You're right about saying it was Bork who was nominated 19 months before Reagan left office. My apologies. Democrats still didn't have to confirm Kennedy. Both sides gave something up and compromised on Kennedy. Republicans could do that now with Obama but they're gambling they can get a Conservative next year if they don't. They could also get stuck with a Liberal, but they're apparently willing to take that chance.Kennedy was nominated 14 months until the end of Reagan's term, not 19. And he was confirmed by a Senate which could have blocked him too had they wanted. They confirmed him because he was far more moderate than Bork.I don't recall any Democrats at the time suggesting they wait until the next president gets elected to pick a replacement.Do tell?Turnabout is fair play.
"On Feb. 3, 1988, McConnell and literally every other GOP senator voted to confirm Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy. This was during President Ronald Reagan's last year in the White House, and at a time when Democrats controlled the Senate. Kennedy was confirmed 97-0, with three Democrats -- Joe Biden, Al Gore and Paul Simon -- not voting at all because, presumably, they were busy running for president that year."
Mitch McConnell Voted To Confirm A Supreme Court Justice In Reagan's Final Year
I just answered this nonsense. Kennedy was confirmed EIGHT MONTHS after Reagan nominated Robert Bork. Kennedy had to be nominated because the Dems smeared and blocked Bork, and then Reagan's second pick had to withdraw for personal issues. The point is that Kennedy was the second replacement for a candidate who was nominated EIGHT MONTHS EARLIER--19 MONTHS BEFORE THE END OF REAGAN'S SECOND TERM. So your example is full of holes.
Got it?
Huh? Uh, I didn't say Kennedy was nominated 19 months before the end of Reagan's second term. I said Bork was, and that Kennedy was the second replacement nominee after the Democrats had smeared and blocked Bork.
The point is that the nominee whom Kennedy replaced was nominated 19 months before the end of Reagan's time in office. So the argument that the Senate should confirm Obama's nominee with less than a year left in office because the Senate confirmed Kennedy with 11 months left in Reagan's tenure is bogus. They were two very different situations.
As you said, Kennedy was more moderate, but that was only part of it. The Democrats were facing a backlash over how they had treated Bork, and they were just not prepared to block the third nominee for the vacant seat. That was a far different situation than the one we now face.
And the difference between Bork and now is that Democrats weren't shutting down the confirmation process. They were following the process which allows them to reject nominees. As compared to what Republicans are saying now, that they are shutting down the confirmation process until another president is in office.