By and large, Americans tend not to realize the long-term and far-reaching implications of Supreme Court decisions on their everyday lives. Hell most Americans couldn’t name a single judge on the court or tell you how many there are. If I could pick only one time that I’d like to see the Republicans hold the line, this is it.
The next choice would be, Which candidate is most likely to nominate a Scalia-like jurist for the bench?
Are you holding Americans for ignorant? If you had said many Americans could not name a single judge who are on the Supreme Court, I would have to agree. Many don't even know who their senators are and these people vote.
Better question is which Scalia like justice would actually rule Scalia like?
Republicans have an uncanny ability to pick conservative justices that lose their mind after being seated.