On Wednesday, after it was announced that Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy was retiring, triggering consternation among leftists and celebration from conservatives, the latter anticipating filling Kennedy’s seat with a justice who would be consistently conservative, Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief Ben Shapiro decided to have some fun on Twitter:
That elicited some genuine enthusiasm:
Of course, the idea of Shapiro on the Court has been around for 13 years; witness this exchange among Sean Hannity, his then-co-host Alan Colmes, and Ann Coulter on July 8, 2005, when a vacancy on the Court occurred and President George W. Bush had not nominated Justice John Roberts yet. Shapiro’s first best-selling book, “Brainwashed: How Universities Indoctrinate America’s Youth,” had been released the year before.
Hannity: Judge Bork said that the other day. He said they didn’t fight for him enough. He said they weren’t prepared for the battle. They weren’t prepared for the attacks. He says if they are this time, and I have no doubt they are…
Coulter: I don’t know about that.
Hannity: … unless they — well, we keep hearing Alberto Gonzales, who will be opposed by conservatives.
Coulter: Right. Including me. But I don’t think it will be Alberto Gonzales. I don’t think it’s going to be anyone who’s being named right now.
Colmes: Who do you want?
Coulter: Thank you for asking. I want Ben Shapiro.
Colmes: Ben Shapiro.
Coulter: Yes. He just finished his first year at Harvard Law, 21 years old.
Colmes: You mean for a date or for the court?
Coulter: No, for the court. He’s my candidate. He’s very bright. He’s already written one best-selling book.
(CROSSTALK)
Colmes: You want to put a 21-year-old guy on the court?
Coulter: Twenty-one, and he’s just finished first year of Harvard Law.
Colmes: So you want someone who’s going to be on the court for 50, 60 years? Is that — is that the whole idea?
Coulter: No, I just happen to like Ben Shapiro.