Matthew Yglesias » The Sotomayor Story

May 26th, 2009 at 10:41 am

The Sotomayor Story

The argument is going to be out there that this isn’t irrelevant, but I think to a normal person something that immediately leaps out about Sonia Sotomayor is that for someone who has all the usual qualifications to be a Supreme Court Justice, she also has an unusual life story. She’s been on the Appeals Court and before that the District Court, and she went to Yale Law School. But she also grew up in a housing project in the Bronx, after her parents moved to New York from Puerto Rico.

It’s the kind of story that makes you feel good about America and that still resonates as quintessentially American even though social mobility in the United States isn’t quite what we like to think.

Comments
44

44 Responses to “The Sotomayor Story”

Marshall Says:
May 26th, 2009 at 10:44 am
…. one of the undesirables Alito thought shouldn’t be let into Princeton. They’re everywhere! Even on the Supreme Court!
DTM Says:
May 26th, 2009 at 10:49 am
The argument is going to be out there that this isn’t irrelevant . . .

I’m going to guess Matt meant “is irrelevant” or “isn’t relevant”, not “isn’t irrelevant”.

Anyway, it is indeed a compelling story, and thus it may be of some benefit to the Court’s reputation.
scythia Says:
May 26th, 2009 at 10:55 am
It’s the kind of story that makes you feel good about America and that still resonates as quintessentially American

No, it’s the kind of story that makes me think we might get somebody on the court who has experienced the realities of poverty and urban experienced from a perspective other than behind the windows of a limo, and thus might provide a vote to balance out John “Clampdown” Roberts on issues of police conduct, etc.
WinSmith Says:
May 26th, 2009 at 11:00 am
To republicans, this is a “feel bad” story because it marks the end of white, Christian male hegemony. They don’t like uppity immigrants knocking over the hierarchy of ‘Merica. Sotomayor isn’t a “real American” so expect a huge backlash from the racists running the republican party right now.
Tyro Says:
May 26th, 2009 at 11:04 am
To republicans, this is a “feel bad” story

I have to agree. My impression of Republicans is that they prefer the born-rich slackers who have a disdain for learning and academic and professional accomplishment.
pseudonymous in nc Says:
May 26th, 2009 at 11:14 am
Sotomayor isn’t a “real American”

Expect the usually suspect to demand birth certificates, because Purtarica don’t sound like no ‘murica to them folks.
Why oh why Says:
May 26th, 2009 at 11:16 am
If you move from Puerto Rico to NY, does that make you an immigrant by GOP’s standards?
mark f Says:
May 26th, 2009 at 11:18 am
Only a hack lefty would pick an Hispanic woman.
Chris Dornan Says:
May 26th, 2009 at 11:26 am
Yes indeed: right sentiment.
lobstakilla Says:
May 26th, 2009 at 11:29 am
Deep thought: if Sotomayor is a lightweight, what does that make Harriet Miers?
mark f Says:
May 26th, 2009 at 11:31 am
Ramesh Ponnuru is way ahead of you, lobstakilla.
Don Williams Says:
May 26th, 2009 at 11:32 am
As I recall, Sotomayor was first appointed to the federal bench by President George H.W. Bush. Are the right wingers claiming George the Elder was a dumbshit and a quota-monger?
Don Williams Says:
May 26th, 2009 at 11:33 am
Come to think of it, the right didn’t like Supreme Court Justice Souter either, whom Sotomayor is replacing. Souter also was appointed by George the Elder.

Obama has a mean sense of humor.
Dan Kervick Says:
May 26th, 2009 at 11:51 am
Does anybody know what towns/cities Sotomayor’s parents hailed from in Puerto Rico?
SLC Says:
May 26th, 2009 at 11:57 am
Re lobstakilla

Forget Harriet Miers. What does that make Clarence “my favorite actor is Long John Silver” Thomas. On her worst day, Judge Sotomayer can’t possibly be less competent then Justice Thomas.
joe from Lowell Says:
May 26th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
Clarence Thomas is all too competent for my tastes.

He’s an extremist who hides an utter disregard for the law behind an implausibly strict, yet oddly selective, originalism, but he’s quite capable at what he does.
Jim Says:
May 26th, 2009 at 12:05 pm
I really don’t care about her touching Horatio Alger background story. Miguel Estrada had a touching story, too — broken home, immigrant from Honduras who came to the US at 17 knowing almost no English, etc. Estrada rose from third-world poverty all the way to the Federalist Society and is today John Yoo’s attorney. Brings tears to my eyes.

Nothing matters but her actual views on executive power, civil rights, and democracy (as in, should we start one).
Max424 Says:
May 26th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
She better not have any of that goddamn empathy, I tell you that much.

Before you know it, these empathetic motherfuckers will have us surrounded.
Thomas Says:
May 26th, 2009 at 1:37 pm
Why is “unusual” about Judge Sotomayor’s life story, Matthew? She is a very smart woman who has worked hard. Being from Houston, many of my friends from school are Hispanic. Most of them have careers that I am pretty jealous of. My niece and my nephew are half Puerto Rican. We fully expect them to be high-achieving lawyers.
Tyro Says:
May 26th, 2009 at 1:45 pm
Why is “unusual” about Judge Sotomayor’s life story, Matthew? She is a very smart woman who has worked hard.

How many smart people who work hard do you know, compared to most? Few. How many of those smart, hardworking people graduated the top of their class at Princeton and went on to become top lawyers? Even fewer (I know one, personally). And how many of those came out of housing projects in the Bronx? Well, judge Sotomayor shows they exist. But I don’t know any personally. I do know a smart guy who is a talented engineer from MIT who came out of Flint. His background was fairly blue-collar middle income, though.

Seriously, Thomas, that is by far the most disingenuous post I’ve ever seen from you. Ever. Which is saying something, given your track record.
DTM Says:
May 26th, 2009 at 2:02 pm
Why is “unusual” about Judge Sotomayor’s life story, Matthew?

Here is the relevant passaged: “something that immediately leaps out about Sonia Sotomayor is that for someone who has all the usual qualifications to be a Supreme Court Justice, she also has an unusual life story.”

I could be wrong, but I took Matt to mean she had an unusual life story for someone nominated to be a Supreme Court Justice. And that is obviously true.
Hector Says:
May 26th, 2009 at 2:21 pm
SLC,

Clarence Thomas, and Sonia Sotomayor, are legal geniuses compared to the late and unlamented Harry Blackmun. Penumbras and f*cking emanations, in-bloody-deed.
tomemos Says:
May 26th, 2009 at 2:30 pm
Hector, any chance you have something irrelevant to add to the conversation? That would be great.
SLC Says:
May 26th, 2009 at 2:41 pm
Re Hector

Mr. Blackmun wasn’t alone in the Roe vs Wade decision. Six other justices concurred. How about picking on them for a change.
mds Says:
May 26th, 2009 at 2:45 pm
Does anybody know what towns/cities Sotomayor’s parents hailed from in Puerto Rico?

And more importantly, what were their countertops made of?
gordonminor Says:
May 26th, 2009 at 2:59 pm
It’s the kind of story that makes you feel good about America and that still resonates as quintessentially American even though social mobility in the United States isn’t quite what we like to think.

Studies in cognitive dissonance. It’s a story of quintessential American exceptionalism, except that the U.S. is less exceptional, social mobility wise, than the Scandinavian countries, Canada, Germany, and other European countries not including the U.K.
Hector Says:
May 26th, 2009 at 3:16 pm
SLC,

Blackmun wrote the decision, and he must pay the price for it. A thousand years from now, his name will be as abhorred and anathematized as men like Caligula are today.

Just why do you expect me to throw you a bone on protecting Israel if you are not willing to throw me a bone on protecting unborn children. Indeed, I see little moral difference between Judith Jarvis Thomsen and the late and unlamented Abu Nidal.
SLC Says:
May 26th, 2009 at 3:31 pm
Re Hector

Let me make my position clear. If Roe vs Wade were overturned and it came to a referendum as whether abortion should be made illegal in the State of Virginia, I would decline to vote on the measure. That’s my position and I’m sticking to it.

It’s true that Blackmun wrote the decision. However, the decision as to who would actually write the decision was made by Chief Justice Burger, who concurred. Blackmun was one of 7 justices who voted in favor of Ms. Roe. How about beating up on Burger who actually assigned the writing of the decision to Blackmun (and the other 5 justices who concurred).
Thomas Says:
May 26th, 2009 at 3:47 pm
Her story isn’t even as hard luck as Justice Thomas’s, and I don’t think Matt has ever found his story noteworthy. Hell, 22% of the court would be up from poverty. And yet folks like scytha thinks she’d offer a new perspective. Fascinating.
Thomas Says:
May 26th, 2009 at 3:48 pm
#20 Tyro, I am not sure which other “Thomas” you are referring to here but I don’t think we have run into each other previously here as I have only made a few other comments here. I reserve the right to make my own track record here. LOL.

I used to teach at an inner-city high school in Houston. About 90% of my students were Hispanic. One year, I had two twin sisters in my United States History AP class. I had the chance to meet their father a couple of times. He was a yard man who spoke very little English. He had sent his oldest daughter off to Texas A&M on a full scholarship. His two daughters in my class also went on to Texas A&M on full scholarships. They were among the best students I had during my teaching career. But they didn’t consider what they had accomplished all that unusual. These two students of mine just told me that their dad always stressed how important school is and would they please work hard for him. They started off as young girls wanting to please their father. By the time I met them they had fully accepted their father’s values as their own.

I get what Matt was saying about Judge Sontomayor being an unusual choice for the Supreme Court. My point is that one day someone like her won’t be unusual at all. For all we know, that day might already be here.
tomemos Says:
May 26th, 2009 at 3:50 pm
“Just why do you expect me to throw you a bone on protecting Israel if you are not willing to throw me a bone on protecting unborn children.”

I love how Hector always thinks he’s coalition-building. He tried this horse-trading stuff on torture too, apparently not realizing that he’s a blog reader, not Josh Lyman.
Tyro Says:
May 26th, 2009 at 4:44 pm
My point is that one day someone like her won’t be unusual at all.

Once again: unusual for the supreme court.

Next: statistically speaking, yes, quite unusual considering her background.

You used to teach at an inner-city school in Houston. You don’t say for how long. Yet you only have the example of a couple of students in all those years who got a full scholarship at one of the state’s flagship universities. Seriously, Thomas, WTF is your problem? You sound like you’re just being ornery and argumentative. Or maybe you’re just not that bright. I don’t quite know.
TapirBoy1 Says:
May 26th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
Hector @ 27,

Unless I’m mistaken, Harry Blackmun was notthe author of the famous/notorious penumbras and emanations language. Contrary to popular misconception, that language is not from Roe v. Wade, but it’s predecessor, Griswold v. Connecticut, which was authored by Justice William O. Douglas, and was, in my view, correctly decided.
SLC Says:
May 26th, 2009 at 5:52 pm
Re Hector

By the way, if Mr. Hector really wants to get mad at somebody over Roe vs Wade, he should be furious at Sandra Day O’Connor. It was either Mr. Woodward or Mr. Toobin who wrote that Justice Anthony Kennedy was all set to vote to overturn Roe vs Wade but was persuaded not to do so by former Justice O”Connor
Thomas Says:
May 26th, 2009 at 6:04 pm
#32 Tyro, I never claimed I was smart. I like to think of myself as pleasantly mediocre. Btw, who is this other “Thomas” you are confusing me with? Obviously you have a previous history with this other one.
Chuck Says:
May 26th, 2009 at 8:21 pm
Where is social mobility better than America?

That is a trick question, because there isn’t one.
One of the reasons for that is because of the rule of law as an ideal, rather than as the rule of personality as an ideal.

This candidate is all about personality, which will result in less social mobility.
Chuck Says:
May 26th, 2009 at 8:27 pm
Contrary to the anti white racist remarks about any one not wanting her not liking uppity minorities – that is your bigotry at work.
Reason has to do with the fact that she has made it very clear that that she sees the appeals court as a place to make policy, which is clearly not constitutional.
When she gets in, and this is the norm and those rulings are against you, then you will wonder where the system is that was built to protect you.
It will be part of the peoples “opinions,” rather than an interpretation of the law.
Chuck Says:
May 26th, 2009 at 8:31 pm
As for demands for birth certificates: the requests for the man whom I refer to as Ommmmmmmobama, because of the zombie like following he has: The reason people want to see his birth certificate is because that is a requirement of the office. The fact that he is Ommmmmmobama, should not change that.
joe from Lowell Says:
May 26th, 2009 at 8:32 pm
This candidate is all about personality

Unbelievable. No matter how brilliant a minority nominee is, no matter how successful, no matter how experienced, no matter how strong the resume, there will always be a certain segment of society that cannot see her as anything but a novelty.
joe from Lowell Says:
May 26th, 2009 at 8:34 pm
You all remember when McCain, Bush, Dole, Bush, Reagan, Ford, and Nixon had to release their birth certificates, right?

I mean, it’s a requirement of the office.
links for 2009-05-26 « Rumblegumption Says:
May 26th, 2009 at 8:49 pm
[...] Matthew Yglesias » The Sotomayor Story [...]
DTM Says:
May 26th, 2009 at 9:35 pm
Reason has to do with the fact that she has made it very clear that that she sees the appeals court as a place to make policy, which is clearly not constitutional.

Here is her statement involving Courts of Appeal and policy in context:

The saw is that if you’re going into academia, you’re going to teach, or as Judge Lucero just said, public interest law, all of the legal defense funds out there, they’re looking for people with court of appeals experience, because it is — court of appeals is where policy is made. And I know — and I know this is on tape and I should never say that because we don’t make law, I know. OK, I know. I’m not promoting it, and I’m not advocating it, I’m — you know. OK. Having said that, the court of appeals is where, before the Supreme Court makes the final decision, the law is percolating — its interpretation, its application. And Judge Lucero is right. I often explain to people, when you’re on the district court, you’re looking to do justice in the individual case. So you are looking much more to the facts of the case than you are to the application of the law because the application of the law is non-precedential, so the facts control. On the court of appeals, you are looking to how the law is developing, so that it will then be applied to a broad class of cases. And so you’re always thinking about the ramifications of this ruling on the next step in the development of the law. You can make a choice and say, “I don’t care about the next step,” and sometimes we do. Or sometimes we say, “We’ll worry about that when we get to it” — look at what the Supreme Court just did. But the point is that that’s the differences — the practical differences in the two experiences are the district court is controlled chaos and not so controlled most of the time.

Once again, what she said, in context, is actually rather uncontroversial. It is simply a fact that the Circuit Courts make legal policies which the District Courts will be bound to follow in future cases.
Obama chooses Supreme Court judge - BBC - Aaj News | Aaj TV | Aaj Says:
May 27th, 2009 at 4:00 am
[...] Matthew Yglesias, blogging at the Centre for American Progress, comments on the symbolism of the choice. [...]
David Zukerman Says:
May 27th, 2009 at 11:03 am
Is Judge Sotomayor’s life story unusual for…

a graduate of Yale Law School?

Matt Yglesias

The Sotomayor Story

44 Responses to “The Sotomayor Story”

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