The Decider, that's what Time magazine called Supreme Court Justice Anthony

in 2012 when they put him on the cover. Justice Kennedy bristles at being called the swing vote. After all, all

of the nine justices votes are equal, but as the saying goes, some are more equal than

others.

For the past decade, when the court has been split on an important case,

all eyes have turned to Justice Kennedy,

because he's the guy whose views are toughest to predict.

He's also one of the country's most passionate voices on freedom, human dignity,

and the power of the United States Constitution.

We're so fortunate.

And either by accident or history or providence or design, I think all of those.

The self-definition, the self-image of an American relates to his or her

constitution. No other country in the world has that.

We can't be smug about this and say no other country in the world can have a constitution.

But this accounts for the fact that our constitution is the oldest constitution in the world.

I've had the heads of foreign governments

ask me, well now I think I should amend the constitution

to do this and that, use something that helps them

over the short term.

And I say, you know, a constitution by definition is something that has to last over time.

Madison, as I said, a constitution must acquire the reverence of its people and it can only

acquire that reverence over time.

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