I don't think the move to deny Obama a SCOTUS pick was just for Dobbs. The GOP got young, loyal justices who are going pay dividends for decades. The Dems didn't lose the court via stupidity, they lost it to raw power. McConnell broke precedent and then used the nuke option to stack the court because he felt it was worth the trade. He exchanged a rook for a queen.
>"... simply explained by Sinema and Manchin being under financial (Sinema) and political (Manchin) pressure not to get rid of the filibuster?"
The filibuster precedent is already gone with regard to judicial nominations. To use it to fix a shitty decision by those SCOTUS picks is virtually the same thing. I don't think there is any pressure about that. I'm pretty sure it's about not wanting to pass the legislation itself.
Also, I mentioned the Dems not wanting to get rid of abortion as an issue, but the GOP also uses it too. Both of them want to keep it as an issue, for fundraising and as a potent distractor. But a lot them don't want to actually go on record with a vote for fear of losing future political maneuverability.
I honestly think I could count on one hand the number people in Congress who actually care about the issue beyond its mere political utility.
