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OpinionFebruary 7, 2017

The historic election of President Donald Trump is credited, in part, to the dissatisfaction of the American people with the status quo. While critics decried the unconventional candidate's lack of experience in government, the masses flocked to him for that very reason. ...

The historic election of President Donald Trump is credited, in part, to the dissatisfaction of the American people with the status quo. While critics decried the unconventional candidate’s lack of experience in government, the masses flocked to him for that very reason. Government is filled with experienced politicians — and that’s precisely the problem for some people. It was not just Trump’s outside-the-Beltway status that garnered support. It was not even political incorrectness that did the trick. For many it was the impending Supreme Court nominations. Last Tuesday night, President Trump announced his selection of Judge Neil Gorsuch to fill the seat left vacant by Judge Antonin Scalia’s death.

Many wondered how Christians, of all people, could vote for Donald Trump. The answer for some came down to this moment — the Supreme Court nomination. Evangelicals saw past a rough exterior, a sketchy past and scant conservative creds because in the other direction, they saw Hillary Clinton. With several Supreme Court nominations on the line, many enthusiastically went to the polls to vote for Trump, and others held their noses and voted for him. But they voted in historic numbers looking ahead to the SCOTUS appointment.

Folks used to politics-as-usual don’t know what to make of Trump because they’re accustomed to do-nothing politicians. He, however, has dived in and gotten to work for the American people, focusing on what he promised. It has not been without controversy, which is not surprising in this atmosphere of ultra partisanship and manufactured hysteria.

In his selection of Gorsuch, President Trump has honored his promise to the American people, nominating someone who mirrors Judge Scalia. Gorsuch, an originalist, believes that the Constitution was fixed at the time of ratification, unless the states amend it. It is not, therefore, a living, breathing document with which to be toyed.

Conservatives, including — or perhaps, especially — Christian conservatives, are well-pleased. At 49, Gorsuch should occupy the Court for a long time. His influence will long outlast him. His record is strong on religious liberty; he sided with Hobby Lobby and Little Sisters of the Poor, for example, and supported religious liberties in prison. By every indication, he is the best of the best and will uphold our Constitution.

Judge Gorsuch attended Columbia, Harvard and Oxford; clerked for two Supreme Court justices, Justice Byron White and Justice Anthony Kennedy; was a part of the Department of Justice more than a decade ago; and serves now on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, to which he was confirmed unanimously. His resume and reputation reveal why he is well-respected.

Sen. Ted Cruz, whose name had been mentioned as a possible appointee himself, exulted in the selection, calling it a “home run.”

“I’m ecstatic over this,” said Judge Andrew Napolitano, a former New Jersey State Superior Court judge and a current Fox News senior judicial analyst, adding that the nominee “is the most worthy jurist in the country to fill the shoes of Antonin Scalia.”

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Tony Perkins, Family Research Council president, said, “Judge Gorsuch’s record over the last 14 years, especially on religious liberty, gives Americans every reason to believe he will make a fine Supreme Court justice. His reputation as a judge with integrity and dedication to the Constitution should be an encouragement to all Americans.”

Penny Nancy, president of Concerned Women for America, said Gorsuch is a “superb choice.”

Carol Tobias of National Right to Life said the organization is “heartened.”

The list goes on.

During the campaign, many Republicans criticized Trump, saying he had no moral compass and had spent his years doing anything that benefited his bottom line. Some did not believe he was pro-life, though he insisted his heart on the issue had changed. His glowing talk about eradicating illegal immigration and protecting Americans from terrorism was not only met with doubt, but downright disbelief. President Trump has revealed already that he intends to follow through, however. Indeed, he wasted no time in getting the ball rolling: delighting some, angering others, even firing one. He promised us a conservative, and he has delivered.

“I am a man of my word,” he said following the Gorsuch announcement. “I will do as I say.” He added that people have wanted to see this kind of honesty in D.C. “for a very, very long time.” Conservatives are thrilled.

Many Democrats, however, are livid. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi called the selection a “hostile appointment” and a “very bad decision.” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer hinted at a filibuster. And let’s not forget the protester holding a pre-announcement fill-in-the-blank sign that said “Oppose” with a space to write in the name of whomever Trump selected. With folks like this, it matters not that our former president, Barack Obama, suspended the Iraqi refugee program for six months, while Trump has just called for a 90-day travel pause from seven countries that Obama, not Trump, had selected as hotbeds of terrorism. Selective outrage runneth over: The command given is applauded if people love the commander — and they genuflected at the mere mention of Obama. Since Trump is now our Commander-in-Chief, the disenchanted are persisting in resisting.

Nonetheless, Trump remains unfazed. Despite early threats to oppose his Supreme Court nominee if he is “out of the mainstream,” as Schumer vowed, Trump had a mandate, and he made the type of selection on January 31 for which voters cast their ballots on November 8. NeverTrumpers were saying he would never come through, but a mere 2 1/2 weeks in, Trump voters are saying, “Oh, yes, he did!” and they feel vindicated, victorious — and very relieved.

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