Clarence Thomas wasn't a Scalia either when George H. ("Read My Lips"} Bush picked him. Conservatives called him a lightweight affirmative action candidate who was only picked because GHB wanted to replace a black justice (Thurgood Marshall) with another black.
Irrelevant. Thomas in fact could have turned out a disaster, but did not. We have zero reason to believe that the elder Bush would have anticipated how brilliant Thomas would turn out to be.
But Thomas did turn out to be brilliant, with wonderfully written opinions (I have read them) and opinions consistent with the Constitution.
It was the Thomas we all knew that W promised to nominate. The man we KNEW to be brilliant in his defense of the constitution.
W has already spoken: "I offer a cypher. I do not grant you the dignity of offering you anything you could possibly know. I don't deal in life that way, I deal in life by fiat."