There is absolutely no provision for a certain number of judges on the court, so there is no rush. There is no Constitutional deadline for an appointment, only that the POTUS SHALL appoint and the Senate SHALL confirm (or deny).
If 0bama were to get a lib appointed but the GOP finds a lucky rabbit’s foot and wins the General, the GOP POTUS can appoint as many judges as he pleases - there is no limit up or down.
Trump would be the kind of President who might shake it up. If Obama gets a 5-4 swing his way Trump could then try to bring it around with more numbers.
Well it would take an act of Congress to increase the size of the Supreme Court. A new president can’t just appoint an unlimited number of justices.
Can you imagine the Republicans adding justices to the Court in order to overwhelm a theretofore leftist majority? McConnell? Cornyn? Gimme a break.
Now that’s spectacular!
So, he appoints 5 rockribbed young conservatives, and we wait for the old hippies to die off, or resign in frustration.
The Courts are organized by Congress and the current size of the Court, nine members, was set in the 1860s, it has had less than that, by law, at times.