How will Miers be the "wrong way to do this" if she proves to be a strong conservative Justice? What will be served by putting up a controversial polarizing conservative if the nomination falls through because of a weak Republican majority in the Senate? What will have been served then? That would embolden the democrats and NO conservative would get out of committe. That's a fact.
(1) She got the nomination over several vastly more qualified people. I'm sure there's a game theory element to it, but I find it quite hard to believe there were no darkhorse candidates with even basic qualifications in constitutional law.
(1a) This is the worst possible issue to be defeatist on. I don't trust the Republican senators either. But of all possible fights to pick, this is the one you pick. You don't just pre-emptively throw in the towel on a Supreme Court nomination.
(2) All the evidence I have of her conservative credentials is the word of a president who has not exactly been a conservative stalwart. I don't feel like committing that much blind faith to Bush these days.
So there ya go.