SUPREME COURT IMPACT: TODAY AND TOMORROW

       'The most important election of your lifetime.' This became the coined phrase of the 2004 presidential election between Democratic Senator John Kerry and Republican President George W. Bush. A large number of key issues were at hand in the election, like the handling of the war in Iraq, the suffering economy, the fall in positive international relations, concerns about homeland security, and the questioning of moral values in American society.
  
       After Bush's victory, statistics show that the concern about keeping moral values intact was a key component of why the President got re-elected. In nationwide exit polls, one in five voters said moral values were the most important issue in casting their votes, outpacing every other major topic. Those "values" voters overwhelmingly went for President Bush over Sen. John Kerry, 79 percent to 18 percent. Issues on gay marriage, abortion, and stem-cell research were among a few of the hot topics. The Republican and Democratic Party differ greatly on how these moral values influence politics.

       One reason Bush's victory is causing such a stir among nearly half of the population is because the direction of the Supreme Court will soon be in Bush's hands. Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist was recently diagnosed with thyroid cancer, however it is curable. Along with his old age, analysts speculate his years as Chief Justice will most likely come to an end very soon. There are also 2 to 3 other Associate Justices who could be on the verge of stepping down within the next 4 years. For each resignation, Bush gets to appoint someone new. The Republicans already control the executive and legislative branches. With several new appointed judges to the Court, there is no doubt that the Justices will be dominantly Republican. John Kerry was aware of the possibility of this type of control during the months prior to the election. He was quoted in debate saying, "The Supreme Court of the United States is at stake in this race. ... The future of things that matter to you -- in terms of civil rights, what kind of Justice Department you'll have, whether we'll enforce the law."

       The future of the Supreme Court should be closely watched in the next decade because its unbias reputation could be easily tarnished due to the one-party dominance ahead. It is up to the Supreme Court to make sure political agendas, religious beliefs, and personal views do NOT go above the Constitution.


References used for this page:
      Official U.S. Supreme Court Site
      CNN
      Christianity Today