If it were up to voters — and it is — Iowa’s three Supreme Court justices up for re-election, who all joined the bench’s 69-page April 2009 unanimous decision legalizing same-sex marriage, would be kicked out by 40 percent of those going to the polls, while 44 percent would vote to re-up, says a new poll; 16 percent said they would vote to keep some but not all. Who wants to keep ’em? “Democrats, women, younger Iowans, union households, and those with high incomes and college degrees.” Who wants to remove ’em? “Senior citizens, Republicans, men, tea party supporters, born-again Christians, low-income voters and those with only a high school education.” Just a reminder to everyone: Voting these judges out doesn’t reverse their gay marriage ruling. And removing any of these justices — which has never happened even once since Iowa instated such a system — will likely lead to states revamping the way they’re chosen.
toss ups
The Poor, Old, Male, Uneducated, And Born Again Christians Most Likely To Oust Iowa Supreme Court Judges
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Bobby in Seattle
Why am I not the least bit surprised by this?
tallskin2
There’s got to be something wrong with a country where you vote, VOTE, for judges!! That is insane!
How on earth can they be impartial or concentrate on their job if they have to worry about a baying mob of ill-educated, unwashed f*ckwits voting for them??
Their decisions are going to be effected by how the mob might vote!
And isn’t it strange how “Christians, low-income voters and those with only a high school education” go so well together.
Bareback Cuntessa
Why are we surprised that stupid old white men, the ultra-religious (who tend to be stupid) and the undereducated would vote in a way that goes against everything our US Constitution is supposed to represent and enshrine into the Law of the Land?
Anyone with two brain cells to rub together can see that religious fundamentalism and brainless deference to organized religion are bringing this country to its complete and utter downfall. See also: Saudi Arabia, Iran, Afghanistan, Uganda, Iraq, etc., etc., etc.
And, of course, the greedy machinations of this nation’s old white right-wing men and their retarded wives. Not that I wish them ill, but I do pray for quick and painless passings for eacn and every one of them, as soon as the Bipolar Invisible Sky-Daddy makes room in Hell for their worthless, rotten souls.
Or is that somehow mean…?
J. Clarence
@tallskin2: It seems weird elsewhere, but the tradition for voting in judges goes back a long way. I suppose in those areas impartiality doesn’t go as far as the belief of having a representative judiciary. The corruption isn’t as bad (though there are famous cases where it does exist), because unlike the legislature of executive branch the perks and temptations are not that imminent and it is counter balanced by the fact that you have to strive for a majority the higher up the judiciary.
Also, Contessa, I wouldn’t attribute such noble and lofty ideals to the Constitution, it is just a document of laws, and I think you are focusing more on the Declaration and the Preamble. But in any case it is within those documents that the belief that voters, however undereducated and religious they are, should have the right to vote how they please.
whatever
At least queerty can’t race-bait these poll results and blame teh blacks.
tallskin2
@J. Clarence – thanks
But whatever the rationale behind it voting for judges reminds me of Hogarth’s 18th century england with rich men electing their candidates to office. Oh, wait, where have I heard that before? Hmmm, let me think?
Where you have a corrupted electoral system, and with all due respect, the current USA with Fox News etc setting the agenda, has a corrupted electoral system- where rich men can buy people’s minds and get their candidates elected.
Which is where a self contained bureaucracy for the legal system, where judges are appointed within the legal system is far safer bet than one where Fox News or whatever cannot reach out its sticky fingers and influence the election.
We don’t have a socialist world where a very well educated electorate takes its time to rationally take decisions, we have instead a mindless and very badly educated RELIGIOUSLY afflicted electorate who do as Fox news tells them.
It’s not much better here in the UK, but at least our judges have not got to fear the great unwashed & ignorant voting them out should they go against the wishes of FOX news. And we have the BBC which, whilst it is under threat from the new govt, still exists to provide some sense of balance.
Tallskin
@J. Clarence – thanks
But whatever the rationale behind it voting for judges reminds me of Hogarth’s 18th century england with rich men electing their candidates to office. Oh, wait, where have I heard that before? Hmmm, let me think?
Where you have a corrupted electoral system, and with all due respect, the current USA with Fox News etc setting the agenda, has a corrupted electoral system- where rich men can buy people’s minds and get their candidates elected.
Which is where a self contained bureaucracy for the legal system, where judges are appointed within the legal system is far safer bet than one where Fox News or whatever cannot reach out its sticky fingers and influence the election.
We don’t have a socialist world where a very well educated electorate takes its time to rationally take decisions, we have instead a mindless and very badly educated RELIGIOUSLY afflicted electorate who do as Fox news tells them.
It’s not much better here in the UK, but at least our judges have not got to fear the great unwashed & ignorant voting them out should they go against the wishes of FOX news. And we have the BBC which, whilst it is under threat from the new govt, still exists to provide some sense of balance.
Beelzebab
Whatever the rationale behind it voting for judges reminds me of Hogarth’s 18th century england with rich men electing their candidates to office. Oh, wait, where have I heard that before? Hmmm, let me think?
Where you have a corrupted electoral system, and with all due respect, the current USA with Fox News etc setting the agenda, has a corrupted electoral system- where rich men can buy people’s minds and get their candidates elected.
Which is where a self contained bureaucracy for the legal system, where judges are appointed within the legal system is far safer bet than one where Fox News or whatever cannot reach out its sticky fingers and influence the election.
We don’t have a socialist world where a very well educated electorate takes its time to rationally take decisions, we have instead a mindless and very badly educated RELIGIOUSLY afflicted electorate who do as Fox news tells them.
It’s not much better here in the UK, but at least our judges have not got to fear the great unwashed & ignorant voting them out should they go against the wishes of FOX news. And we have the BBC which, whilst it is under threat from the new govt, still exists to provide some sense of balance.