The Supreme Court ballot box, a must-see made-for-TV show

On Thursday we heard them as people working, researching, sparring and even joking. They can be testy, as when Neil Gorsuch cut off what he said was an evasive argument from Jason Murray, a lawyer representing Colorado voters who questioned Trump's eligibility: “Don't change the hypothetical!”

Elena Kagan drew laughter from the courtroom when Trump lawyer Jonathan Mitchell said other scientists had noticed an issue she had raised: “Then I must be right!” she said.

The unfiltered live cast gave the audience a break from the chatter and spin of the 24-hour news. (The arguments in court were also respectful and purposeful, compared to reports in other cases of histrionics by Mr. Trump's lawyers and the client himself.) It may not have been exactly soothing, but it was a reprieve of sorts.

The break was over when the court adjourned. The networks reconvened their main talking panels. And the subject of the proceedings emerged from Mar-a-Lago for another appearance, never losing sight of the free media.

Mr. Trump's comments were half rebuttal, half campaign ad and 100 percent stream of consciousness. He called the case “election interference,” cited his polling, wandered from Ukraine to Israel to North Korea, opined on the value of his real estate and argued that he did nothing wrong on January 6, 2021. his comments halfway through. Fox performed them in full, with the chyron: 'Trump: Supreme Court case was a beautiful trial.')

Of course, in Trump's upcoming cases, you'll probably still hear his self-defense, attacks, and reelection arguments. You still get political counterarguments, legal analyzes (well-informed or not) and hours of speculation and summaries.

You are less likely to get what you did on Thursday: an opportunity to hear directly a matter of social importance, to hear and think for yourself, to take your seat as the tenth member of the bench.