Good observation. -I think if you take a principled conservative with her belief in strict constructionism, and combine her with Roberts as Chief Justice, Scalia and Thomas, you get a court that can persuade anyone but Ginsberg to vote as a strict constructionist.-
I like William Buckley's comment that you could take the first 100 names from the telephone book and get more combined wisdom than from 100 Harvard grads. Character is everything.
The President's judgment should be trusted here. Faced with a protracted and probably unsuccessful battle to put someone on the Court who is championed by the conservatives he has selected a person who he has worked with for many years and a person who has practical experience. She has also accomplished a considerable amount when you look at her career in Texas. Personally, it gives me hope that some "common-sensibility" will be in those chambers during discussions. She is as close to a "Heartland" pick as they come.