Selecting someone not on his lists (there were actually two of them, IIRC) would be a blunder, an unforced error.It was dangerous - bold - to create those lists, because any one of the names on them might have proved problematic, and the Democrats might have made major hay. However, now that the election is won the list is a major advantage.
The Democrats love to parrot their mantra, “Judge so-and-so is out of the mainstream.” But that is a nonstarter now that the Democrats have had a chance to damage Trump if they could have convinced people that any one of those names was a clinker - and they passed. Try that mantra now, and the answer will be that the voting public knew about the lists, and every name on them - and they voted for Trump in your state, Senator Foghorn (true of ten incumbent D senators up for reelection). And you are up for reelection in ’18 (half of all D senators are), which is just around the corner. Do you really want to try to make that case??
I hope Kennedy retires soon. And although I love Thomas, I would love to see Trump replace them both with 40 something year old conservatives.