Her wish will not be honored.
If McConnell cannot muster the senate votes needed to confirm Trump's nominee before the election, he'll probably try to fill the vacancy in the lame-duck session after the election. He's that shameless.
Not even with Joe Biden president and control over both the House and Senate can Democrats do anything about this -- except by playing power politics themselves: expanding the size of the court or restructuring it so justices on any given case are drawn from a pool of appellate judges.
The deeper question is which will prevail in public life: McConnell's power politics or Ginsburg's dedication to principle?
The problem for America, as for many other democracies at this point in history, is this is not an even match. Those who fight for power will bend or break rules to give themselves every advantage. Those who fight for principle are at an inherent disadvantage because bending or breaking rules undermines the very ideals they seek to uphold.
Over time, the unbridled pursuit of power wears down democratic institutions, erodes public trust, and breeds the sort of cynicism that invites despotism.
The only bulwark is a public that holds power accountable -- demanding stronger guardrails against its abuses and voting power-mongers out of office.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg often referred to Justice Louis Brandeis's famous quote, that "the greatest menace to freedom is an inert people." Indeed.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
