1/ In 2016, candidate Trump broke new ground by publishing a list of potential Supreme Court justices from which he would choose his nominees. Again this time he has published a list. Joe Biden has not published a list and probably won’t. Why is that?

2/ Biden can& #39;t risk releasing a list of potential SCt nominees. It would either anger his base or alienate centrist swing voters. The base would not tolerate names who are not far to the left and strongly identified with identitarianism, "critical theory," and intersectionality.

3/ Names of distinguished traditional liberals, no matter how brilliant and accomplished, such as Merrick Garland, Leah Ward Sears, Martha Minow, or Cass Sunstein, would be unacceptable. Too “conservative.” They would generate a rebellion.

4/ But that means the names on the list, as information about these individuals and their views came out, would risk scandalizing and frightening the moderate voters Biden needs in swing states he must carry to produce 270 electoral votes.

5/ Trump can only help himself by publishing his list of possible nominees. That& #39;s why he did it in 2016 and again this time. Biden can only hurt himself by publishing his list. That& #39;s why he hasn& #39;t done it, and probably won& #39;t.