If you can’t beat ’em…

It is an odd and irritating subject matter — when people change – for the worse. Oh, people change for the better all the time. We grow, we learn, we educate ourselves, and we use our critical thinking skills. Sometimes, it’s a pleasure to change. But others — well — they chose the darker side of town. That is precisely what happened to Chief Justice John Roberts.

In the wake of the extreme court’s decision, Roberts faces a legal mutiny. So many from the legal field have written about his opinion, derided him, mocked him, and called him out for the extremist that he is.

But was Roberts ALWAYS like this? Would he, several years ago, have made the same decision? I think not.

Roberts has always been an extremist. We cannot forget how he ripped apart the Voting Rights Act. But something about Roberts puzzles me. As extreme as he always was, he also tended to play the role of peacemaker.

Remember how Roberts voted on healthcare? Remember how he curtly made a statement saying there were no Obama Justices or Trump Justices? Remember how EARNESTLY he fought to keep the court free from partisan politics?

Why the change? I have a theory. You may not agree. That’s fine. It is only a theory.

In the last few years, Roberts has seen article after article mocking his court. He’s seen horrible decisions after horrible decisions. His court jesters are out of control and have succeeded in making a fool out of him.

But there is something else, too. Lately, when Roberts speaks, he comes off as more smug, more haughty, and more angry. So what happened?

I think he gave up.

I think Roberts may well be FURIOUS at Democrats for all the pushback we have given him. He’s a soft-spoken man who does not seem to like getting angry and openly partisan like Thomas and Alito. But his tone lately has been sharp and a little defensive. Perhaps he does know deep down that he went too far, but maybe he also doesn’t care.

If you can’t beat em, join em. That is what I believe happened to Roberts after years of being looked on as weak, after years of being hammered in the press, after losing utter control of the cavalry who could not be called back, Roberts, straw man that he is, chose to join them. Donate to Palmer Report