[rootusrootus]

Everything in the US, whether it should be or not, is divided at some level along ideological lines. It's awful. I hope we can find our way out of it while retaining a healthy, functioning democracy. And I don't think it's inaccurate to say that when the US suffers this way, it has an impact on the whole world. We can play a stabilizing role, but only when we are ourselves stable.

It may be rose colored glasses, but I don't remember it always being this way. Maybe it was right about the time Bork got nominated, but as I recall confirmation hearings used to be more of a rubber stamp. The president picked someone halfway decent, the Senate said sure that looks good, and there we go. But now it's completely ideological and the actual qualifications and judicial attitude of the nominee have practically no impact.

Doesn't help that some of the current justices believe strongly in originalism, which gives wide latitude towards interpreting what the founders must have been thinking.

And it really doesn't help that some of the justices are engaging in overtly partisan behavior in their off time. Used to be that the mere appearance of impropriety could sink your career, but that ship sailed a while ago.