What's your fucking problem Mr. Biden? Answer the question you fucking retard. "Mr. Biden was asked at every stop if he planned to pack the court. He refused to answer again and again, making the issue an even bigger liability for his campaign."

Wall Street Journal

OPINION

POTOMAC WATCH

A Justice Is Worth 1,000 Tweets

Imagine if Trump were as determined and focused as Amy Coney Barrett.

By Kimberley A. Strassel

October 15, 2020

Democrats spent the week pelting Judge Amy Coney Barrett with gotcha questions designed to trap her into making their political points. The Supreme Court nominee refused to play their game, and kept her responses focused on what matters: her record, her philosophy, the big picture. It was a home-run performance, even as it was a closing lesson for the Trump campaign.

The previous week was tough for Donald Trump—because it was all about Donald Trump. The president’s coronavirus diagnosis allowed Joe Biden and the media to refocus on its favorite subject: the president’s persona. This week, by contrast, was good for Mr. Trump, because it was about something else—something that can help him win re-election. It wasn’t about his words; it was about his deeds.

On one level, the Barrett hearing was about the nominee. On another, it was a moment for the White House to highlight an overlooked fact: The president has largely fulfilled his campaign pledges, in particular on judicial nominations. Mr. Trump won over any number of uncertain voters in 2016 with a pledge to put qualified originalist judges on the federal courts. More than 200 appointments later—soon to include a third Supreme Court justice—voters this week were reminded that the stakes in this election transcend Mr. Trump’s tweets.

As important, the hearing was a visual riposte to the left’s wild claims. Democrats decried Judge Barrett as an extremist and a Trump crony who would corruptly serve the president’s interests. But roll the tape. Americans for three days watched a talented jurist answering complex questions without notes, expressing her love for her family and country, and promising her fidelity to the Constitution and the rule of law.

It’s easy to cast an unknown nominee as a villain in some Trumpian plot; much harder to do so when a nominee speaks for herself, at length, and with conviction. A Politico/Morning Consult poll on the day Mr. Trump nominated Judge Barrett showed 37% of Americans thought she should be confirmed. The same poll this week saw an 11-point rise, with 48% in favor, 31% opposed and 21% with no opinion. Democratic support for Judge Barrett has doubled (from 14% to 27%) and independent support has grown 10 points (from 28% to 38%).

Add to all this that the hearings were a rare point in this election when Americans were presented an actual philosophical choice—in this case between a GOP that wants judges to follow the law, and a Democratic Party that wants a judiciary that does what political overseers tell it to do. Hanging over the proceedings was the Democratic threat to pack the court—to expand its size, creating new vacancies for liberal judges to fill—if Mr. Biden is elected.

Which means that—for once—Mr. Biden couldn’t hide from a question. With the Supreme Court hearing dominating every headline, the focus finally became the Democratic nominee and his own intentions for the judiciary. Mr. Biden was asked at every stop if he planned to pack the court. He refused to answer again and again, making the issue an even bigger liability for his campaign.

How politically tough was this week for Democrats? Tough enough that they generally felt compelled to behave well at the hearings—a rarity. Senate Democrats in 2018 gave themselves over to their progressive base’s rage about the Brett Kavanaugh nomination. They paid for it at the polls, with four incumbent Democratic senators losing their seats. Had they all won, Democrats would have a 51-49 Senate edge. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s ability to put through this nomination today is a direct result of Democrats’ ugly antics two years ago.

Even Minority Leader Chuck Schumer knows this, which is why he directed his troops to generally steer clear of nasty personal attacks. A few of the more progressive showboaters couldn’t help themselves (see New Jersey’s Cory Booker and Hawaii’s Mazie Hirono). But these low moments contrasted with GOP senators—several up for re-election—who used the questioning to remind voters that their races may prove the most consequential in this election. Moderates were reminded that a Republican Senate would be a check on a President Biden. The GOP faithful were reminded that a Republican Senate would be necessary to Mr. Trump’s ability to continue his work on the judiciary.

And all that is the lesson for the Trump campaign. An election that is about Mr. Trump’s latest tweet will prove a slog. An election that is about Mr. Trump’s record, his campaign promises kept, his vow to restore the economy—as well his opponent’s radicalism—is something else entirely. Judge Barrett managed to keep the focus on what mattered—record, philosophy, the big picture. Mr. Trump’s future hinges on his ability to do the same.

Copyright ©2020 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Appeared in the October 16, 2020, print edition.