They all thought Hillary would win in 2016 and appoint RBG’s replacement.
Yes, indeed. All the D’s were sure Hillary would win as they believed their flawed polls. I suspect RBG foresaw having the first female President appointing her successor (she was after all very much a radical feminist.). So not only did their belief in their pools contribute to this wonderful Conservative Court’s decision, but it also showed the D’s exactly where and how much they would have to cheat to win in 2020 !