Ricochet is the best place on the internet to discuss the issues of the day, either through commenting on posts or writing your own for our active and dynamic community in a fully moderated environment. In addition, the Ricochet Audio Network offers over 50 original podcasts with new episodes released every day.
Trump should nominate Merrick Garland first
So here is an idea that could fit exactly the definition of “too clever by half.” Suppose that Donald Trump – in cementing his well-deserved reputation as the master uniter – says to the American people that President Obama nominated Merrick Garland before he, Trump, had a chance to nominate Neil Gorsuch. As a consequence and with an excess of deference to precedence and democracy, he was instructing the Senate to give Merrick Garland a hearing and, if reported favorably out of committee, a vote on the Senate floor.
What would happen? I would have to guess that the Democrats would run themselves ragged and, after it was all over, Garland would be turned down on a strict majority vote. After that, Trump nominates Gorsuch and, voila, he either gets a strict majority vote or else he gets filibustered, in which case McConnell goes nuclear and the American people say:
The day after the election, I wrote 
President Donald Trump has selected Neil M. Gorsuch to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia on the U.S. Supreme Court. He made the announcement in a live, televised event from the White House that began at 8 p.m. Eastern Time.
With Trump planning to announce his Supreme Court nominee at 8 pm ET Tuesday, I thought I’d post an excerpt of an 
