I don’t want an "esteemed jurist" for the Supreme Court.
I don’t want an intellectual thought leader. I don’t want someone who has read a whole lot of law books and speaks Latin all the time. This stuff is important, don’t get me wrong...but it is stuff we’ve already got.
I want an old-school, ideology-driven, politically-savvy, Liberal on the court. A former elected official, such as a Senator, Governor, or Attorney General would be great. A political activist, or a former plaintiff’s lawyer, or even a business leader would be an excellent choice as well.
Why? Because that is how the other side plays. When I see the Court hand down Bush v. Gore, with its infamous ruling-that-isn’t-a-precedent, I know that the Court has become too far removed from the day-to-day needs of the government and the People. When I listen to Justice Scalia claim to be against "judicial activism"...but take an activist stance on the Voting Rights Act, I know it is time for Progressives to take the gloves off.
There are no formal requirements to be a Justice. You don't need to be a Federal Judge, nor a lawyer, nor a Law professor. We have plenty of Senators and huge political capital. We have an opportunity to "think outside of the box" on this one...and we should take that opportunity.
I respect the importance of Scholarship, of legal training, or going over the original copies of the Constitution hunting for commas and smudges. But the Court badly needs a dose of reality. We need one or two guys or gals on the bench who don’t have their heads in the clouds. Let’s push for an unabashedly Liberal nominee who has substantial real world experience in Politics and/or Business.
Such a nominee has the rest of their life to learn as much Latin as they need.
UPDATE: The word "egghead" has offended some people. I apologize, but I'm leaving it in for consistency's sake. I am not "anti-intellectual". I am arguing that we choose someone who has used their intelligence for Political or Business accomplishments instead of scholarly or legal theorizing. If Barack Obama were still in the Senate, he would be a perfect choice.