I'm not so sure about that. Bush knew the left was going to go after the nominee big time. When the right went after Miers, the left stepped back thinking the GOP was tearing itself apart. Then when Alito showed up, the right was happy and the left missed their opportunity as the public had moved on and didn't want to see another fight over a judge. When Alito's wife started crying over Democratic lack of civility and that made all the media, the Dems were done. Maybe it wasn't just a Rovian magnificent bastartd plan...but we should let the Donkies think it was. ;-)
Would it happen in the Reagan Administration... no, he nominated O'Conner and Kennedy.