I wonder if those who supported and respected William Rehnquist when he was nominated and years later looked at it as "luck"....as you apparently do. It couldn't possibly be that someone knew more about him when he was nominated than the political couch potato.
Then why did they screw up so badly with Kennedy and O'Conner? Republicans have appointed 7 out of the 9 justices on the supreme court.
You have too much faith in your betters. It is always better to go with a known quantity in such a big decision.