Truth be told...most of us prolly still cared...but information was just not easiliy available about the nominees...we had to depend on the MSM, we don't anymore...and thats a good thing. I suppose most people (back in the day) solely relied on the notion that the political officers we elected would make informed and intelligent choices that were good for the justice system and good for the country. But anyway...people should care IMHO. These people have a great impact on our country. We should care. We need judges that interpret the law based on the Constitution...not "creating law" based on personal agendas and "buy offs"...like what we've had for the last 20-30 years...(Scalia and Thomas excepted)
Actually, I think most didn't care until the abortion decision, when it became clear that the justices were making the court into a 3rd legislative branch.
Once they started legislating from the bench, we all started caring about what their politics were.