Sorry NinoFan, I fail to see where your optimism is coming from. She is the junior member, does not have the intellectual heft of Scalia but that will not impact Kennedy either way IMHO.
My optimism comes from the time when Marshall and Brennan were still on the Court and the time since Roberts and Alito joimed the Court. It’s pretty well known that O’Connor and Kennedy were put off by the unfriendly nature of the two remaining lib titans. On the other hand, Kennedy has gone to the right in several areas since Roberts joiined. There is nothing to suggest that Sotomayor is a Roberts and there are a few things that suggest she is a Marshall.That is where the optimism comes from.