered swing votes: Jeff Flake of Arizona, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. But the stakes in this fight go beyond a confirmation vote.

Philip Bump, national correspondent for The Washington Post, says the partisan fight over Kavanaugh’s nomination could have an effect on the upcoming midterm elections.

What you’ll hear in this segment:

– Why the composition of the Supreme Court matters now more than it did during the 2016 election

– How Kavanaugh’s nomination is motivating more people to be politically active during the midterms

– Why Democrats will likely regain control of the House, but not necessarily the Senate 

 

Written by Morgan Kuehler.