I wish that Joan McCarter’s analysis of McConnell’s possible reasons for maintaining the SCOTUS blockade were exhaustive, but I fear it leaves out his actual reason. I believe he intends to maintain the blockade even after the election and hopes the Republicans hang on to control of the Senate. If so he will continue to block hoping that a liberal justice is the next to die, which will give the Republicans a four to three conservative majority. Given ages, the odds are with him.
The Republicans could then ram through all the ugly changes they were hoping to manage when Scalia anchored their team. It is that horror story which should cause every Democrat, indeed every decent human being, to go all out in getting out the vote.
Every indication is that there will be big money spent to try to keep the Senate Republican. The plutocrats are not going to waste their money on the presidential campaign. It’s all going to the Senate and below. Keeping the Senate Republican will give them everything they want. Here in Ohio they are already spending millions vilifying Strickland to save Portman.
That is why GOTV is crucial. I am frightened that people will see polls indicating a crushing defeat for Trump and think they don’t need to bother voting. We need to get people out to vote all the way down the ballot. Then we need to get them out in 2018 as well to protect and improve our gains. GOTV has never been as crucial as it is in this election!