going to just set the tables for the new justice to come in to a very divided court and, don, a court that has handed down rulings that are going to further i think polarize our view of the court as an institution and its role in our system. >> speaking of which, susan, the supreme court is central to the gop's strategy of turning the country to the right, giving them favorable rulings on issues even if the majority of americans don't support them. how much of an advantage does that give republicans politically? is the court essentially a gop backstop? >> well, you know, that is sort of an unknowable question. but i do think what we do know is that the politics of this are shifting, don, and that it's very likely that it's now democrats who may become more focused not only this election year but in the coming years in organizing around a campaign for a long-term effort to retake the supreme court to restock the federal judiciary with progressive-type judges.