They're not rock stars

WaPo commentator Chris Cillizza finds it very disturbing that Supreme Court justices are unknown to the public generally. He posts what he calls the most amazing Supreme Court chart maybe ever. See it here.

Guambat, on the other hand, takes great solace in the almost anonymity of the Court. It is not who they are that is important. They are not rock stars, nor are they elected, if even electable, personalities.

It is their opinions that count. The slow, dry, reasoned if disagreeable exposition of a subject is important. It is necessary to distance discourse from the stump, from the howling mobs. That can only be done when it is their words we look to, not the person.

In a media age where looks and form and twits count more than substance and character and analysis, Guambat is mightily comforted by that chart.

Washington tends to be way to close to the sticks and branches to see the tree, let alone the forest, Mr. Cillizza. Fix that.