Greater than 50% and yet.....only 1 out of 9

[BurgherHoldtheLies]

Women make up more than 50% of the US population (149.1 mil females vs. 144.5 mil males US census 2004) and yet the Supreme Court has only 1 out of 9 justices being a woman. Does this not seem strange? How can women be so underrepresented without anyone addressing this issue?

I am most interested, not only as a woman but as a mother of girls, if Barack Obama will make a commitment to seek out qualified female candidates for the Supreme Court should openings arise during his Presidency.

I would welcome a major speech on this subject and think it would really help attract female voters in states like mine (Pennsylvania).

If he has addressed this issue directly in the past, I apologize but I haven't seen anything on his website or the news.

I certainly will vote for Obama in November just hope to hear more about this specifically.

[gcomeau]

1. In a sample size of 9...

...you can't expect the composition of the members to demographically reflect the realities of the wider population. Not to say we couldn't use another woman or two or four on the SC, just saying that trying to draw a contrast to 50% of the population being women doesn't fly and playing a demographic balancing act should be the last thing on anyone's mind when making SC appointments.

[Motown_Johnny]

2. we did have 2 until recently, but your point is still valid.... I believe that the problem lies in

the recent past.


To attain the status of a Justice on the Supreme Court you need to be the very best of the best.... (or close to it).....


Unfortunately the opportunity for women to go to the best schools and to compete in the work place equally simply has not existed for very long (if it even exists now). Very few women have the work experience of their male counterparts do to discrimination in the workplace.


It is sad but I believe it to be true.

[NYC_SKP]

3. Sample size and low rate of turnover.

And an unrepresentatively small pool from which to draw.

There needs to be a larger pool of women from which to draw, and we're getting there.

But the low turnover rate is really the killer.

You have to believe that if a new nine were selected every year, for example, it would seldom be only 1 in 9.

:hi:

[geek tragedy]

4. Very few Republican women on the bench.

And most of those are along the lines of Priscilla Owen.

Women have been 50% of those appointed by Democratic presidents. Unfortunately, only 2/9 were appointed by Democrats.

[eppur_se_muova]

5. Well, there you go. nt

[Super Soaker Sniper]

6. I would hope that another woman is not seated on the Supreme Court

unless she is there solely on her qualifications and not because a woman is needed in that particular slot. The ratio of male to female judges is no 50/50 either. Judges that rise to a level of noteriety to be noticed for a Supreme Court slot are mostly men as there are more men at that level.

It would be like trying to maintain a ratio of 50/50 for Generals in the Army when women rarely stay on a career track long enough for more than a handful to be qualified candidates.

Also another thing, in choosing a qualified woman to be seated on the Supreme Court, many should be disqualified (I'm sure you would agree) if they did not share progressive views. Would you support the nomination of Ann Coulter just because she was a woman?

To seat a woman if she was lesser qualified that men up for that seat would be a travesty.

[geek tragedy]

7. There are plenty of women who are fully qualified for

a seat on the court.

Well, there are plenty of Democratic women.

[Super Soaker Sniper]

8. Like I said, she should deserve it on qualifications alone.

If the fact that there needs to be a woman on the court is any kind of an influence at all, then she is not qualified. Qualifications, nothing else.

[sandnsea]

10. That's why you actively seek a woman or minority

Because the ratio is lop-sided. That's how you fix the lop-sided problem, affirmative action. If there's one woman who is as qualified as 5,000 men, then that one woman should be selected.

[BurgherHoldtheLies]

11. Exactly my point. Of course she would have to be qualified for the job

But nobody can tell me there aren't some qualified, progressive women out there.

I want Obama to make a real effort to seek out these women.

[Levgreee]

9. part of it is probably age, 30 years ago i'd guess there was still a lack of women in the system

Of course that's just one of probably many factors