1/ I think this NPR piece misdiagnoses why politicians are not considered for the Supreme Court as often as in the past. A bit on why. It's not, I think, b/c they have too much of a record. npr.org/2018/07/29/633…
2/ Instead, I think the main reason is that today's key interest groups involved in the process see being on the Supreme Court as a law nerd job for someone with well-developed views of legal theory, interpretation, etc -- and few politicians these days can meet that standard.
3/ And that switch, I think, ultimately reflects a sense that the Supreme Court has become (or can be) so powerful that someone steeped in the big picture, who can be influential among Justices & with legal world, is best.
