All About Politics: Trump, the Supreme Court, Elections to Come

**Resistance to Trump**

Recently, I heard remarks concerning the “resistance” to Donald Trump’s presidency. Addressing the Ward 3 Democratic Committee, newly elected Rep. Jamie Raskin — a Democrat who represents Maryland’s eighth district, which includes Chevy Chase and Bethesda — stressed “that members are educated by their constituents.” Opposition and resistance to the Trump presidency “has to start at the grassroots.” Progressives have to demonstrate “solidarity.”

Raskin, a former professor of law at American University, entered politics by being elected to the Maryland State Senate. Don’t be surprised to see him seek to become a U.S. Senator. If Ben Cardin does not seek reelection, my bet is that Raskin would go for it. Raskin was born in D.C., and he will be a forceful advocate for all of us on the House floor.

**Tolchin on Trump**

Marty Tolchin is a universally respected and well-liked journalist. He was a longtime reporter for the New York Times and a founding editor of the Hill Newspaper. He brings decades of experience and wisdom to analyzing the current political scene.

At the parish hall of St. John’s Church in Georgetown March 30, I observed Tolchin candidly and perceptively analyze the Trump phenomenon. Most of his remarks were directed at the subject, “Who is the real Trump?” — and more important for all of us, “Where is he going?”

Tolchin sees some similarities to the disgraced President Richard Nixon. By that, he means they both seem to have “bizarre thoughts” and make “bizarre orders.” He said that the greatest worry about Trump is that he has his “hand on the nuclear button.” He held out hope “that even Donald Trump is capable of change,” but lamented that Trump seems “totally ignorant of the workings of government.” He closed by saying, “the time to make up your mind about people is never.”

I don’t know if that concluding thought is in any way reassuring or comforting, but the crowd seemed to really appreciate him and value his insight.

**Supreme Court Nomination Fight**

As long as Justice Anthony Kennedy is on the Supreme Court and continues to be the swing vote, the ideological future of the Court will remain pretty much the same. That is, issues of great import will not be decided in a predictable fashion.

The 4-to-4 ideological split is now firmly back in place. Liberals (Ginsberg, Kagan, Sotomayor and Breyer) fervently hope and pray that not one of them will leave the court or die.

The next pick, if it is made during the Trump presidency, will make the Gorsuch pick look like a love-in.

**Virginia Election**

On June 13, Democrats and Republicans will vote to select their nominees to appear on the ballot in November. As you must know by now, Virginia is the only state in the union that limits its governor to one term at a time. You can serve a four-year term and then come back, but you must wait at least one term to take office again.

Trivia question: Who did just that? Answer: It was Mills Godwin, who served the first time as a Democrat and then reappeared as a Republican. More on this contest next time.

**Kansas Special Election**

Hot off the wire. No Democratic Party upset in Kansas on Tuesday, but Dems feel confident about Georgia next Tuesday.

*Political analyst and Georgetown columnist Mark Plotkin is a contributor to the BBC on American politics and a contributor to thehill.com. Reach him at markplotkindc@gmail.com.*