The Notorious R.B.G. Rested Her Case

Ruth Bader Ginsburg died on September 18, 2020, at the age of 87, and the nation had approximately forty-five minutes to mourn before the conversation turned to her replacement. This was, in a grim way, a testament to how much she mattered. Ginsburg had spent decades on the Supreme Court as its most prominent liberal voice, writing dissents so sharp they became cultural artifacts. She'd become "Notorious R.B.G." — a folk hero with her own merchandise line, workout routine, and Kate McKinnon impression. She was an icon of women's rights who had argued cases before the very court she would later sit on, systematically dismantling gender discrimination with the patience of someone who understood that progress is measured in decades. Her dying wish was that her seat not be filled until after the election. It was filled in eight days. The speed of that confirmation — and the 6-3 conservative majority it cemented — would reshape American law for a generation. Even in death, Ginsburg was at the center of the fight.