Ann Coulter & Charles Krauthammer warned us.
No one else. They were looking for a slim paper trail to get the nom. through the Senate. Reagan gave us Kennedy and O’Connor. Hopefully we all learn from past compromises so as not to repeat mistakes.
Cruz is damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t by those who support other candidates. Roberts looked like a good choice to NEARLY everyone, enough so that he became the chief justice. Dig up the FR archives and see how many freepers supported him. Nearly everyone.