"I think also that if you do not appoint a woman you will be perceived as having reneged on your promise and that will hurt you in Congress in your effort to get your legislation package passed and will certainly hurt you in the polls, and all in all, will have a strong negative effect that will hurt your overall standing," Nofziger wrote in the memo, part of a collection of documents the National Archives has digitized on O'Connor's historic nomination. But until this point, being on the same list as men was just about the extent of their chances. Plus, he signed off, "It's the right thing to do." Starting with FDR, presidents had at times included women on their Supreme Court shortlists. If Reagan didn't follow through, he wrote, it could come back to bite Republicans. Lyn Nofziger, who worked for Reagan when he was governor and became a top White House advisor, laid out the stakes in a memo to the president and argued that the American people had "strong feelings" about the need to appoint a woman.
And in June 1981, Justice Potter Stewart's retirement brought the discussion to a head. Like Biden, Reagan's promise wasn't forgotten. 'We're not sure how we feel about affirmative action' The Reagan-Bush ticket delivered one of the worst beatdowns to an incumbent president since FDR trounced Herbert Hoover out of office. Unlike Biden, Reagan didn't really need his pledge to power his campaign.
#Who nominated sandra day o connor full#
"I am announcing today that one of the first Supreme Court vacancies in my administration will be filled by the most qualified woman I can possibly find, one who meets the high standards I will demand for all court appointments," Reagan told reporters midway through a speech that began with him declaring that it was untrue that he was "somehow opposed to full and equal opportunities for women in America."
At a news conference defending his record on October 15, 1980, Reagan made the commitment that would later lead to a historic moment. He acknowledged to reporters that he was lagging behind with female voters, though he disputed whether that was linked to his opposition to the ERA. Reagan knew he needed to do something to show women that they wouldn't be forgotten in his White House.
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