it was a different nominating process in the Reagan era and before.
It was far more accademic and dry.
Don’t forget the majority of the lawyer pool is to the left so finding an alito takes conscious effort beyond just numbers.
Good movie:
My Fair Lady
on TCM at 8:00 eastern...
The movie opens as Henry Higgins (Rex Harrison, who originated the role on stage) meets Colonel Hugh Pickering (Wilfred Hyde-White, also a member of the original cast) as they are leaving the theater. It turns out that the two have admired each other’s work in linguistics for years. Higgins hears Eliza Doolittle (Hepburn) bawling in a cockney accent of singular gracelessness and makes a bet with Pickering that he can turn her into a lady with an accent so pure no one will guess her background.