There are no sure things, but there are better bets than Roberts. He could have nominated someone like Luttig, Garza or Alito, who has a long and uncontroverted record on the bench and has never waivered from their conservative judicial philosophy. Instead, we get a game of Russian roulette.
I guaranty you that if you fly-specked the records of the people you named, you'd find stuff like this.
If it makes you feel any better, Roberts and Luttig are very close friends. But looking for the "signs" really does not guaranty a conservative pick. You look for the signs, but there is a certain amount of luck in it. Roberts has very conservative credentials. But that's not enough to ensure a conservative pick. I'm not writing off Roberts yet. About two years into his service, I figure we'll know whether Bush miscalculated.