The Death of Justice Scalia and The Impact on the Election
The October Surprise is what happens that changes the narrative of a Presidential Election. It might seem crass to call the death of a beloved Supreme Court Justice a wrinkle in the election. It would be irresponsible not to acknowledge how the death of Justice Antonin Scalia will affect the election.
Justice Scalia was found dead in a West Texas ranch. He was on a hunting trip with friends. ON Friday night he told them he wasn't feeling well, he missed breakfast this morning, after a friend went to his room to check on him. He was not breathing and had no pulse. The Justice was 79 years old. Justice Scalia was the first Italian American to be appointed to the Supreme Court.
President Ronald Reagan appointed him to the top court in 1986. Many thought he would be a conservative justice. Most of the time he was, but at times he would go against that ideology and uphold what he thought was important in the Constitution. Chief Justice John Roberts said, ""His passing is a great loss to the court and the country he so loyally served." Many times throughout his career, he was a swing vote that would change the direction of a controversial issue.
How will this affect the current soap opera known as the Presidential Election? Not only will the death of a Supreme Court Justice be a heavy topic for the current candidates. It will also serve as a major debate point for the Americans that take part in the election process. It's expected that President Obama will not be the one to fill the void that is left on the bench. Even if he wanted to it would be impossible to get his nominee cleared by the Republican congress.
Now the debate will turn to who should choose the next Supreme Court nominee. Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, Senator Ted Cruz. Senator Bernie Sanders will all have something to say about the matter. No matter what side of the political spectrum you fall on, it is clear that strong feelings will be had about this issue. Those feelings will start to shape the election. There are Primaries taking place next Saturday including the Nevada, South Carolina, Washington. The death of Justice Scalia will play a big part in encouraging Americans to vote for one candidate over the other.
As this story develops it will become clearer about the narrative it will take. Let us mourn with the Scalia family for the loss of someone who they loved, and many Americans respected as a great Justice.
