ConfirmThem

By Ryan K Posted in SCOTUS — Comments () / Email this page » / Leave a comment »

Ages of potential nominees:
note: the (-5) is a reminder that women have a 5 year greater life expectancy

Pryor: 43
Estrada: 43
Cantero: 45
Sykes: 47 (-5)
Brownback: 48
McConnell: 50
Luttig: 51
Owen: 51 (-5)
~~~~~~~~~~ Why go older (except for females)?
Cornyn: 53
Alito: 55
Kozinski: 55
Jones: 56 (-5)
Brown: 56 (-5)
Clement: 57 (-5)
Corrigan: 57 (-5)
Garza: 57
Thompson: 59
Wilkinson: 60
Boggs: 61
Batchelder: 61 (-5)
Kyl: 63
Olson: 64
Glendon: 67 (-5)

While a 6 year age difference between Owen and Clement may not seem like a big deal now, in Supreme Court years it is immensely long. It can be the difference between a Clinton appointee (Ginsberg) and a Bush appointee (Roberts), effecting landmark cases each year. Pryor and Thompson highlight this factor further with a whopping 16 year age difference. I hope age continues to be a significant consideration by the Administration, as was with 50-year-old Roberts.

With the breadth of young qualified candidates available, it's difficult to justify the age tradeoff with anyone older than Owen at 51-years-old, whose life expectancy is the equivalent to a 46-year-old male, and is on most conservative's top 3 list.