How the Supreme Court Will Play Out the Next Four Months

Trump will nominate a justice pre election, then they will seek to confirm post election (pre inauguration of Biden). This will motivate base for election while mitigating the blowback pre election. Post election the Republicans will have little to lose by confirming the new nominee regardless of whether they win or lose the 2021 Senate majority but especially if they lose the majority. They will sell the confirmation as a way to control the post inauguration Dems.

Update:

Well that did not take long...presumably they knew Ginsburg was on her deathbed.

John Santucci (7:04 pm 9/18/20)

@Santucci

Multiple sources close to President Trump with direct knowledge tell ABC News he is expected  put forth a nominee to fill Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s seat in the coming days via me & @KFaulders

I suppose a downside for Republicans is there may be a few voters on the margin who will think "well we have control of SCOTUS now, maybe I don't really have to vote for a fascist in order to overturn Roe v. Wade etc."

I ascribe to the notion that many Machiavellian Republican leaders do not really want to overturn Roe v. Wade as it has been a powerful wedge issue to use to motivate their voters. Of course Roe v. Wade is not the only matter at hand. All of these voter suppression efforts are real and ultimately subject to SCOTUS oversight. An oversight led by Kavanaugh, Thomas et al. and now another one is not a comforting thought.