"Why would we want someone on board who does not share the president's judicial philosophy or his own party's?"

As for decisions, I think the gender matters a lot less than the judicial philosophy.

The judge is not known for particular cases or a judicial philosophy.

And sometimes, differences in judicial philosophy can be taken for partisanship.

But his conservative judicial philosophy would almost certainly be an issue in any event.

But I got a real insight into how people with different judicial philosophies think.

"In the past month, many senators have asked me about my judicial philosophy," she said.

Thomas is not engaged on the substance of his judicial philosophy.

"I never think of myself as having a judicial philosophy," he said.

A chief justice's judicial philosophy is important; but at the end of the day he has only one vote among nine.