Republicans Will Never Allow a Vote on an Obama SCOTUS Nomination

Greg Sargent nails it: An Obama nominee can never introduce themselves. People might like them.

Mitch McConnell is at least consistent: nothing for you, Obama.

Greg Sargent of WaPo's Plum Line sees it correctly:

Perfect: If the American people get real exposure to Obama’s nominee, it might make it harder for us to vote No, so better not to allow any exposure at all! Now, as I noted yesterday, Republicans are under no obligation to consider and vote on Obama’s nominee. This is a political fight that will turn on perceived norms. The only way Democrats can force Republicans to cave here is by successfully portraying the GOP refusal to consider any nominee as so deeply unreasonable and dysfunctional that Republicans decide they’re sustaining too much damage among swing voters to continue holding out.

Sargent then points out that Americans are evenly split on this, so it's hard to imagine Republicans -- who've been warned they face outside groups who will go so far as to primary them if they waver -- will give in, even as support collapses around them.

Republicans have no choice but to gamble that they can gut it out. Obama will have to create his own SCOTUS dog-and-pony show. Stay tuned.

Final thought: The Republicans have done something like this before. Newt Gingrich shut down the government in a cage fight with Bill Clinton, not once but twice. Newt ended up with more than egg on his face. Similar things have happened during Obama's tenure. Again, those didn't work out, unless raising Ted Cruz's profile enough to convince him to run for president works for you. Anyway, Republicans are fully capable of misjudging the body politic, and they may be doing it again this time.