Counting the cost of a Supreme Court lost to the left

A week ago in this space I wrote in support of Donald Trump. I gave three reasons for voting for Trump, beginning with the most important: the fate of the United States Supreme Court.

The fact is that the confirmation of even one Hillary Clinton nominee to the Supreme Court will turn the court in a hard left, almost certainly irreversible direction. This isn't really debatable. But my premise that this reality compels a vote for Trump turns out to be very debatable.

Since that column appeared, any number of folks — some of them of with significant and deserved reputations for brilliance and integrity, and some of these friends — have argued with the premise that saving the court from its inevitable hard left lurch under Clinton is not reason enough to support Trump.

I had two #NeverTrumpers on my radio show to discuss this ongoing debate. The first, National Review's Charles C.W. Cooke, is a "wet" #NeverTrump. He might yet support the GOP nominee. (Cooke cannot yet vote as he will not be a citizen until next year.) Our conversation ishere.

Professor Tom Nichols of the Naval War College is, by contrast, a never-ever-never #NeverTrumper. That's because Nichols is in the "Trump could start a nuclear war" camp.