Ideology

During both the Bush and Obama administrations, opposition party members argued that the Supreme Court nominees ideological viewpoints were too extreme for the American ideological points of view. This argument will likely surface as President Obama has pledged to nominate Justice Scalia’s replacement to the Supreme Court. Do you think ideology should be used to reject federal court nominees or should approval be based solely on experience and qualifications? If you believe ideology should be used, what role does the electorate play in determining judicial appointees? If you do not believe ideology should be considered, what factors would determine the qualifications of a federal appointee?