Democrats on Barrett Supreme Court Nomination... "Focus on Court Conservatism and Abortion Rights Issues"

"Trump's Barrett Nomination Shakes Up Presidential Race"
Concerns Grow Over Strong Backlash from Personal Attacks on Barrett

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] As U.S. President Donald Trump nominated Amy Coney Barrett, a judge of the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, to succeed the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who passed away, the Democratic Party in the U.S. is also preparing a swift response, according to The New York Times (NYT).

Within the Democratic Party, there is a judgment that if personal attacks against Barrett, a female conservative who opposes abortion and is a mother of seven children, are wrongly applied, the political backlash could shake the presidential race. It is expected that the response will be indirect and limited, focusing more on the broken balance between conservatives and progressives within the Supreme Court and emphasizing the necessity of abortion rights rather than targeting Barrett personally.

On the 26th (local time), NYT reported that the presidential race is being significantly shaken as President Trump nominated Judge Barrett as the new Supreme Court Justice. Barrett, an opponent of abortion with seven children, including children with disabilities, is a figure who holds complex and diverse issues such as evangelical and conservative Catholic voters, abortion rights activists and opponents, women, youth, and disability issues.

NYT analyzed that Barrett’s nomination seems to be a choice by President Trump, who was cornered by the failure of COVID-19 prevention measures, as it can lead several issues that can shake the presidential race.

The Democratic Party is deeply considering the level and method of response. Dan Sena, a key strategist of the Democratic Party and a representative from Massachusetts, said in an interview with NYT, "If the Democratic Party attacks or touches on Barrett’s personal matters, the backlash could endanger the Democratic Party," adding, "It could cause moderate conservative voters to lean toward Trump."

It is known that Biden’s presidential campaign is planning a strategy to attract the votes of young female voters by focusing on the issue of the conservative-progressive balance in the Supreme Court, which has tilted 6:3 due to Barrett’s appointment, and the maintenance of abortion rights rather than Barrett’s personal issues. Some progressive circles are reportedly advising former Vice President Biden to adopt a strategy of expanding the number of Supreme Court justices if Barrett’s appointment is confirmed.